Gender and the Meaning of Difference: Alpha and Beta Bias.

Autor/inn/en	Hare-Mustin, Rachel T.; Marecek, Jeanne
Titel	Gender and the Meaning of Difference: Alpha and Beta Bias.
Quelle	(1987), (19 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; Feminism; Psychology; Sex Differences; Theories + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Feminismus; Psychologie; Sex difference; Geschlechtsunterschied; Theory; Theorie
Abstract	Some work in feminist psychology has suggested that male-female differences are not as universal, dramatic, or enduring as has been previously asserted. Feminist psychodynamic theories, in contrast, assert that there are deep-seated and enduring differences between women and men in "self-structure" and relational capacities. Proponents of these theories view gender differences as universal, highly dichotomized, and enduring. Using constructivism as a conceptual framework, gender theories can be considered as representations which either exaggerate or minimize male-female differences. The tendency to exaggerate differences is called "alpha bias," and the tendency to minimize differences is called "beta bias." Alpha bias can be seen in psychodynamic theories, Parson's sex role theory, and in feminist psychodynamic theories. Beta bias can be seen in psychological research on men which is incorrectly generalized to women, in theories that view male and female roles as complementary, in some systems approaches to family therapy, and in recent social policies. All current representations of gender involve alpha and beta bias. The constructivist view holds that the true nature of gender is undecidable. Theories are thus evaluated not by correctness but by utility, by examining how representations of gender have been used to provide the symbols and support the scientific and sociopolitical aims of either the status quo or feminism. (NB)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC