Brains, gender, and sexuality

[bronnyelsp]

I'm not quite sure what to do with this.

On the one hand it supports me in banging on about sexuality not being a choice.

On the other, I believe quite strongly that gender and sexuality are two entirely separate continuums, and that gender roles are largely socially determined, rather than innate.

So. Yeah. Not quite sure what to do with this

Comments

[aerieofgrace]

The article doesn't seem to address gender roles much? But then, I'm pretty comfortable with a biological correlation between sex and various predilections like language or spatial awareness . . . I don't see a possible bio correlation as needing to *mean* anything about gender roles and who people are.

[bronnyelsp]

That's true. I guess what I mean by gender roles is that this feeds into the "oh, women can't read maps/drive/navigate" stereotype, just like it seems research about women's brains being "better connected" so women have somewhat of an inclination to be better at multi-tasking and men at focusing on one task can get blown up into huge differences between the sexes which I don't generally think exist.

[aerieofgrace]

Gotcha. That makes sense.

[krakelwok]

Neurobiology and neurology in general are, as I see it, some of the most fascinating and difficult scientific areas. Always keep in mind that we know next to nothing about the workings of the brain and that we understand even less about what we know.
Not long ago I read about that multi-tasking myth, by the way. Technically there's not such thing because neither men nor women can consciously concentrate on more than one activity at a time - what people call multi-tasking is really the ability to mentally automatise an action while consciously occupying themselves with another.