Viva La Difference or Eat Sh*t and Die

BARBIE SAYS "Math Is Hard."
The War of Words and What They Mean

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: Remarks at a conference by Lawrence Summers, Harvard's president, suggesting that innate differences between the sexes might explain why women do less well than men in careers in mathematics and science, continued to resonate on campus and across the nation, triggering often furious reactions.

FROM JOHN CARROLL @PREPOSTEROUS UNIVERSE: But it's hard to miss the fact that Summers' defenders and critics are mostly talking past each other. As one of the critics, I'm especially baffled/annoyed at the tack taken by most of the defenders. The basic line seems to be that Summers was simply offering a scientific hypothesis, one that is worth investigating, and if you are in any way offended you must be letting political correctness compromise your interest in finding the truth. This seems to miss the point entirely, so perhaps it's worth just a little more blather on the subject.

ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN?
Is the way men and women discuss this issue itself a sign of their difference in makeup or difference in attitude?  What difference does any of this make?
The Heretik Joe Ivory Mattingly wants to know what you think.

Comments

[Morgaine Swann]

The fact that he stood there and made such an idiotic statement shows the difference. Would he feel free to stand there and say blacks must not be as smart as whites because fewer of them go to his school? Or would he be seen as a racist ass completely unaware of the socio-political obstacles blacks face in addition to the academic challenge?

He benefitted from an androcentric, anglo-centric system to get where he is, but he'd rather pat himself on the back for being superior than admit that he was favored for reasons other than merit. We see this constantly in the upper classes. They feel morally superior because they aren't poor; or intellectually superior because they know how to make money and other people don't; or they're selectively bred to be very pale and very thin so anyone who isn't pale and thin is immoral or weak or otherwise "impure".

In most cases the individual thinking himself superior is in fact just an asshole with connections and a trust fund.

[The Heretik]

Damn, Morgaine, don't you know you are supposed to leave all the real "serious" well thought out, arguments to the people from Penistan? Nudge, wink. But a non sexist wink , a very respectful wink, followed by a bow, and while I am bowing don't dart around me quickly and kick my ass, at least not too hard.

[Amanda]

I hear women are naturally more reticient and non-aggressive. Which means I'm a man.

[The Heretik]

I guess it all balances out. Man, I feel like a woman. Oh, my, I am channeling Shania Twain again.

[bitchphd]

Amanada, I'm a man too :)

[The Alchemist]

I'll let'ee chaps in on a little secret I discovered once, but promise not to let it go any further because it is deadly dangerous knowledge!

Some people are different to some other people.

Shhh!

[blondesense]

Wait a minute, the article says, "innate differences between the sexes might explain why women do less well than men in careers in mathematics and science,"

Women do less well? What does that mean? that they make less money? Women always make less money than men. If that isn't what they mean.. but mean that women do less well in their careers in Math and Science because they aren't as good at is as men, then that is just plain stupid and sexist. They should explain how women do less well in their careers in their opinion. I certainly don't believe that women in science are not up to par with their male counterparts. That's ridiculous. I don't accept that at all.