MetaFilter posts tagged with gender

It's not exactly Babelfish

Pope Guilty — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:42:04 -0800

Regender reverses gendered words and names on websites.

Marching through the claims like Sherman through Georgia

cashman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:30:09 -0800

Neuroscientist Lise Eliot finds that claims of sex differences fall apart. In one study, scientists dressed newborns in gender-neutral clothes and misled adults about their sex. The adults described the "boys" (actually girls) as angry or distressed more often than did adults who thought they were observing girls, and described the "girls" (actually boys) as happy and socially engaged more than adults who knew the babies were boys. Dozens of such disguised-gender experiments have shown that adults perceive baby boys and girls differently, seeing identical behavior through a gender-tinted lens. "Eliot immersed herself in hundreds of scientific papers (her bibliography runs 46 pages). Marching through the claims like Sherman through Georgia, she explains that assertions of innate sex differences in the brain are either "blatantly false," "cherry-picked from single studies," or "extrapolated from rodent research" without being confirmed in people. For instance, the idea that the band of fibers connecting the right and left brain is larger in women, supposedly supporting their more "holistic" thinking, is based on a single 1982 study of only 14 brains. Fifty other studies, taken together, found no such sex difference—not in adults, not in newborns. Other baseless claims: that women are hard-wired to read faces and tone of voice, to defuse conflict, and to form deep friendships; and that "girls' brains are wired for communication and boys' for aggression." Eliot's inescapable conclusion: there is "little solid evidence of sex differences in children's brains.""

21st Century College Gender Gap(s)

l33tpolicywonk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:43:21 -0800

Linda Sax's The Gender Gap in College argues there is a qualitative difference between how men and women experience college: on engagement, self-confidence and achievement. The growing gender imbalance in college admissions may also result in higher rejection rates for female applicants which, Kenyon College Dean Jennifer Delahunty Britz argues, is a paradoxical result of the women's liberation movement. Women represent 58.7% of college graduates in the US.

Caster Semenya and sex varification controversies

serazin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:23:59 -0800

South African runner Caster Semenya wins a gold in the 800 meter amid controversy and accusations about her sex. Analysis of Semenya's situation and more information on sex verification in sport.

Realness

nosila — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:00:44 -0800

Dorian Corey was the articulate elder stateswoman of the New York City ball scene featured in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning. When she died in 1993, police found the body of a murdered man 15 years mummified in her apartment. In December 2008, a message popped up in a thread from 2007 at the Motherboards, a forum dedicated to NYC nightlife and alternative lifestyles. It was posted by a man claiming to be the off-duty police officer who found the body in Corey's apartment after she died. He says he wants to set the record straight, though according to most sources I can find (including the Cunningham article linked below), Corey did that herself with a note that said that the man broke into her apartment and she was forced to murder him. Unfortunately, what is likely the most definitive article on the debacle appears to be unavailable online. Vogueing, brought to the surface of culture by Madonna, originated in the ball culture. Though Dorian herself was of the older Vegas showgirl-inspired feathers and sequins school (so she says in Paris is Burning), she too could vogue with the best of them. According to the Village Voice, Paris was still burning circa 2001: In reality, Madonna's video and Livingston's film were station stops on a cultural continuum, affectionate but voyeuristic peeks into a tradition dating back to the 19th century and going strong into the 21st. Even 16 years after the documentary Paris Is Burning shed light on New York City's gay underground house ball scene, misconceptions linger about the scene's past, present and future. (from 2007) The Hours author Michael Cunningham writes about Angie, Dorian, and the ball and house cultures in The Slap of Love (Part 2). Consider another tragedy of racial, class, and sexual subordination–the life and death of Venus Xtravaganza (Dorian Corey's voice narrates the beginning of the clip and describes the Realness category in the balls), a young, poor, Puerto Rican, transsexual male [also] featured in the film Paris is Burning.

Parents keep child's sex a secret.

Four-Eyed Girl — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:01:03 -0800

A pair of Swedish parents are keeping their child's ("Pop") sex a secret. The parents believe that gender is a social construction, and they want to keep Pop from being placed into any categories based on his/her gender. Psychologists, medical specialists, and other researchers disagree on how this decision may affect the child, and some believe this secret is similar to the one David Reimer's family kept from him. Via Feministing.

"You're like my personal brand of herion." My god, are you -twelve-?"

ShawnStruck — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:23:17 -0800

In Buffy Vs. Edward (Twilight Remixed), Edward Cullen from the Twilight Series meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer at Sunnydale High. It's an example of transformative storytelling serving as a visual critique of Edward's character and generally creepy behavior. Seen through Buffy's eyes some of the more patriarchal gender roles and sexist Hollywood tropes embedded in the Twilight saga are exposed in hilarious ways. (Previous Twilight discussion on MeFi )

The Boys Club

hippybear — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:50:50 -0800

Pixar has released ten feature films thus far, and none of them have had a female main character. This has not gone unnoticed. In fact, it has been the subject of commentary for years. But when Linda Holmes at NPR weighs in on the subject (with thoughtful comments), some of the counter-blogs get downright nasty.

Men who like to hear themselves talk?

desjardins — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:00:43 -0800

The top 10% of prolific Twitter users accounted for over 90% of tweets. Twitter is dominated by men, whereas other social networks tend to be dominated by women. Is Twitter biased towards men?

Beneath the burqa

tavegyl — Thu, 14 May 2009 08:36:43 -0800

Shuttlecock burqas to fetish wear. Some snapshots of Pakistan's struggles with its sexual identities. Sex, love, dating and marriage* in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In Peshawar, a vibrant porn scene coexists with conservative Islam and tribal traditions. Writers talk about being gay in Pakistan. In Lahore, where the Mela Chiraghan festival celebrates a Muslim sufi poet's love for a Hindu man, openly gay women have just launched Chay, the country's first magazine dealing with sexuality. Begum Nawazish Ali, a bisexual transvestite TV host, uses her transgressive persona to throw politicians off balance on air (previously). Meanwhile, there is a long history of hijras belonging to the third gender in Pakistan and neighbouring countries (photographs) (previously). This is also the country where Mukhtaran Mai was gang raped to punish her brother for a sexual transgression, the historical sex trade is no longer a respectable occupation, the Taliban flog a teenaged girl on film (warning: graphic), bans a Bollywood movie for "propogating homosexuality" and women are still killed for honour and subject to acid attacks. * Alys Faiz, the foreign wife of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, one of the greatest poets in the Urdu language, on marrying a Pakistani, just before the Partition

Dagger of the Mind

Artw — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:01:13 -0800

The SF Signal Mind Meld feature poses science fiction related questions to a number of SF luminaries and the scientist, science writer or blogger. Subjects have included the best women writers in SF, taboo topics in SF, underated authors and the most controversial SF novels of the past and present. The also cover lighter topics, such the role of media tie-ins, how Battlestar Galactica could have ended better (bonus Geoff Ryman) and the realistic (or otherwise) use of science on TV SF shows.

Mmm, fully rugged.

Neofelis — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:28:31 -0800

Your laptop computer says a lot about you. Maybe my husband and I need to put more thought into our purchases. We'd want to make sure we're projecting the correct images, right? But how does my husband decide whether he's "semi-rugged" or "business rugged"? Dare he even aspire to "fully rugged"? (I hope so!) At least I know where to look first if I need "mobile computing power with that all important feminine touch."

Dora Grows Up.

lunit — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:18:43 -0800

Dora Grows Up. Nickelodeon and Mattel have introduced a whole new look for beloved cartoon Dora the Explorer. But the new look has people asking, Is Dora too sexy? Nick and Mattel try to smooth things over.

I can't take my eyes off of her.

Optimus Chyme — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:57:45 -0800

"Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women but also the relation of women to themselves." Also: male gaze on the Gender Ads Project. Laura Mulvey's original 1975 essay on Male Gaze in cinema.

Pinky Blue

mippy — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:28:49 -0800

Pink is still the colour where little girls are concerned, no matter where they grow up - some think propensity for pink is hardwired into girls. For a stark depiction of how many pink things a five-year-old could possibly own, a Korean photographer photographed boys and girls with their possessions arranged according to colour.

Beware the pink aisle

Artw — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:44:37 -0800

Do girls toys and boys toys lead to a gender gap?

Ladyboys.

gman — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:47:26 -0800

Miss Tiffany's Universe is the first and largest Kathoey cabaret show in SE Asia. The Third gender is not unique to Thailand. The Hijras of India have an 18-day festival. North American Natives have the Two-Spirit Gathering. And Australia is now contemplating third sex designation. Various Miss Tiffany's Universe links are in Thai. To revert back to English click here.

His name is Robert Paulson

cytherea — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:02:15 -0800

The Bra for Boys blossoms in Japan.

Trans in the Red States

Kattullus — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:11:51 -0800

"In Loveland, Colorado -- population 61,000, 92 percent white and heavily evangelical Christian -- Michelle didn't know what to expect when she began to work with the school to facilitate her daughter's transition from a boy to a girl. At first, it was difficult. The school 'freaked out when I told them,' Michelle says. 'When we started with M.J.'s transition, I was envisioning riots.' And so Michelle became an advocate for transgender people -- those who identify as a gender different from the one assigned at birth. Michelle organized trainings for the faculty and staff and prepared 'cheat sheets' in case any of their students asked prying questions. But on the first day of school, nothing happened." - Trans in the Red States by Jeremy Bearer-Friend and Daniel Redman. [via Obsidian Wings]

We think http://www.metafilter.com is written by a man.

jbickers — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:14:24 -0800

GenderAnalyzer will look at a blog and attempt to determine whether it was written by a man or a woman.

The Women of ENIAC

Asparagirl — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:22:51 -0800

It's hardly the case today (unless you live in Iran), but once upon a time, all computer programmers were female. While the (male) engineers who built ENIAC, the world's first modern computer, became famous and lauded, the six women who actually programmed ENIAC have been largely overlooked. Now a team of researchers and programmers is trying to raise money to tell the story of these pioneering women in a new documentary, before it's too late. So, here's to the women of ENIAC: Frances Elizabeth "Betty" Snyder Holberton Betty Jean Jennings Bartik Kathleen "Kay" McNulty Mauchly Antonelli Marlyn Wescoff Meltzer Ruth Lichterman Teitelbaum Frances "Fran" Bilas Spence *raises a ~~glass~~ cup of coffee*

Venus and Mars - not what we thought

desjardins — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:20:09 -0800

Why aren't men and women becoming more alike? A husband and a stay-at-home wife in a patriarchal Botswanan clan seem to be more alike than a working couple in Denmark or France. The more Venus and Mars have equal rights and similar jobs, the more their personalities seem to diverge. International Sexuality Description Project findings.

Women and children, depending on credit rating

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:29:15 -0800

"Women and children, first," is a familiar cultural refrain, with its popular roots in the gallant sacrifice made by the male contingent aboard the doomed Titanic. Their sacrifice has inspired poetry, sculpture, male social clubs, and, of course, cinema. Yet, this sacrifice of near-mythic scale was in some respects a myth, with survival statistics skewing well in favor of men of higher social and economic class than children (and, to a lesser extent, women) of lower status.

Mr. Hollander's Opus: A Trilogy of Antifeminist Lawsuits

milquetoast — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:43:57 -0800

"Roy Den Hollander, a graduate of the Ivy League university’s business school, contends Columbia's Institute for Research on Women and Gender is discriminatory and unconstitutional because there is no equivalent 'men’s studies' programme." So Mr. Hollander is suing Columbia, thereby completing his "trilogy of antifeminist lawsuits." More at Gothamist.

Women and the Holocaust

Kattullus — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:06:39 -0800

Women and the Holocaust is a site about women's experiences in the Holocaust. It has poetry, testimonials, personal reflections, tributes, essays and more.