A Hot Controversy About Ability Differences Between Male And Female

This article, “Sex Ed: The Science of Difference", which is written by Steven Pinker argues a hot issue about essential ability differences between male and female through introducing Harvard President Lawrence Summers' controversy.
Basically author admits the fact that essential ability differences between male and female exist. However, author emphasizes that ability differences between male and female not only derive from innate sex differences, but also arise out of social discrimination, prejudices, education, and the others. Author introduces two side opinions about differences between men and women. First of all, author shows Lawrence Summers’s analysis of gender disparities. Summers raised the possibility of innate sex differences at a conference and it derived from a hot controversy about female's ability. Next, author also displays various social reactions about Summers’s analysis. Many academics, columnists, and social organization criticize Summers’s analysis because his analysis can deepen a prejudicial view about social role and ability of women. However, social reactions about Summers's analysis is a gross misunderstanding regardless of Summers's real intension. Finally, author emphasizes that sex differences, especially ability differences between men and women, are understood by not only biological view but also social view and context.

It is clear that essential ability differences between male and female do not exist. Excessively emphasizing the possibility of innate sex differences between male and female is Summers's big mistake. Summers’s view is dangerous because it can be misused to deepen social prejudice about ability of women. In fact, sex differences are not biological products but social products. Sex differences are deepened by postnatal factors such as education provided by parents, a wrong school education system, and social prejudices about social role of men and women.

First, education provided by parents generally tries to make women womanly and men manly. Such typical child-rearing ways can suppress women’s normal development and growth. Most of the parents definitely have different view about girl and boy’s education. Parents give daughters pretty Cinderella doll and sons gigantic robots and sports equipment. Also, parents show children typically different role models. Namely, sons mainly learn social role from their fathers, whereas daughters generally learn social role from their mothers. Eventually, regardless of children’s thought and opinion, they grow up as a typical man and woman by parents’ unsuitable education.

Next, wrong school education environment and system also can deepen social discriminations between male and female. Usually, children' sexual difference and role are determined from the beginning of school life. Schoolgirls relatively prefer static subjects like art, literature, ballet and the others while Schoolboys are mainly interested in dynamic and enterprising subjects such as politics, economics, history, and the others; therefore, it decisively influences their future plan such as major and job. Eventually, schoolboys play a socially important role such as the President, CEO (chief executive officer), and lawyer while schoolgirls play extremely ordinary roles just like housewives.

Finally, our society has a fixed idea about gender role. In other words, our society has obviously divided roles between male and female since the beginning of history. For the long time, men nearly monopolize social power, while women mainly perform roles as men’s supporter or housekeeper. Such historical background has caused social stereotypes about role difference between men and women. Under the social prejudices women never become president, engineer, lawyer, doctor, professor, and even soldier. Social stereotype is so dangerous because it can deepen social discrimination through restraining women’s normal development and social involvement.

In conclusion, essential differences between men and women do not exist. In modern society, women’s inferior status is a product of social prejudice and discrimination. If government and society provide an appropriate supported system for women’s social participation, women can achieve success and obtain socially high status such as men. First, parents’ inappropriate education way interrupts their daughters’ successful growth. Second, inflexible school education system and environment also are one of main factors deepening ability differences between male and female. Finally, social prejudices about social role of women may deepen social discrimination for women; therefore sexual ability difference is not innate characteristics but products molded by social influences such as improper parents' education, wrong school education environment, and social prejudice and discrimination. In fact, we can never imagine the fact that woman become a candidate for the presidency in the U. S. However, Hillary Clinton, a senator of New York State, is running as a promising Democratic candidate for the presidency. To eliminate social prejudices and discrimination for women the nation may anticipate Hillary Clinton’s winning.


References
Pinker, S. (2005, 14 February). Sex Ed: The Science of Difference. Gender Differences: How Real Are They?