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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
There is definitely some validity to Soh's arguments–namely, I don't think that it is necessary for us to discredit gender differences in the brain to attain gender equality.
That being said, I think that she is unnecessarily condescending and critical of LGBT people and gender-nonconforming people. She uses tactics like throwing out terms that sound crazy (moongender, puzzlegender, arborgender) to discredit any nonbinary person. There is a difference between the few people who identify as a tree and the many people who don't feel satisfied living as a man or a woman.
She is also big on using the numbers argument: that there are NOT 72 genders!!!1!! I've never seen anyone list 72 specific, different genders. The purpose of the statement "more than two genders" is to acknowledge that some people don't identify with being a man or a woman. She doesn't take this statement seriously, and I think it damages her argument.
Furthermore, most of her statements beyond neurological function are simply her opinion. These parts of the book are not backed up by psychological studies and are much less compelling. In Myth 3, she cites data showing that straight Millenials are unlikely to know an LGB+ person who identifies as something other than gay or lesbian. This, to Soh, means that "more people are identifying as part of the community not out of a true sexual identity, but because it is trendy to do so, or because they believe sexuality is 'fluid.'" Her argument that bisexuality and other sexualities are not real shows a lack of understanding of the queer community and sexual orientation as a whole.
I've decided not to finish this book due to the lack of scientific backing after the first myth, but I was interested to see what she had to say.
That being said, I think that she is unnecessarily condescending and critical of LGBT people and gender-nonconforming people. She uses tactics like throwing out terms that sound crazy (moongender, puzzlegender, arborgender) to discredit any nonbinary person. There is a difference between the few people who identify as a tree and the many people who don't feel satisfied living as a man or a woman.
She is also big on using the numbers argument: that there are NOT 72 genders!!!1!! I've never seen anyone list 72 specific, different genders. The purpose of the statement "more than two genders" is to acknowledge that some people don't identify with being a man or a woman. She doesn't take this statement seriously, and I think it damages her argument.
Furthermore, most of her statements beyond neurological function are simply her opinion. These parts of the book are not backed up by psychological studies and are much less compelling. In Myth 3, she cites data showing that straight Millenials are unlikely to know an LGB+ person who identifies as something other than gay or lesbian. This, to Soh, means that "more people are identifying as part of the community not out of a true sexual identity, but because it is trendy to do so, or because they believe sexuality is 'fluid.'" Her argument that bisexuality and other sexualities are not real shows a lack of understanding of the queer community and sexual orientation as a whole.
I've decided not to finish this book due to the lack of scientific backing after the first myth, but I was interested to see what she had to say.
informative
slow-paced
Ending August with this thought-provoking book - The End of Gender by Dr. Debra Soh! She is a staunch individual thinker prepared to defend her studies with eloquence and reason, leaving no stones unturned in her quest to debunk the myths about Sex and Identity in our society. She is sending a strong narrative here despite backlash and opposition and she delivers it astoundingly. Her propositions and findings and research are all backed by science, making her one of the most profilic and confident voices in our generation.
I've found the first few chapters a little chaotic and confusing but it got better deeper. If you struggle just like me at the very beginning don't give up on this book. It's thoughtful and important reading. It helps you understand a lot more than just gender and is based on thorough research.
A fascinating read concerning activism meddling in science. Science and research are important as well as exploring controversial data and findings. What a fascinating read!