Youngest Boys And Girls Prefer Different Instruments

UniSci. ^ | 4/15/02 | Betty Repacholi Joel Schwarz

[egarvue]

Gender should not be relevant," she said.

Ahhh, the researcher's true motive is revealed. Looks suspiciously like a bunch of university lefties trying to find more ways to feminize little boys. Gender is relevant, and the more we stop denying the differences between boys and girls the better off our society will be.

[LibertyGirl77]

The researchers also found that boys were less influenced by exposure to the counter-stereotype examples, a not-unexpected finding since boys experience stronger social pressure to engage in gender-stereotyped activities than do girls, according to Repacholi. Girls, meanwhile, were more flexible. About 70 percent of the fourth-grade girls in the counter-stereotype group picked masculine instruments.

"This is consistent with what we know," said Repacholi. "Girls experience less pressure and are allowed to be tomboys. They see that males have more power and status in our society and, with increasing age, girls start to adopt more masculine attributes."

As someone who was not too long ago a little girl, I think this is much more consistent with girls' tendency to want to 'follow the herd.' If they're shown girls playing the trombone, then 70% will choose the trombone. If they're shown girls playing the flute, 70% will choose the flute. It's just as much a 'peer pressure' thing as the social conventions themselves.

That said, this is the silliest study yet dreamed up. Who cares if little girls want to play the violin? Who cares if little boys want to play the drums? Why try to force them to change? The only problem I ever saw as a band nerd in junior high was that some guys who wanted to play the flute got teased by some of the other guys. I thought it was sort of sad. Then again, all four of the boys who played flute in junior high went on to be cheerleaders in high school and came out of the closet in college (which was hysterical--they're like, "I have a confession to make...I'm gay." We yawned and said "Yeah...and?" It just wasn't a surprise.).

[Lazamataz]

Boys And Girls Prefer Different Instruments

Oy vey.

[Neets]

Nope..aint gonna say..you can't make me..I am on my best behavior....BEST.

[Lazamataz]

So you aren't going to mention that while girls might like the flute, that boys prefer to bang on the drum?

[Pharmboy]

My 13 y/o is an excellent flute player and she is just starting drum lessons.

Perhaps the authors ought to realize that everybody is an individual and they should stop trying to categorize all people by sex, race, religion, etc. Sheesh!

[EdReform]

BTTT

[Neets]

No I was not~!~~~

[Lazamataz]

And so you also were not going to mention that while most girls like the flute, and while most boys like banging on the drum, about 10% of boys like the flute and 10% of girls like banging the drum?

[Lazamataz]

Interesting, I was a drummer, my oldest son was a drummer and my youngest son was a drummer......youngest daughter played the flute!

See Oneida???

I am a drum-banger myself.....

[Neets]

No I was not ~~!~~ You can try..but I JUST won't do it.

[Neets]

Of course it's ONLY logical that boys like to bang on the drums, and girls like to ummm play the flute and the violin....It's Logical...it's Logical I tell ya...and I am not saying ANOTHER word.

[Lazamataz]

bang bang bang bangittybangitty bang bang bang bang bangbang bangbang

[Lonely NY Conservative]

The Ocham's razor explanation for all this would be that there are genetic differences between boys and girls which manifest in their personalities regardless of environment. Proving that as the case would, of course, be counter to the result they hoped to derive from this "scientific study", so it needs to be discarded.

[Lazamataz]

Of course it's ONLY logical that boys like to bang on the drums, and girls like to ummm play the flute and the violin....It's Logical...it's Logical I tell ya...and I am not saying ANOTHER word.

It's more than logical, it is NATURE.

[Flashlight]

...So he picks the drums, is terrible, and winds up not playing any musical instrument...

Of course, accoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric bass guitar, piano, or electronic keyboard weren't available choices. And I don't play drums, but I suspect that learning drums in a school band just isn't the same as learning drums in a rock band, and rock-band drums isn't usually an available choice.

I'd think the kid would be a lot more likely to play a musical instrument if they could choose from the popular ones.

[dighton]

Not gonna do it .... Wouldn't be prudent.