Male versus Female Experience

Basic Tenets

Axiom #1

Relationships between male and female are inevitably filtered through the eye of the observer. Men cannot possibly place themselves in the position of women, not having experienced the same physiological and cultural realities.
Women, similarly, cannot possibly "understand" men without having been one and experiencing the world from their perspective.

Axiom #2

Whatever potential there is for forming realistically mutual and understanding relationships between men and women in marriages and partnership, is based on prior human relationships and experiences.

Axiom #3

Relationships between men and women in "Cyberspace" have the same potential for misinterpretation as exists in "real life", only more so.

Gender Identity & Differences: Resources

Here are some perspectives on developmental and social determinants of gender-specific behavior.

About Gender: Gender Roles, Gender Variance, Gender Identity
An online book, still apparently a work in progress, with discussion of everything from social learning theory to psychoanalysis to genetics and physiological development.

Blink!
A lot can be understood in the blink of an eye, the premise of the fascinating book by Malcolm Gladwell, which had many legendary psychologists singing its praises at the APA convention in August, 2005. I read it shortly thereafter and had wanted to mention it here, as this is indeed one of my great and longest-lasting areas of interest: relationships. Where this book is relevant, aside from teaching more broadly about the "unconscious" collection of experience which guides our visceral and instant reactions without our knowing how or why, is the lessons on the communication between a couple. With uncanny accuracy, a briefly-trained group was taught to rate essential nuances and blunt behaviors which were seen and felt while viewing short video clips of the couples interacting. They not only were consistent between themselves but were able to accurately predict which couples would be together years later. There seems to be a sub-conscious "dance" of dialogue and interaction which can be sensed, and to which proper observers can be sensitized.

"Recently, a professor who works with Gottman named Sybil Carrere, who was playing around with some of the videotapes, trying to design a new study, discovered that if they looked at only three minutes of a couple talking, they could still predict with fairly impressive accuracy who was going to get divorced and who was going to make it. The truth of a marriage can be understood in a much shorter time than anyone ever imagined."
- Blink, p.22

Online Reference from the book: John Gottman's relationship and family institute research can be found here.

The Psychology of Gender

A comprehensive collection of online references, including many huge sites with information and help for men and women searching for answers. One of many social psych topics presented by the Social Psychology Network.

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