(http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/67892/title/Female_chimps_play_with_dolls
Monday, September 12, 2011
After our conversation on Thursday about why girls have long hair while boys have short hair, and why girls play with dolls while boys play with trucks, I searched online to see if there were any studies relating to the distinction between sex differences. I found an interesting article about a study that provided "the first evidence of a nonhuman animal in the wild that exhibits sex differences." The study followed chimps and watched how they played with sticks (the chimps form of dolls). They use these sticks to mimic childcare, and female chimps play with the sticks more than the male chimps do. The researchers "defined stick play among chimps as holding or cradling sticks, bark, small logs or vines, often tucking a piece of wood between the stomach and the thighs." From this article it seems that these sex differences are imbedded in our DNA. Does anyone find this strange or have any articles that counteract this one?
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I think the article does a good job proving a point that motherly behaviors and desires not only come from social expectations but also from instincts. In "Wonder Woman: The Circle," you can see how Amazons, despite having lived without men for centuries and took up the roles that are typically classified as men's roles (i.e. warriors), want to be mothers (i.e. carrying little clay dolls with them). The book also does a good job showing how maternal instincts and desires are something so basic that it creates a breach among Amazons. Although I don't necessarily think that being a mother is every woman's utmost desire, I think it is true that women are more inclined to take up the role as a carer than men.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the comic is just portraying a stereotypical idea about women. Many little girls play with dolls and want to be a mother because they are mimicking their own mother. In today's society more and more girls grow up and no longer want children because there are many other options and opportunities. Also, I feel like more modern day men are becoming stay at home dads because in reality everyone is shaped by society.
ReplyDeleteSociety has always deemed men as the tough protectors of the family while the women were the caretakers. I found this article (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/enlightened-living/200901/gender-differences-sexuality-and-emotional-infidelity) which talks about how men and women view relationships differently. Men often go for the physical aspect first, with emotions coming afterwards. Women tend to be emotionally connected first before they engage in any physical acts. Hence, it makes sense that girls would play with dolls, signifying motherly desires, while boys would play with trucks and action figures, which are far more physical. I wouldn't say necessarily its our DNA that shapes us to be this way, as there are exceptions, with some boys liking to play with dolls and girls liking action figures. I do agree that it is mainly societal norms that shape how children behave, as few people want to go against what is "normal." Nowadays we have far more working women as Michele mentioned, and social roles are being changed constantly. Maybe in the future it will be stay-at-home-dads that will be the norm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the point the article proved. Katherine I agree with you. I think that the motherly behaviors do come from instinct because it, most of the time, is very strong and I don't believe that something so strong of a feeling, a giving without taking can come just by nurture. Of course not all women do a good job at it and some men do a much better job at it than others might do. I personally see myself as the better ones, from my experiences from my wide extended family but, even so, I don't think that actual motherly behavior can be replaced by a male, there's something more to it, which instincts could explain.
ReplyDeleteI think it makes a lot of sense for girls to naturally have that "motherly instinct" (and thus like to play with/take care of dolls), since, like the article suggested, it's something that might be in our DNA. Like Lonsdorf in the article pointed out, “These new data suggest that sex differences in how children play may go way back in our evolutionary lineage and predate socialization in human cultures." However, even though this article helps show that the idea of girls liking to play with dolls is not something born out of societal influence alone, there are still many more unproved/untested gender assumptions that have long been a part of society.
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