Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id BAA04724 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 16 Apr 2001 01:57:14 +0100 From: <LJayson@aol.com> Message-ID: <62.db7406e.280b9c77@aol.com> Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 20:53:11 EDT Subject: Re: memes and sexuality/ Gender Bias for Memes To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_62.db7406e.280b9c77_boundary" Content-Disposition: Inline X-Mailer: AOL 6.0 for Windows US sub 10523 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
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Hi Kenneth,
You wrote:
Of course you are right in mentioning what the dictonary has to say about
gender, but what JR meant is IMO the following,
The general idea that memes could have a gender bias is expressed in
which words oneself uses to express themselves.
Len:
I'm not sure exactly what you mean.
Are you saying that the male gender and female gender typically
use different words to express themeslves?
Or, are you saying that the same words typically mean different
things to each gender?
Or is it a combination of both?
<snip>
Kenneth wrote:
From my own writing, I recall this:
Male Female
Sameness Difference
Order Change
Single context ' fuzz the bounderies '
Schizophrenia Depression
Suicide ( guns) Suicide attempts (poison)
Action Language
Instinct Raison
Consensus Opportunism
General Special
Dasein Mitsein
Darwin ? Lamarck ?
( objects) ( waves) relationships
Genetic ? Memetic ?
La nature naturelle ? La nature artificiel ?
By which you have to think the following,
How would a male/ female translate the two columns into language !?
Len:
I would guess that there would be sex differences. It could be tested.
Without designating which word is 'male' or 'female' let's say we
asked both genders to independently write each word in a sentence.
Then we could measure gender differences.
Kenneth:
Would he/ she will do that in his/ her own words or in his/ her gender-
related
expressions methods !?
Len:
I believe that his/her own words *are* gender related self-expression methods.
Anything else would be felt as artificial by the subjects.
Kenneth:
That is when a male talks about order will he mean the same thing as a
female does !? And will he do that with to his gender- related words !?
Does a male/ female thinks, feels, experieces, .... the same things when both
read a book about suicide !?
That is in the ' sex ' meaning of gender.
Len:
Why not simply hypothesize that there are gender differences in the way
people express themselves? Or, there are gender differences in the way
people *experience* certain memes?
Kenneth:
The second perspective, is where Chris Lofting comes in,
In the way we use words, in the way we write, in the way we express our -
selves there is some male/ female distinction.
<snip>
That is the ' gender ' where JR is talking about.
IMO a very interesting subject, but also a dangerous one.
Not many men will comply with the fact that they write, or express them-
selves in a more feminine way than they think they do_ and putting one's
finger on the spot makes them angry and very unpleasant.
Len:
We males are very sensitive concerning our male characteristics;
I suppose the manner in which we express ourselves is all part of
the role that we display in public to preserve our self-image.
Kenneth:
For woman we can apply the same argument I suppose.
Len:
I think so.
Kenneth:
like I asked before
on this list, concerning memetics that is...is Memetics a Male- thing !?
Not many females take actually part in the discussions, and that is just a
way in how you must see what JR means. Is memetics somehow male-
gender related !? According to Chris Lofting, as I remerber correctly it is,
but don 't ask me how....)
Len:
I've been wondering the very same thing; why so few females post to these
discussions. What makes memetics a male thing? In would be interesting
to have Susan Blackmore's input on this question?
Kenneth:
On the other hand, male/ female distinction/ gender related methods by
which oneself expresses her or himself is also due to historical/ social/
cultural/ political/ philosophical/ personal/ genetical/ memetical/...
behavior, characteristics and meme- transmission.
Len:
It would be interesting if through research we could tease out the purely
gender-related reasons for male-female differences in their understanding
and usage of language.
Kindest regards,
Len
Whoops! That expression sounds female! :-)
Let me change it.
Take care ole buddy,
Len
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