[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[sharktrager]

I love my flute!

[Logophile]

"Girls become more flexible as they get older, but boys mostly pick masculine instruments. They just cannot pick a feminine instrument. It is so hard for them that it just astounds me," she said.

One could just as well argue that girls cannot make up their minds, while boys know what they like. But this researcher could never say anything positive about boys.

[foreverfree]

bump

[Okies love Dubya 2]

I wish I could get money to prove that dogs eat dog food and cats eat cat food...I mean, who gives these idiots the funds to prove the obvious?

One of my brothers played the trombone in middle and high school. The other is on scholarship to Florida State, where he is a music major...he playes the saxophone (as well as the trumpet and the guitar)! My late father also played the guitar and drums in his teenage/early adult years. My 4-year-old daughter loves playing her toy flute! I guess the misogynists are keeping her from playing the drums.

[moyden]

Every liberal is an idiot thug.

[LarryLied]

In case you didn't know :-)