Theory, Gender, Blah Blah

I’ve become increasingly reclusive online and discussions like this one are one reason why. I’ve never done a gender breakdown on my data sample (hundreds of blogs listed here, hundreds looked at occasionally through bloglines). Mainly, because I know my preferences. Most of the “academics” I read regularly are women—in fact, the percentage is probably something like 90%. Most of the men I read are ex-academics. Overall though, on the average I’d probably guess that the blogs I read most often are probably about 75% women. I haven’t got a clue what the real percentages out there are, and I don’t really care. I do know, however, that I like women. I’ve never thought of it as a gender bias per se, but more a matter of “thoughtstyle.” Most men are boorish, although many women are too. I know that my perception is probably based on skewed life experiences and doesn’t really reflect an real and accurate appraisal of “data”—that’s why they call things like this opinions.

Calling yourself an “academic” doesn’t mean you automatically lose opinions and gain objectivity. The abstract speculation that George’s post cites is part and parcel of constructing theoretical models. It doesn’t create facts; experiments or data collection are done to further abstract speculation, otherwise, what would be the point? Imagining that you enter into a study with no opinions is pretty pompous and arrogant if you ask me (but no one did). However, drawing conclusions based on abstract speculation is worse than that—it’s downright stupid. Blah blah blah.

There, I’ve said it. I have always avoided saying anything about the “gender gap” stuff as it flies around incessantly. I want no part of the “boy’s club” and I lack the requisite equipment to be part of the “girls club.” Ultimately, I would be seriously suspicious of any club that would have me as a member. I find gender theory fascinating because of the way that it deals with issues of representation. I think it makes a really strong contribution to theoretical modeling. Such theories automatically abstractly speculate that there is a difference, otherwise the theory wouldn’t exist at all. But theory doesn’t impact the choices I make in writing or reading in any meaningful way— though it does impact the things I choose to study. I read people I like. Of course, that’s just an opinion.