to think the 'F' word is one we should be proud of......

[PosieComeHereMyPreciousParker]

Thanks to MN, especially dittany, Lenin, BoF and Anyfucker, I have been made aware of my casual attitude to misogyny. This short journey in my reclaiming my old values recently lead me to the London Feminist Network Conference on Saturday. And Oh my God it is one of the most inspirational things I've ever done.

Having money and being relatively attractive in my younger days I was mislead into thinking that being a feminist was irrelevant, after all we had a female PM and then 'girl power' where we were fooled into thinking with the right body shape and a little wit the world was our oyster (farm).

My husband's and friends' response to my recent activities have ranged from being mystified to mockery, from resentment to full on stereotypical prejudice. I am alarmed that barely any of my friends think feminism is relevant.

Am I being unreasonable to reclaim the word feminist to mean a person that wants to rid the world of gender prejudiced?

DPSM...obviously I'm on my own in these observations about you then? Do you honestly think that your posts have a pleasant or engaging tone?

franky you can call me haggis munching despot .this isnt about me,is all about you

you have overpersonalised mn,and acquired a wee grudge.shame really.because it is only words on a screen

men from mars,weomen venus and biddulph et al have peddled a lot of guff and perpetrated sterotypes. the challengoing of neuro-sexism is v v interesting amnd evidence based

Exactly - have you read Living Dolls sm? Just read the second half the other day and there is a pretty good debunk of most of this shite. Haven't been able to find the Fine book yet.

irinically i know women who find acomfort and quasi-scinece in proof of how different we allegedly are.my contention is it smacks of woman know your place

all this suggestion that female brains are hardwired for bunnies and nurturing.whist men are hard wired for complicated stuff

chaneuro-sexism amd the whole swathe of new research is certainly getting attention and hopefully morefunding.

Do you think we'll ever get to a point where "findings" that perpetuate sexist stereotypes become as well-criticised as thsoe that promote racist ones?

I think it's much easier and "safer" for many women to swallow the "it's in our DNA" stuff than to fully appreciate that their DP/DH/DS is waiting for her to gather berries cook dinner because he is a lazy arse who thinks it's her job as a woman to do so.

functional MRI and its applications are still newish but is really exciting and evidence based challenges.previous gender diffs research was observational and had a subjective element to it

as with everything fMRI isnt a panacea but is bloody good investigative tool

There is a bit in Living Dolls about using MRI on men and women while they were I think listening to something? And the men used one side of their brain predominantly during the experiment, and the women used both sides. And the researchers judged from this that women use both sides of their brain to process things they hear. (sorry bit vague I know - can't remember exact details). Anyway when I was reading about that I assumed that the reason that women were using different parts of their brains was because they were probably doing something else at the same time - thinking about what they needed to get at tescos or wondering how much longer they'd be there for and if they'd be on time to pick up the kids from school. So instead of "women use their whole brain to process information" it could be more "men and women use the same part of their brain to process information, but women are less likely to concentrate on one task at a time". I know that's biased thinking too but it goes to show that science can't always provide the answers as to why they get the results they do.

So the other research that shows the two sides of women's brains being used cooperatively more often then men's is wrong? (don't ask me to ref!!)

previously asserted gender diffs ave been overstated.women are not necessarily hard wired for empathy and caring etc

But my friend was talking (yes that friend, my only friend ) was talking about how a woman's brain changes in pregnancy which assists her in being maternal...is that rubbish too?

major hormonal changes in pg impact upon brain chemistry but post-pg usually return to pre-pg levels. pnd is associated with hormonal disruption post-mirth.but overall brain chemistry and structure reinstated after delivery

the baby brain is an oft peddled book,frankly find it bit insulting that intellectual capacity declines,and mums gets befuddled and all maternal and emotional

there's also research that shows a man living in close contact with a pregnant women also undergoes hormonal changes which promote certain behaviours.

My emotions have changed since becoming a mother, but I suspect it is because I have more empathy now.

Oxytocin builds up in the posterior pituitary during pregnancy,releasing the female with oxytocin associated with maternal bonding and reducing maternal stress.oxytocin found in breastmilk.

overtime this hormonal surge decreases, brain return to pre-pg level

yes male testesterone deceases,and prolactin level increases