Brain storm : the flaws in the science of sex differences

409 Pages·2010·1.767 MB·English

by  Jordan-Young, Rebecca M

Brain Storm

Brain Storm
The Flaws in the Science of
Sex Differences
REBECCA M. JORDAN-YOUNG
HARVARDUNIVERSITYPRESS
Cambridge,Massachusetts
London,England
2010
Copyright©2010bythePresidentandFellowsofHarvardCollege
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Jordan-Young,RebeccaM.,1963–
Brainstorm : theflawsinthescienceofsexdifferences / RebeccaM.
Jordan-Young.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978–0–674–05730–2(cloth:alk.paper)
1.Brain—Sexdifferences. I.Title.
QP81.5.J672010
612.8′2—dc22 2010010165
For Sal

Contents
Preface ix
1 SexualBrainsandBodyPolitics 1
2 HormonesandHardwiring 21
3 MakingSenseofBrainOrganizationStudies 41
4 ThirteenWaysofLookingatBrainOrganization 65
5 WorkingBackwardfrom“Distinct”Groups 91
6 MasculineandFeminineSexuality 109
7 SexualOrienteering 144
8 Sex-TypedInterests 198
9 TakingContextSeriously 237
10 TradingEssenceforPotential 269
Notes 293
References 339
Acknowledgments 379
Index 383

Preface
Mostbookssetouttoanswerquestions.Thisbooksetsouttoquestion
answers.TheanswersIquestionhavetodowiththenatureandcausesof
differencesbetweenmenandwomen,andbetweenstraightpeopleandgay
people. Specifically, I question what we “know” about male and female
brains,orgayandstraightbrains.
When Simon LeVay reported in 1991 that he had found a difference in
brain structure between gay and heterosexual men, which was trumpeted
as the discovery of “The Gay Brain,” I found it interesting but also puz-
zling.Howcouldgaynesstakeasingleidentifiableforminthebrainwhen
ittakessuchvariedformsinpeople’slives?
At the time, I had already been engaged for several years in large-scale
sexualityresearchrelatedtotheAIDSepidemic.Inanoutreachstorefront
inWashington,DC,Iranaprojectthatfocusedoninjectiondrugusers.It
wastherethatIfirstmetalotofgaymen.Thesemenwerenottheposter
childrenofthegayrightsmovement,butwerepoor,strugglingwithaddic-
tionandrecovery,andtryingtoavoidoroutliveAIDS.Andsoweretheir
heterosexual brothers, with whom I also worked. In fact, these men were
sosimilarindemeanor,dress,anddailystrugglesthatwithoutourdetailed
interviews, it was impossible to tell the difference between the gay and
straight men. In LeVay’s study, the homosexual men were a singular
“type” unlike the (also homogeneous) heterosexual men, and they were
also somehow similar to (presumably straight) women. Those are com-