Recent research suggests that women are just as smart as men. Intellectual sex ratio has leveled off compared to 1980, when the 1% most intelligent people, one woman had to 13.5 men.
Atlantico: In the 1980-ies in the group, the top 1% of smart people, one woman had to 13.5 men, and now this proportion dropped to 3.8. In addition, studies have shown that among the “less intelligent” population of this distribution is much more uniform character. What accounts for such differences? Among women do not exist as many geniuses, how many men?
Christine Marsan: there are a couple of factors.
Nervous rating men and women
For several centuries in the West and several of the Millennium man in the world said he was smarter, and subdued the woman, repeating her that she is not as smart or not smart. Recall, about seared in our minds of the lies that Macenski the Council has decided on the women’s shower. While all this is true, the public took this stereotype of weapons and several centuries used it for the devaluation of mind and consciousness of women.
The nineteenth century brought the most severe restrictions on women, and only the struggle of the suffragettes and feminists allowed ultimately to achieve equality between women and men. As it was believed since the Enlightenment, men endowed with reason, while women are more prone to feelings and emotions (in the opinion of the heirs of Descartes) and had not participated in the discussion of ideas. Their roles have been clearly defined, although, for example, in the Royal courts development of political skills demonstrated by both men and women.
Education French female elite has long been in the hands of the pensions of the Legion of honor, which was created with this admonition: “Educate believers, not thinkers.”
The mind is not among the qualities that were required from women in the nineteenth century. A girl from a “good family” had first and foremost to be a good wife, that is obedient and not sparkling mind, since that often led to disagreement with the established dogma. Anyway, one of the tasks of science is the positive criticism of his predecessors.
The “glass ceiling”
After the approval of the equal access of men and women to education and professional activities, the situation changed. However, the majority of enterprises there is a “glass ceiling”: the user is not the best way refers to the division of powers and benefits, evaluation of decisions, the financial benefits of key positions, not to mention the narcissistic component of the prestige, which is hard to share. In such conditions much easier to talk about inequalities and mental abilities to assess the situation or strategy.
Judging by the results of the examinations in universities across all disciplines, including technical, women succeed everywhere, and even show better results than men. At the same time, we have the still common practice of belittling women through sexist humor about their intellectual abilities. “Women have a pragmatic mindset.” This implies that they are well versed in domestic Affairs, but not such “serious” and “masculine” things like strategy, politics, perspective.
The groups also has a hierarchy for men and women. Some of the male Masonic lodges organize separate women’s lodges. If women are not able to think exactly the same way!
— What is the role of the consolidation of this division in society? Women depreciate their surroundings or way of life? Not peculiar do they themselves unconsciously belittle yourself?
— Have a long history of inequality in assessing the qualities of men and women and the mass discrediting of the women’s mental abilities have left a trace in the psyche of most women, which is not easy to depart from the views of men on them. The seminars and conferences it is still possible to hear how a man makes a woman a compliment for her beauty, but not her mind! Back nothing like this happens.
The attitude of believing in yourself men and women was also different. And for a long time a woman who sought to assert themselves, believed aggressive drama Queen. With men was nothing like this. All this led to the formation of enshrining inequality social and cultural framework.
Both at home and at school, education and training differ according to gender and expected roles in society. This inequality manifests itself in relation to the mind. Most religions also supported the differences and a different attitude to sex.
Although the situation has long been unfavourable to women, many of the adopted laws are designed to make equality real.
So let some men still tend to mentioned above the behavior of the women is also to blame for this inequality because they create in education humbled image of a woman. Some mothers pushing daughters to develop their mental capabilities.
— What are the differences in the proportion of men and women in the 1980s and today? The emancipation of women played a role?
— Reduce the differential between men and women due to the effects of the 1970-ies, when women were emancipators and received a number of freedoms (sexual freedom, abortion rights, etc.). They were finally able to dispose of his body and life. Following the recognition of the right to vote to women (1945) the changes led to consistent emancipation, and by the 1980s, these freedoms have not yet fully become part of the lives of all women.
Today, almost half a century later, replaced by several generations, and in educational institutions was introduced a mixed system. As a result, the boys and girls could learn better than each other, and their performance has leveled off.
— That relies on the mind? How it is formed? Is it possible today to say that one gender is smarter than another?
Some are still talking about the difference in mind depending on the sex, but their reasoning sidelined. The question is not this, but rather how to attach greater importance to various forms of the mind, which, depending on the society can be lifted up, and Vice versa depreciate (especially it concerns women).
The mind is the ability to establish a relationship between things to create a meaning. He develops, if with a child involved, encourage curiosity, enhance self-confidence, pushing to the study of the world.
The more children (both boys and girls) will push to use his talents and manifestation of the mind, the more chances he has to become a mathematician or an artist, depending on the environment, education and incentive.
We need to appreciate the talents of each person, to help him to be who he is. Then he will be able to make full use of his mind, beyond the boundaries of genders, cultures and religions.
