My usual thing -- and I can´t say it´s a good thing -- is to find some small fault with a post and comment on that. In this case, I´m stimied. Pretty brilliant.
Evolutionary and biosocial ideas have more of a hold in sociology now ( particularly in Europe) than they did when I started my graduate career ( 1985). But that is a very slow rate of change! We did not let our kids go into the field, or any social science or humanity ( except economics). One child is an economic theorist and the other is a chemist.
My impression is that evolutionary ideas have, as you say, spread to some extent, but what strikes me is the stasis. For instance, a recent video “debunking” evolutionary psychology, which has attracted hundreds of thousands of views, seems to recycle the same flawed arguments (e.g., just-so stories, etc) as seen in places like the Rose and Rose book, a quarter of a century ago. La plus que ça change... In any case, those career choices strike me as wse :-)
Sorry to be so slow to get back to this, but those who say the influx of women into academia is part of the problem may be onto something. I hate to say this, because I am ( or was) a female academic. It just seems that so many women have vested interests in ideological viewpoints, and many are childless. For me the reality of “ sex differences “ only became apparent after I had children. Not only for myself, but also watching my son and daughter as children. Right now I am so glad to be out of academia, and having to defend my work against moronic arguments, plus the social rejection I experienced.
Heh. For sure there is no rush. I couldn't agree more with this in general and your last sentence in particular. I've always liked the expression to the effect that no one believes in behavior genetics until their second child. :-) There's some wisdom there, I think.
Thanks! And, yes, I think many had the same experience. My sense is that people are talking about it more, which bodes well for the future. Perhaps, the distant future, though...
My usual thing -- and I can´t say it´s a good thing -- is to find some small fault with a post and comment on that. In this case, I´m stimied. Pretty brilliant.
Thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated!
Evolutionary and biosocial ideas have more of a hold in sociology now ( particularly in Europe) than they did when I started my graduate career ( 1985). But that is a very slow rate of change! We did not let our kids go into the field, or any social science or humanity ( except economics). One child is an economic theorist and the other is a chemist.
My impression is that evolutionary ideas have, as you say, spread to some extent, but what strikes me is the stasis. For instance, a recent video “debunking” evolutionary psychology, which has attracted hundreds of thousands of views, seems to recycle the same flawed arguments (e.g., just-so stories, etc) as seen in places like the Rose and Rose book, a quarter of a century ago. La plus que ça change... In any case, those career choices strike me as wse :-)
Sorry to be so slow to get back to this, but those who say the influx of women into academia is part of the problem may be onto something. I hate to say this, because I am ( or was) a female academic. It just seems that so many women have vested interests in ideological viewpoints, and many are childless. For me the reality of “ sex differences “ only became apparent after I had children. Not only for myself, but also watching my son and daughter as children. Right now I am so glad to be out of academia, and having to defend my work against moronic arguments, plus the social rejection I experienced.
My advisor, a very smart man named Pierre van den Berghe, says the smarter parents realize the effect of genetics after the first child!
Heh. For sure there is no rush. I couldn't agree more with this in general and your last sentence in particular. I've always liked the expression to the effect that no one believes in behavior genetics until their second child. :-) There's some wisdom there, I think.
What a terrific essay. Sounds like the story of my academic career. But so sad, really, that it is like this
Thanks! And, yes, I think many had the same experience. My sense is that people are talking about it more, which bodes well for the future. Perhaps, the distant future, though...