Why I'm Not a Fan of Gender
The seventh excerpt from my forthcoming book, A Billion Years of Sex Differences
In Case You Missed It…
This is the seventh excerpt from my forthcoming book, A Billion Years of Sex Differences. You can access the full collection here, and preorder the book here.
In this installment, I explain why I’m not a fan of the concept of gender. Over the past few decades, gender has become one of the most celebrated ideas in the social sciences, often contrasted with biological sex to highlight aspects of men’s and women’s behavior that are shaped by society rather than biology. For many, the concept is essential. In my view, however, it muddies the waters more than it clarifies, and we’d be better off discarding it altogether.
Before we get to that, though, an update on the book. I’ve now got endorsements from various academics and public figures, including Paul Bloom, Michael Shermer, Carole Hooven, Matt Ridley, David Buss, Chris Williamson, Jimmy Carr (yep, the comedian!), Helen Pluckrose, Nicholas Christakis, and Will Storr. Here are some of the most recent endorsements; you can check out the rest here.
“A Billion Years of Sex Differences is fearless, fascinating, and fair-minded—a beautifully written exploration of how and why women and men differ. I can’t think of a better book on the science of sex differences.”
-Paul Bloom (University of Toronto, Yale University)
“One of my favourite topics from one of the best psychology writers alive. Spectacular.”
-Chris Williamson (host of the Modern Wisdom podcast)
“I thought I’d get bored after half a billion years of sex differences but this engaging, well-written and funny book kept me hooked to the end.”
-Jimmy Carr (comedian)
“A terrific book—sure to become a classic. Reading it will give women and men alike a deeper understanding of each other.”
-David Buss (University of Texas at Austin)
“Unvarnished and always fascinating truth from one of the world’s leading authorities and most entertaining writers on sex differences.”
-Will Storr (author of The Status Game)
“In A Billion Years of Sex Differences, evolutionary psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams has penned the best scientific work on the subject to date—and it has the added bonus of being a gripping good read.”
-Michael Shermer (publisher of Skeptic magazine)
OK, on with the show!