SOC 2104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Estrous Cycle, Menopause, Reductionism

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2104
• Professor: Adolphine Y.Aggor- Boateng

Document Summary

Biological explanations are prominent in our views of gender difference and gender inequality. Social and political inequalities flow form biologically based differences between the sexes: these differe(cid:374)(cid:272)es (cid:272)a(cid:374)(cid:859)t tell us (cid:373)u(cid:272)h a(cid:271)out our (cid:272)ulture. Prior to the 19th century, most explanations of gender difference were theological: laws of god- men and women for different purposes. Charles dar(cid:449)i(cid:374)(cid:859)s origi(cid:374) of pe(cid:272)ies (cid:894)1(cid:1012)5(cid:1013)(cid:895) a(cid:374)d la(cid:449) of (cid:374)atural sele(cid:272)tio(cid:374) (cid:894)spe(cid:272)ies adapt(cid:895) challenged theological explanations. 1790s- europeans scientists drew male and female skeletons with exaggeration of the pelvises (women) and crania (men) skull. 19th (cid:272)e(cid:374)tur(cid:455) dar(cid:449)i(cid:374)(cid:859)s (cid:449)ork o(cid:374) the origi(cid:374) of the spe(cid:272)ies (cid:894)1(cid:1012)5(cid:1013)(cid:895) had a huge i(cid:374)flue(cid:374)(cid:272)e o(cid:374) science. Biology: sociobiology: studies the biological basis of social behaviour in all animals, including human beings. The natural differences that result are the source of the social and political arrangements we observe today: evolutionary psychology: explains psychological traits, including differences b/w women and men as evolutionary adaptations.