The Psychology of Differences Between Men and Women: The Background of Gender Politics: Psychological Gender Differences, Gender Politics and Post-Mod

Book excerpt: When clinical psychologist Jordan B. Peterson started a discussion about how we think and how we treat differences between men and women and sexual identity in our society, the attention he attracted was overwhelming. The professional firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos, with his outspoken opinions about feminism and gender difference draws large audiences and even larger controversy. What struck me in these discussions, and in my own discussions with people of all kind, is that there is a profound lack of knowledge of the facts, of the science behind gender differences. Without facts, the discussion is based on feelings, and necessarily empty.I am a psychologist who has done research into gender differences. In this short text, I want to step into the discussion by giving you theoretical and psychological backgrounds: an outline of the post-modern philosophy in which the Social Justice Warrior Movement is rooted, and the scientific and ideological knowledge that you need in the discussion of gender politics. Some people argue that psychological differences between people and men and women have a biological base and explain things we see in our society. Other people think that psychological differences between people and men and women have no biological base and are just the result of the way we treat people and men and women. It is important to realise this is a SCIENTIFIC question, not an ideological one.We will look at Post-modernism, Personality and Intelligence, gender differences in Personality, Intelligence, and motivation, evolutionary psychology and behavioural genetics, the relevance of personality and political preference, and the importance of free speech in democracy.You will see that we know a lot more about gender differences than you might think. You will also see tat the current assumption that all gender differences are a consequence of society is scientifically undefendable and based on wishful thinking and ideology. On the other hand, you will see that claiming that all gender differences are set-in-stone biologically determined is just as undefendable. You will be able to think more clearly about variation between people, and that small differences in large groups in a competitive environment can have large differences. With this knowledge, you will be able to think more clearly about the underrepresentation of women in engineering and maths, the underrepresentation of men in people-based jobs, the so-called gender wage gap, and the utility and fairness of corrective measures.Marc Luxen has a PhD in Evolutionary Psychology and Personality. He has worked at several university in The Netherlands, until he left academics to work in the dive industry. He publishes about diving, cooking, and psychology.