From: Anders Sandberg (nv91-asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Tue Dec 17 1996 - 04:59:25 MST
On Tue, 17 Dec 1996, Eugene Leitl wrote:
> Until we can do sophisticated self-engineering, we are stuck with the
> gender differences, I am afraid. Anectodal evidence does not support the
> claim that gender differences are negligeable, I am afraid.
As far as I have learned by studying neuroscience and psychology (The
psychology departement of Stockholm University is very involved in gender
research), the biological differences appear to be a relatively minor
factor compared to the differences induced by experience and culture.
Gender identity is surprisingly malleable, especially during childhood,
and we seem to develop gender schemata gradually dependent on our
experience of how other people behave and how we think we should be (the
neurological differences may not even be very active during childhood,
they might be activated at adolescence by hormonal factors).
That doesn't mean gender differences are easy to change or get rid of!
They are so basic memes in all human cultures, that changing them may
require a wholesale restructuring of our cultural memetic ecology or a
drastic change in bodies.
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Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension!
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