The Male Inequality Problem

[Stanislaus]

@Kimstu

I think that’s a perfectly fair statement. It’s not that there are no inherent biological differences between males and females: nobody’s arguing that. It’s that cultural norms of “masculine” and “feminine” don’t have any inherent value or biological truth in and of themselves.

It’s not biologically true, for example, that men are brave and women are not, or that women are kind and men are not, or that men get violent and women don’t, or that women cry and men don’t. Assigning such attributes as blanket stereotypes of masculinity and femininity isn’t useful in actually helping us understand the nature of human thought and behavior.

I think I disagree. In that:

1. If there are inherent biological differences between males and females, then cultural stereotypes of masculinity and feminity that are based on those biological differences do have some value in that they will reflect biological truth.

2. Although not true in the absolute terms you expressed it in, the general statement: “men are more violent than women” is true and AIUI can to a significant (but not absolute!) extent be explained by biology: viz. the effect of large doses of testosterone on both the body and brain.

A cultural stereotype then, that says that: men are inherently more dangerous than women; vice versa women are at greater risk from men than from other women; therefore should regard strange men with caution and e.g. prefer the company of an unknown bear; men who object to this are imposing an unjustified burden of risk and aggravation on women and are therefore Bad Men while men who are respectful and take pains not impose themselves on women are Good Men- is probably a good one.