Are there Gender Differences???
Are men and women different? Do we behave differently? What is behind the stereotypes of male and female activities or interests? Are the brains of men and women the same or different?
In general, we tend not to think in terms of "female brain" versus "male brain". Yet we do, indeed, discuss sex-typical behavior in everyday conversation. We may say, "oh, don't be so girly" when someone cries or "boys will be boys" when there is a fist-fight. Or we may repeat the cliched phrase, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus".
What does sex or gender mean, anyway? By general society's standards, I am deemed to be "female". I cry at sad movies. I throw a baseball "like a girl" and I can't run a mile in under five minutes. But I also like football. I enjoy working out in the weight room. I occasionally use power tools. Does that mean that I can be considered "like a guy"?? Aside from the obvious physical characteristics, what is there about me that makes me act "female"?
Maybe we will start by using our assumptions that different behaviors arise from differences in the brain. Why don't we explore a bit and see if we can make that jump . . . and if it doesn't feel right, we'll re-evaluate that assumption.
Where do you want to go next??
 A Brief Gendered History
Structural, Hormonal, and Functional Differences
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