Mary,
Could you provide just one specific example of significant research that was stopped by feminist bigotry and not because it was a waste of time and money.
Research continues at a low level, trying to keep under the radar of feminist bigotry :-) For example, try typing 'Mathematical ability and lateral asymmetry' in Google.
Mathematical ability and lateral asymmetry.
Annett M, Kilshaw D.
The hypothesis that special ability in mathematics is associated with a reduction in bias to dextral preference and skill was examined in several samples of students and in 97 male and 27 female teachers of mathematics, mainly in Universities and Polytechnics. The math students and math teachers differed from controls, both general and academic, in the direction predicted and several comparisons were statistically significant. Differences were in most cases clearer for males than females. An analysis of the findings in relation to the right shift (RS) theory of handedness (Annett, 1972, 1978) suggests that the incidence of left preference and skill is slightly raised in mathematicians not because of any intrinsic advantage of left preference but rather because extreme bias to the right, as expected in those carrying a hypothesised rs++ genotype, is disadvantageous for mathematical thinking. If the role of mathematics can be regarded as one of developing languages to describe those aspects of human experience which otherwise could be understood only in visuo-spatial images, it can be seen to require a coordination of those aspects of human intelligence which have been distinguished as depending differentially on the left and right cerebral hemispheres. The present findings suggest that this process might be impeded by a double dose of a gene which promotes left hemisphere language specialisation.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Lateral asymmetry is the issue of right handedness. In most males left brain rules. Some male lefties are simple opposites, but there is a type of leftie where the brain is organized in a similar matter to most females (where both sides of the brain are used roughly equally).
Science is found in journals, not in news magazines or tabloids.
Now on the issue of feminists suppressing research - Janet Bing at Old Dominion did a great article on "Brain Sex: How the Media Reports and Distorts Brain Research". This has been widely used to attack such research. What she failed to note is how the feminist response to the Archie Bunkers is equally bad. Her general conclusion was: Changing the issue from “How are men’s and women’s brains different?” to “Why shouldn’t every individual have equal opportunity?” switches the focus from an irrelevant issue to one to one that has important social consequences, and not just for women.
My postulation is that rather than supressing research - couldn't the research lead to or be directed at new methods for teaching boys languages or girls math?
John |
