Pinker Vs. Spekle Debate

Pinker vs. Spekle Debate

1. What underlying issues are being debated?

Professors at Harvard universities are male dominated and how sex differences play into this. The debate is primarily circled around the underrepresentation of women in tenure tract jobs. This debate followed the Summer’s scandal (president of Harvard). Basically, 50% of women do not have the intelligence or aptitude to work scientific fields. He quoted, “women just can’t cut it.” Gender roles are mainly in the work force (math teaching department). It is an issue because most women did not used to work in the engineering/ math fields; they worked more in the psychology/ social departments. Overall, women work more with people and men work more with things.

1. Summarize the main point of each speaker.

Pinker was talking about men and women are intrinsically better at: women have better visual memory, but men are better at special reasoning. Men are better at problem solving, where women are better at mathematical calculations. He argues that women are not scientifically equipped (the way they think) as men are. Pinker was talking about how the field was more positively biased towards men. Those in favor of hiring an applicant would most likely choose a man. He also argues that the differences between sexes are part of the human condition (they are intrinsic) and we are born the way are. He spoke of a boy who was castrated and was raised as a girl but acted like a boy instead. This is due to the biological factors of men having more testosterone levels than women.  Boys are attracted to objects and girls are attracted to faces. Spelke argues otherwise. He believes that it all depends on how an individual is raised (if they follow the social standards or not). Discrimination plays a role and scientific differences do not add up to disadvantages for women and men. They add up the roles that gender plays in society. Spelke also says that although there are differences, the differences don’t up as to why men are better in math and science than women.