Cailin O’Connor, UCI associate professor in the department of logic and philosophy of science writes, “This returns us to why it is so important to recognize that animals do not have genders. When we see different behaviors in men and women, we cannot infer, as we can with animals, that these behaviors emerge from innate biological differences. When little boys reject dolls, we do not learn about their innate abilities to care for infants. Instead, we have to see this sort of behavior in humans through an entirely different lens, that recognizes how important our cultural systems are in determining what we do as men and women, boys and girls.”

For the full story, please visit http://nautil.us/blog/no-animals-do-not-have-genders.

connect with us

         

© UC Irvine School of Social Sciences - 3151 Social Sciences Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697-5100 - 949.824.2766