Review by radiating_jackalope - Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist

radiating_jackalope 's review for:

Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist by Frans de Waal

4.0

challenging dark funny informative medium-paced

Being a primatologist De Waal has decades of experience observing and analysing the behaviour of various species of monkeys and apes fromm all over the world. His focus is primarily on researching how different individuals, alpha males and females, and genders relate to each other and, above all, how they reconcile after a dispute. He uses this knowledge to examine in this book the extent to which the gender roles of women and men are learned or innate (spoiler: genes do play a role, although nurture seems to be more impactful). I was sceptical about the book, as scientists don't usually do a good job of dealing with humanities or social science topics. While sexual intercourse and genitals certainly fall within the realm of biology, gender does not (or rather not). But a professor really wanted to read this book and thinks highly of de Waal, so I gave it a chance.

The author excells at what he does best: describing and explaning the different behaviours of various apes and monkeys. It is very nuanced, easy to understand, and his witty writing style made me chuchle a few times. Just be aware to read a lot about animal sex.

He also does a good job of explaining how the behaviour of great apes can be used to draw conclusions about the behaviour of our human ancestors, and that there is definitely a genetic basis for our behaviour today, but that this basis is only half of the equation. Socialisation, cultural values and childhood experiences form the basis for the other half.

However de Waal is not a Sociologist, evolutionary biologist, endocrinologist, psychologist or LGBTQ historian and it sadly shows. He doesn’t He does not present false facts, but rather his attempts to explain homosexual behaviour in humans or the existence of trans people are simplified.

Ultimately, the book delivers what its subtitle promises: gender in humans explained by a primatologist, based on empirical observations of various ape and monkey species.

Content Warnings