neurosexism with social learning theory

Before we get started… Let’s do an activity

Please draw on a piece of paper a what you might find at your local hospital. Sketch a doctor, nurse, and janitor as detailed as

possible.

Possible pictures you may have drawn/imagined…

The true spectrum of the fields

What is neurosexism?“Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference is Cordelia Fine, written to debunk the idea that men and women are hardwired with different interests. The author criticizes claimed evidence of the existence of innate biological differences between men and women's minds, as being faulty and exaggerated, and while taking a position of agnosticism with respect to inherent differences relating to interest/skill in 'understanding the world' versus 'understanding people', reviews literature demonstrating how cultural and societal beliefs contribute to sex differences.”

What are some of the first expectations for males and females as they grow up?

Research shows about learning math..Jonathan M. Kane and Janet E. Mertz of the University of Wisconsin. They analyzed scores from more than half a million fourth-and eighth- graders from more than 60 countries. Their conclusion: There were essentially no gender differences between girls and boys in math performance. In the few instances where a slight difference did occur, Mertz said that it "is not a matter of biology: None of our findings suggest that an innate biological difference between the sexes is the primary reason for a gender gap in math performance.

And about empathy?

When confronted with other people's problems, men and women use essentially the same types of responses. Both men and women largely provide support by giving advice and expressing sympathy. The sexes are remarkably alike in the types of support they provide. The clear conclusion: Gender differences in communication, especially giving support to others, are relatively small in magnitude. Men are fully able to both offer and receive supportive communications. Women have no special "communication" style.

And about innate hobbies…A group of Canadian scientists observed that young people who played video games that involved tracking had superior mental-rotation skills. Instead of just noting that the males did better than the females, and chalking the difference up to female brains, the team took another step. The low scorers were divided into two groups; one group spent 10 hours playing tracking video games, while the others did not get such training. What happened? The training almost completely eradicated the gender gap in mental-rotation skills. And when the researchers checked back six months later, the group that had received the training had retained their gains.

A little video for a little thought…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEBLGJg5ZD4

What does this mean?

There is a social pressure on males and females to not only conform to a gender identity of male or female

(which biology shows a spectrum to sex as well..), but to conform to a specific

gender and the traits that coincide.

She’s such a girl… He’s such a guyCompassionate

Abstract

Emotional

Language-oriented

SlutGossiper

Emotional

Thoughtful

Nuturting

LogicalFunny

Laid back

Smart

Dominant

Aggressive

Unemotional

Thoughtless

Sexual

Strong

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

We learn through interactions with others,

by observation and interaction

Reciprocal determinism…

Reciprocal determinism is the idea that behavior is controlled or determined by the individual, through cognitive processes, and by the environment, through external social stimulus events.

What does this mean for us?

EMPOWERMENT!This theory offers a possibility to maintain awareness of the social constructs and pressures that exist within

research and within our society!

We can be more than our assigned sexes and assumed gender – we can be

more than JUST men and women!

So, what do you think?

Are we more than just sexes?

Or are we born into innate capabilities?

Works Cited!

• http://womensenews.org/story/women-in-science/131212/calling-all-female-brains-stop-the-neurosexism#.VE1ycfldXOE

• http://theconversation.com/new-insights-into-gendered-brain-wiring-or-a-perfect-case-study-in-neurosexism-21083

• http://cellularscale.blogspot.com/2012/02/neurosexism-and-delusions-of-gender.html