CHAT: gender of conlangers (was FW: Lunatic Lovers ofLanguage )

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Baba wrote:
>--- On Fri, 25 Sep 1998 14:20:40 -0300  Pablo Flores
><fflores@...> wrote:
>>
>>1. "Women are better with language, men are better with =
spatial/physical
>>structures" is not a cliche. As for language, the brain structures in =
women
>>and men are remarkably different. At least that's what scientists say. =
I
>>don't know if there's also been any research about the spatial =
capabilities
>>of men and women, but empirical tests do show a difference. Now, =
whether
>>that is natural or cultural, it's impossible to know so far.
>
>>From my work as a therapist "Brain Sex" is perhaps the most commonly
>misunderstood aspect of modern neurology.
>
>What the studies have actually shown is that a person with a large "X"
>area in their brain will be adept at skill "Y". On the whole *most*
>people with a large "X" area will belong to a particular gender, =
however
>what the studies have shown beyond any doubt is that a large "X" area
>is not *exclusive* to that gender, only *uncommon* in the other one.

Let me say something about this and then I'll just shut up about this =
subject.

First, you are absolutely right about the "Brain Sex" studies -- but I'm =
not wrong, I just used wrong expressions!

Secondly, you and Laurie, who has also posted about this, seem to be =
convinced that I want (consciously or unconsciously) to enclose women in =
a box and paste a lot of sexist labels on it, because I'm a man. And =
that's sexist too! If you want to correct my mistakes (that I have, and =
a lot of them probably), please do so without irony. It's terrible when =
someone thinks you're a certain kind of person and there's no way to =
show them that's not the case. For the record: I hate male chauvinism, I =
think it's been terrible on women and has discredited men, and it even =
bothers me when I have to make a general statement in a language with =
compulsory gender distinction.


>The truth is that a persons' "Brain Sex" is likely to be mixed and few, =
if
>any folk, have a 100% "male" or "female" brain. Thus, when it comes to
>excellent language skills, all CONLANGERS probably have "female" brains =
:-).

Finally, and off-topic (just for the logic-rhetorics side of it): If you =
want to make a point about the nonsense implied in "brain sex", you =
shouldn't use such expressions as "female brain" -- even in quotes.


--Pablo Flores
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