Let's (let Dr. Widman) talk about sex!

Dr. Widman, a professor here at JC who concentrates on biopsychology and evolutionary psyche (according to my housemate who does research with him), graced our class with a very interesting lecture...errr debate...about the biologicial reasoning behind gender differences and social theories. Truth: I know very little about the brain. I met a fantastic girl in Ecuador who studies neuroscience at Brown and she would amaze me with her brilliance everyday. Not to undermine my dear friend's intelligence, (I love you Tarah!), but times her experience by a 4yr post doc. and you have Dr. Widman (and I have no doubt that Tarah will be like this someday too).
So the unofficial title of this famous lecture is the "Femi-nazi and the pig." Ouch already.
This post will basically be a list of "I didn't know that..." and my personal opinion (God knows I wouldn't argue with someone who has the Prefix Dr. in front of their name with no concrete evidence to back it up), because well this is MY blog.
I was slightly aware that the brain structure differed between males and females (and even more varied in homosexuals). You can't blame it all on social construct and cultural influence. Dr. W does a lot of work in his lab with rats (we aren't as fortunate as Bucknell to have the luxury of a monkey lab) and he has done several tests that have turned over concrete evidence that females are "scatter brained" literally. The Sexually dimorphic nucleus is organized quite thoughtfully in the hypothalamus of the male brain whereas in the female, it is just one big cluster of cells. Not to mention that the SDN is approx twice as large in males...thanks for making us feel even more inferior. Well here is a stab at the opposite sex: guys really only half listen and it has been scientifically proven! Because our brains our constucted differently, the connections don't work in quite the same manner. The corpus collision is less lateralized in females, which in layman's terms means women can fully invest themselves in more than one conversation at a time. The men, have a thinner cc so they focus all of their attention on the main subject of interest. Here is one of those "I didn't know that" statements. Cool huh?
So, here I am throwing out all these terms that I just learned today (I want to help save the world in a different way remember? my vocabulary is a little different), but how does this pertain to what we are discussing in class? Well, you really cannot expect the same reaction from men and women if their brains are organized a little differently right? Ok, time to attempt to connect some dots. From now on, I will be speaking chronologically meaning my thoughts may seem scattered but this also gives you a little glimpse into the chaotic...i mean nice class we had today.
Hips don't lie-thanks Shakira: Did you know that men are attracted to skinny blondes? Did you also know that these same men will most likely settle down with a larger (perhaps not so blonde) wife? According to many successful experiments, and apparent generational evidence, the hip-to-waist ratio differs depending on what a man is looking for. So, if she is a hottie with a tiny waist, she is very attractive as a hook-up/booty call/one night stand/flagrant whore/etc. HOWEVER (and this is quite a big however so I believe this exageration is appropriate), when it comes to settling down, the men are more attracted to the bigger hip/waist because they will most likely be more successful in reproduction and in turn pass down their (good) genes. Its (always) all about sex! So if you aren't currently having casual sex, don't fret because you are a much better candidate for the title spouse (and if I'm wrong well, you're still a good person).
A Cinderella story: Once upon a time there was an evil step mother and a message that all little girls should be detached from their parental figures...wait what?! Sorry T, but I am a big fan of Disney and Perrault and we are as opposite as day and night on this one. I didn't take the CA class Juniata offers, but I think there is hard core evidence that was mentioned in class today that Perrault's main idea for this story was to show women that they can overcome their socio-economic status with a little perseverance. Plus, I love my mother.
Sex crazed: We are naturally not monogamous. Who knew? There are actually points in our cycles (yes men have them too) where we are less monogamous and more likely to have an affair. For women, it is right in the middle. So, say more or less by day 14, we are on the prowl. Dr. Widman went into some interesting detail about why that is but I think I will just sound like a big dummy even attempting to explain this one. Hookup culture was kind of interesting to hear about as well. The theory is that the more women present, the more hookups there are, because the more competition there is for the sparse choice in men. Here's the thing: we women (I totally concure) don't like/enjoy/appreciate this type of behavior in ourselves but we must ultimately succumb to it if we want to be found attractive to the males in the population. I do not enritely agree with the last part of the theory; there is more to compatibilty than good sex, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms other theories could proabably disprove.
Selection mechanisms and obligate demands: Are women really more selective when it comes to long-term committment? Absolutely. I agree with Dr. W that women have a much more obligitory position with their offspring. Both physically and emotionally, they are much more invested than men will ever be (if you want to argue, go through childbirth then come talk to us). Now, even though men should have some personal investment, it is ultimately their choice to provide for his child and his partner. The woman gets knocked up, accident or not, and she is in it for a looooong haul-- 9 months is just the start of it. Men can do the deed, and either stick around or stick it somewhere else (man, I sound like such a feminist, sorry boys). Therefore, women have to be more selective, because we want to make the right choice in choosing a loyal companion (maybe I should just have a dog) so we aren't left with all the dirty diapers.
Sarcasm aside, I did enjoy Dr. Widman's input in our class today. He is a very intelligent man who is very well read in his field of study. I wish I had the opportunity to hear more of his lectures, but I would prefer to graduate this year. Maybe his famous "Femi-nazi and the pig" lecture will become famous and I'll see him on tv or in a book someday. Until then, I will just think back to the somewhat uncomfortable yet intriguing setting of Gender & Conflict on this 23rd day of September.