NATURE MATTERS

Started by Gabriel, Mar 13, 2005, 03:29 PM

previous topic - next topic
Go Down

Gabriel

Link

First off. Duh - of course nature matters.

Secondly,

Quote
The differences continue as children grow.

Girls hear better...

Teen-age boys have much more trouble discussing their feelings.


Get the message.

Stallywood

Of course boys and girls are different. I dont have to buy a book to point it out to me. If our society wasnt so fucked up, this book wouldnt even have to be written.
Stally


NATURE MATTERS
By MYRNA BLYTH

THE controversy about women's capabilities that began with Harvard President Lawrence Summers' remarks several weeks ago gets a new hearing with the publication of "Why Gender Matters." In it, psychologist and family physician Leonard Sax, using 20 years of published research, offers a guide to the growing mountain of evidence that girls and boys really are different.

Feminists used to argue that girls acted girlishly primarily because they had been brought up to behave that way. Today, there are now numerous studies that indicate what most parents instinctively know: There are inborn differences in how young males and females learn and behave.

What's more, denying or ignoring these differences, Sax convincingly argues, can be detrimental to a child's development. "The failure to recognize and respect sex differences in child development has done substantial harm in the past 30 years," he declares.

"Of course not all girls are alike and not all boys are alike. But girls and boys do differ from one another in systematic ways that should be understood and made use of, not covered up or ignored," he writes.

That doesn't mean that one sex is smarter than the other, though Sax did join in the Harvard controversy with a Los Angeles Times op-ed that acknowledged Summers was half right. One of the differences between the sexes, Sax wrote, is discrepancies in the manner and sequence that boys and girls learn certain subjects, like physics.

But research shows that many other intriguing differences are observable from birth: Female babies are more attracted to and interested in faces; boy babies prefer the movements of a mobile hanging above their cribs; little girls, in general, tend to be shy; little boys are hard-wired to be more aggressive.

Ask a girl in kindergarten to draw a picture and she'll draw three smiling people and use several crayons to color in their hair, eyes and skin tone. A boy will use one black crayon to scribble a line that shows, he says, a rocket crashing into earth.

The differences continue as children grow. Girls hear better than boys; so, when a teen-age girl complains that her father is always yelling at her, that may be the way she genuinely perceives his loud voice.

Teen-age boys have much more trouble discussing their feelings. That's because, experts have learned, the area of the brain that allows us to talk about emotions develops later in males.

Sax said he became interested in the subject of gender differences because as a family physician he began to see "a parade of second- and third-grade boys" being marched into his office by frantic parents, concerned that their sons suffered from attention-deficit disorder. He felt that the boys generally were just acting like boys and needed understanding not the medication that their teachers and often their parents wanted prescribed.

Because boys' normal behavior is often considered problematic, Sax is concerned that boys these days are increasingly alienated from school. "Today's boy is much more likely to be struggling with school than his father was," he notes.

"Recent investigations have shown a dramatic drop over the last 20 years in boys' academic performance." As a result, Sax has become an advocate of single-sex education, which he thinks would benefit boys -- and girls as well.

This extremely readable book also includes shrewd advice on discipline, and on helping youngsters avoid drugs and early sexual activity. Sax's findings, insights and provocative point-of-view should be of interest and help to many parents.

WHY GENDER MATTERS: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences

By Leonard Sax

Doubleday, 320 pages, $24.95

Myrna Blyth is the author of "Spin Sisters: How the Women of the Media Sell Unhappiness and Liberalism to the Women of America."




Home

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM
are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc.
Copyright 2005 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Gentleman is a man who consciously serves women. I prefer the golden rule.

Behind every great man, is a
parasite.

Women who say men won't commit, usually aren't worth committing to.

dr e

I have heard before about the hearing deficits of males and can't understand how it is that this is true while at the same time the vast majority of  those interested in hi-end stereo equipment are males.  Doesn't seem to add up.
Contact dr e  Lifeboats for the ladies and children, icy waters for the men.  Women have rights and men have responsibilties.

becksbolero

If any credence can be given to the Theory of Evolution, with Man as hunter.
It would seem that a hearing deficit would be quite a hinderance. You can generally only see in one direction at a time but your hearing is spherical (180 degrees from the center of your head in Any direction).

Just more feminist propaganda bullshit.

Could be we as men are just sick of listening to the whining of victim, fascist, feminist, self centered hatemongers. And those who would change us for our own good.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

Gabriel

This whole nature matters and biological differences do exist is tiresome.

It makes me want to grab the nearest feminist, start tapping against her skull with my knuckes and say

"Hello Mcfly - hello, anyone in there?"

richard ford

I think this 'mens hearing is defective' factoid is derived from the 'men do not listen' complaint.

The Biscuit Queen

Did any of you bother to read the rest of the article?

The author goes on to criticize the schools and parents for not accepting their boys as being boys, he says that medication is not the answer, that boys have been in big trouble for performance in school BECAUSE of the fact that boys are not treated fairly in school.

Quote
Sax said he became interested in the subject of gender differences because as a family physician he began to see "a parade of second- and third-grade boys" being marched into his office by frantic parents, concerned that their sons suffered from attention-deficit disorder. He felt that the boys generally were just acting like boys and needed understanding not the medication that their teachers and often their parents wanted prescribed.

Because boys' normal behavior is often considered problematic, Sax is concerned that boys these days are increasingly alienated from school. "Today's boy is much more likely to be struggling with school than his father was," he notes.

"Recent investigations have shown a dramatic drop over the last 20 years in boys' academic performance." As a result, Sax has become an advocate of single-sex education, which he thinks would benefit boys -- and girls as well.

This extremely readable book also includes shrewd advice on discipline, and on helping youngsters avoid drugs and early sexual activity. Sax's findings, insights and provocative point-of-view should be of interest and help to many parents.


You guys are starting to react just as a mirror opposite of a feminist. READ the whole thing. THINK about the whole thing. This was an excellent article. Yes, their example was typical, but look at the whole thing. It was bringing attention to a huge problem, which is the underacheivement of boys in school, due to the curriculum.


Sometimes people have to talk the talk in order to slip in a big truth. By phrasing the examples the way feminists like, the article likely slipped under the feminazi radar. Yet a very important message was also slipped in.

I am going to pick my battles, and I think this article is not something I would have a problem with.
he Biscuit Queen
www.thebiscuitqueen.blogspot.com

There are always two extremes....the truth lies in the middle.

The Biscuit Queen

Myrna Blyth, who wrote this article, also wrote Spin Sisters. Excellent read, scathing look at women's magazines and television. She is definately worth listening to.
he Biscuit Queen
www.thebiscuitqueen.blogspot.com

There are always two extremes....the truth lies in the middle.

dr e

Quote
Did any of you bother to read the rest of the article?


Yes, I read it before I posted.  I think my comments and some others who responded were talking more about the hearing aspect of things and not specifically about the article.  I can only speak for myself but I know I wasn't referring to the article as being good or bad just my observation about the hearing piece of things.  

Quote
You guys are starting to react just as a mirror opposite of a feminist. READ the whole thing. THINK about the whole thing. This was an excellent article.


Maybe you are judging a little too quickly here.
Contact dr e  Lifeboats for the ladies and children, icy waters for the men.  Women have rights and men have responsibilties.

Galt

Quote from: "The Biscuit Queen"
You guys are starting to react just as a mirror opposite of a feminist. READ the whole thing. THINK about the whole thing.


Wow.  I just had a flashback to when I recently lived with a woman.

The Biscuit Queen

Well, if that is the case I am sorry. I guess it floored me that here is an article that is well written and brings some serious issues to the forefront and all anyone can do is criticize a couple of sentances. No one has suggested writing to thank this woman for addressing the problems boys have in school. I suggest it now.

Maybe men do not hear as well as women, maybe they do. I haven't seen the report. But since it is obvious that there are many things men do better than women, and you all heartily agree with that, there are bound to be some things women do better than men. That is what reminds me of the feminists, the unwillingness to admit that things aren't always biologically stacked in your favor.

Or maybe I am reading into this. Maybe I can only stand a few months of being on these boards before I need a break.  It is not always easy being a woman on a men's board, just as I am sure it would be hard to be a man on a feminist board. I do not expect to have anyone change their behavior or reaction unless swayed by my debating, however it is not always easy to listen to the same old song and dance every day.


Quote
Wow. I just had a flashback to when I recently lived with a woman.



Yeah. I am a woman. We must all sound alike to you.  Apparently I am the bee's knees until I disagree with you. Why am I not suprised.

I think I am going to take a few days off. I am just going to say something unproductive and hurtful, and I hate being like that.
he Biscuit Queen
www.thebiscuitqueen.blogspot.com

There are always two extremes....the truth lies in the middle.

Galt

BisquitQueen - it was just kind of a joke.

angryharry

Quote
Teen-age boys have much more trouble discussing their feelings.


One of AH's better pontifications ...

Quote
Boys are continually being short-changed in western educational systems by being denied access to curricula that contain much that is of interest to them. They are also being forced daily to deal with their school work through a feminine and feminist perspective.

But it surely makes no sense at all to disadvantage educationally the very group of people - males - upon whom virtually the entire progress of the human race has depended, and upon whom, clearly, it will continue to depend.

Here is the outline of a conversation that I had with a bright and keen ten-year old boy only a few days ago.

"How's school going, George?"

" It's OK."

"Are you getting on well?"

"Yep: I'm in the top group for everything."

"That's great. Well done. What's your favourite subject?"

"Maths."

"Are you good at Maths?"

"Yes. Quite good."

"And what about the language work - the English?"

"Mmm. It's OK."

"Do you like it?"

"No. Not really."

"Why not?"

"We have to write stories."

"Don't you like writing stories?"

"Nah."

"But surely you can write whatever you like - most of the time?"

"No, we can't. We have to keep writing about people's feelings."

And the following is a true anecdote concerning a young fellow who was being taught by the missus about 4 years ago.

This was one of the brightest children that she had ever come across.

He ended up being offered scholarships in all the top London schools to which he had later applied.

At age 10.5 his Maths performance levels were about the same as those of an average 16 year old. His reasoning ability was easily in the top 0.5% of children his age.

He was also a very hard worker.

And do you know what he did whenever he had to write a story?

He cried. And he cried. And he cried.

And, without any exaggeration, it could take him an hour just to write four sentences of 'a story', so upset, so resentful and so helpless did he feel at having to do what, for him, was virtually an impossible task.

Well. How many boys are going to end up making a living writing stories in which they have to describe people's feelings?

Hardly any.

So, what is the point in forcing all of our boys to spend so much of their precious educational time (starting usually at about age 7.00) doing such things?

Where is the benefit? - given that it has such a negative affect on the attitudes of boys toward education.

And if there are, indeed, any good reasons why boys should be given some insight into the art of writing stories that require the analyses of 'feelings', then why can this aspect of the curriculum not be delayed until the boys are about 13 or 14?

And if teachers think that they really must get boys at a very early age to think about 'feelings' during their lessons, well, that's fine.

That is not the problem!

The problem is that they are forcing boys at an early age to spend hundreds of educational hours devoted to something that, by and large, has an extremely negative affect on all of their education and, for the vast majority of boys, there does not seem to be any benefit to be gained from doing this.

Indeed, there is no valid objective research yet carried out to demonstrate that getting young boys to write about their feelings or anybody else's feelings is of any value at all!

And if it was natural for boys to want to write about feelings whenever they create their stories then, presumably, they would happily do so!

It is also worth noting that our politically-corrected teaching profession has for some time been advocating strongly that children should not have their spellings or their punctuation corrected (especially with red pens!) in their creative writing because it might discourage them from being creative.

At the same time, however, the fact that boys are hugely discouraged from the whole subject area by having to attend to 'feelings' both in their writing and in their reading does not seem to trouble the teaching profession at all!

Spelling and punctuation are out; feelings are in; no matter how much boys are put off by this.

It is hardy surprising, therefore, that the UK currently has 7 million functionally-illiterate adults in its midst - mostly male - that it has a fair percentage even of graduates who seem remarkably unable to read or write decently - mostly male - and that it has far too many people - mostly female - forever demanding that their own feelings should be better catered for - even in the law - than the feelings of everybody else!
ttp://www.angryharry.com ... the only site in the entire world with the aforementioned domain address

becksbolero

Quote from: "The Biscuit Queen"
Did any of you bother to read the rest of the article?


Yes. I did.

I would like to point out though, that just because someone says one or two positive things, it does not necessarily constitute a complete argument. Nor does it render it irrefutable.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

TestSubject


Go Up