Questioning the Science of Gender Difference: A New Perspective
For decades, science has told us that biology defines gender differences. But what if the scientists – and popular culture – have got it wrong? Fine explores the literature, from studies in scientific journals to the latest assertions of Mars and Venus author John Gray, to challenge society’s attribution of gender-based differences to "hardwired" biology. Exploring how cultural beliefs about the sexes subtly influence the way research is done, interpreted, and presented, Fine provides a fresh perspective on gender and on society’s long-held, and possibly mistaken, beliefs.
For decades, science has told us that biology defines gender differences. But what if the scientists – and popular culture – have got it wrong? Fine explores the literature, from studies in scientific journals to the latest assertions of Mars and Venus author John Gray, to challenge society’s attribution of gender-based differences to "hardwired" biology. Exploring how cultural beliefs about the sexes subtly influence the way research is done, interpreted, and presented, Fine provides a fresh perspective on gender and on society’s long-held, and possibly mistaken, beliefs.
Cordelia Fine is an academic psychologist and writer whose most recent book, Delusions of Gender: The Real Science Behind Sex Differences, was named a Book of the Year by The Guardian and The Washington Post. Fine is an ARC Future Fellow in psychological sciences and associate professor at the Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne.
SFI’s Community Lecture series is generously sponsored by Thornburg Investment Management