THE FEMALE BRAIN

Tyre et. al (2006) NEWSWEEK, 7/31/ 46-47

It's back. The age old debate about women and men and if and how they vary. A new book called THE FEMALE BRAIN written by a female who is not born again and right wing suggests that women and men have different brains. However, both are from earth not Venus and Mars. Further, by knowing these biological variances, women can look into these areas and do something about it if they choose too. The other side has a new meta-analysis of women and men in terms emotions , cognition, and behavior and found no significant differences. The arguments will go on. For those who perceive differences, one than conclude that women are superior (more moral) or that men are

(more dominant.) Or that they are about the same, but not exactly the same (social androgyny.)

I would like to suggest a third category. However, before I do, you should know my bias. On balance, I favor social androgyny. However, I can not over look biology. My second bias is that I am of the nature-nurture persuasion than it's all nature or it's all nurture. Thus, I suggest that if in 50 years, we MAY discover that not all women are about the same or that all men are the same. Additionally, gay men and women as well as asexuals MAY be different than straight females and males.

If we should discover that there are about 4 different types of  females and three different types of males, it may clear the fog of war over sexual variances. (I made those numbers of differences up.)

At any rate, whatever the number, the overall variance may be close, but sampling of more types of one sex subtype or the other can cloud the issue. If we can find cluster variances (factor analysis) that appear significant, we can begin to talk more clearly about similarity in differences. What I do know is that women aren't the same as they were when I was a child. Further, female's IQ and participation in the economy has vastly improve.

What we can say is that women carry babies within them and men can technically, but usually do not. Further, men as an aggregate are bigger than women so nurture may have predisposed women to less violence for survival than men. This BIO-NURTURANCE where the two forces become entangled have long term results .However, they can change.

What appears to be an outward sign of the two is that males are more outwardly aggressive EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT TO BE. How much testosterone and the amygdala have on each of the sexes is a big question.

This book won't solve it, but will introduce the biological differences again. Steven Pinker will support it , because it does bring back biology and yet it tells women that they can do something about these biological phenomena to compete in the market place. Further, with a cluster model rather than an aggregate model, we may find that some men have more in common with some women and that other clusters there are vast differences. So men may need other biochemicals to

stay afloat in the market or be a better MR. MOM.

The author Louann Brizedine indicates that women's brain vary from men's in the PREFRONTAL CORTEX (self control) INSULA (more empathy) ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX (worry)

HIPPOCAMPUS (emotional memory)HYPOTHALMUS (hormone control)  PITUITARY GLAND (maternalism) and AMYGDALA (aggression.)