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Conference turris::womannotes-v1

Title:ARCHIVE-- Topics of Interest to Women, Volume 1 --ARCHIVE
Notice:V1 is closed. TURRIS::WOMANNOTES-V5 is open.
Moderator:REGENT::BROOMHEAD
Created:Thu Jan 30 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 30 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:873
Total number of notes:22329

803.0. "Yet another study" by EDUHCI::WARREN () Tue Apr 12 1988 17:39

    Just found this interesting...
    
    On Phil Donahue recently, a study was cited.  Some babies were placed
    in a room.  Some adults were outside the room, observing the babies
    through a one-way mirror.  The adults were told that the boy babies
    were girls and that the girl babies were boys.  (Who can tell?)
    
    It turns out that whenever a "girl" cried, the adults interpreted
    it that she was upset or frightened; whenever a "boy" cried, he
    was angry.
                                                
    A second group of adults were brought in; they were told the correct
    sex of each baby.  Again, they interpreted the girls (this time,
    really the girls) as being upset or frightened when they cried;
    and the boys as being angry when they cried.
              
    Very interesting.
    
    --Tracy
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
803.1YupVINO::EVANSNever tip the whipperWed Apr 13 1988 13:099
    RE: .0
    
    ....and that ain't all....read _Growing Up Free_ by LEtty Cotton
    Pogrebin (sp?) 
    
    It all starts at the *instant* of birth.
    
    Dawn
803.2more please?VIA::RANDALLback in the notes life againWed Apr 13 1988 13:2913
    re: .1
   
    Uh, Dawn, could you elaborate on this?  Are you referring to a
    scientific study, or to something else?  I'm not familiar with
    Pogrebin's work, except for her essays and articles in Ms. 
 
    I didn't notice any difference in the way my son and my daughter
    were treated right after birth, but I'd be the first to admit
    that I was not in the best condition to be a reliable observer.
    
    --bonnie
803.3VINO::EVANSNever tip the whipperWed Apr 20 1988 12:3917
    Well, Bonnie, one thing (which I believe was discussed in another
    note) was how people say about girl babies that they're "cute" ,
    and about boy babies that they're "big" or "strong". When you could
    in fact mix up the sexes and the people wouldn't really know the
    difference. 
    
    I haven't read the book in a long time, but I'd recommend reading
    it - it opened my eyes to a lot of sex-stereotypical things we do
    to kids. (Like Dad (usually) will toss sonny in the air and catch
    him, but will toss girls less high, if at all. This could easily
    account for the tendency of girls to take fewer chances 
    , physically, than boys, in my humble opinion. [This is only one
    example. Girls are encouraged in many ways to take fewer physical
    chances])
    
    --DE
803.4"Strong" .vs. "Cute"CSC32::JOHNSA son: Evan, born 3-11 @8lbs, 12 ozTue May 17 1988 15:3417
>< Note 803.3 by VINO::EVANS "Never tip the whipper" >
>
>    Well, Bonnie, one thing (which I believe was discussed in another
>    note) was how people say about girl babies that they're "cute" ,
>    and about boy babies that they're "big" or "strong". When you could
>    in fact mix up the sexes and the people wouldn't really know the
>    difference. 
    
I've been aware of this for a long time, and wondered if I would act any
differently.  I've found that I regard my son as both "strong" and 
"beautiful", and I tell him often how "beautiful" he is.  I haven't noticed
anyone else commenting on his strength, but our maid says that he is
"just perfect", meaning that he is well proportioned, not chubby, not thin.

Of course, I think he's perfect, too, but I might be just a tad prejudiced.

                   Carol