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From: dyer@vaxuum.DEC (This did not happen to/Pablo Picasso)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Innate Sexual Differences
Message-ID: <3622@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 15:17:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3622
Posted: Wed Aug 14 15:17:09 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 07:10:18 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 34

Innate Sexual Differences_______________________________________________________

> The fact is, that only those who have experienced both sets of hormones can
> reasonably make any valid observations about what differences between the
> sexes are hormonally based.

	The experiences alone will not yield valid observations.  There are many
other variables to consider, and a good number of them are only experienced sub-
jectively.  On top of that, it's common (in this society, at least) to assume
that something occurring subconsciously is based on biology.
	We have to be *very* careful before declaring *anything* biologically
innate.  You hear people say things like "it's human nature," and "that's what
the male of the species wants."  People behave a certain way, construct ideolo-
gies a certain way, or design policies a certain way based on such notions.
	Where do these notions come from?  Some from the subconscious:  people
mistaking cultural influences for biological ones.  Some come from half-assed
studies with poor controls and a million ignored variables, often concluding
(incorrectly) that the (usually male) scientist's hypothesis (itself derived
subconsciously from cultural influences) is 100% USDA Certified Eternal Scien-
tific Truth.

	I don't wish to condemn Sunny's experiences as worthless, they are not.
But I must point out that the experiences alone will not yield valid insights
into innate sexual differences.
		<_Jym_>

:::::::::::::::: Jym Dyer
::::'  ::  `:::: Dracut, Massachusetts
::'    ::    `::
::     ::     :: DYER%VAXUUM.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
::   .::::.   :: {allegra|decvax|ihnp4|ucbvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-vaxuum!dyer
::..:' :: `:..::
::::.  ::  .:::: Statements made in this article are my own; they might not
:::::::::::::::: reflect the views of |d|i|g|i|t|a|l| Equipment Corporation.