By accessing or using this site you accept and agree to our Terms and Conditions
We run an ad-free website, help us keep going, Support Us!
Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences
Leonard Sax
Top 10 Best Quotes
“Quoting an experienced school counselor: "You can't change a bully into a flower child, but you can change him into a knight.”
“The notion of the opposite sex assumes that you are either masculine or feminine. It assumes a one dimensional continuum: feminine - masculine. But researchers have known for more than forty years that that notional is just isn't accurate.”
“The general lack of awareness of gender differences disadvantages both girls and boys, but it disadvantages them in different ways. When teachers don't understand these gender differences, the results too often is a school where the boys think that creative writing is for girls and the girls think physics is for guys. When teachers understand these gender differences they can break down gender stereotypes.”
“Some boys are happier being more feminine than masculine although they still have masculine elements. Some girls are happier being more masculine than feminine although they still have feminine elements. The explosion in the proportion of people who believe that they are trance gender may well represent the failure to understand that gender is two-dimensional not one-dimensional.”
“Girls spend slightly more time playing with the doll than with the truck. Boys on the other hand typically spend great deal more time playing with the truck rather than with the doll.”
“Girls spend slightly more time playing with the doll than with the truck. Boys on the other hand typically spend great deal more time playing with the truck rather than with the doll. We were taught that the social construction of gender is the appropriate framework in which to understand these results [..] We give girls a fairly consistent message that girls are supposed to play with dolls and not with trucks. So when offered a choice girls will be more likely to play with dolls rather than trucks. But if a girl picks up a truck it's not a catastrophe. WIth boys the stakes are higher, we send boys a much stronger message what a boy is and is not supposed to do. Boys are not supposed to play with dolls. Boys get that message loud and clear.”
“Gender is important, gender is complicated and gender is meaningful. Know your child and celebrate the kind of girl or boy your child is becoming.”
“Dr. Melvin Connors sums it up nicely in just three words: "culture stretches biology”
“Don't pressure your daughter or your son to conform to gender stereotypes. If your son wants to take ballet classes, cheer him on. If your daughter wants to study marshal arts and computer programming, sign her up. Teach your son that there are all kinds of man in the world including men who excel at ballet and macrame. Teach your daughter that there are all kinds of women in the world, including women who are masters of karate and computer programming.”
“But biological sex, male or female, seems to run deeper than sexual orientation, gay or straight. Gay men whether masculine or feminine have more in common with straight men then they have in common with women.”
Except where otherwise noted, all rights reserved to the author(s) of this book (mentioned above). The content of this page serves as promotional material only. If you enjoyed these quotes, you can support the author(s) by acquiring the full book from Amazon.
Book Keywords:
education, personality, aggression, gender-differences, gender, go-setting, mentoring, gender-stereotypes, motivation