Comments on: ‘The trouble with girls’. Or how to avoid sexism by thinking about the true meaning of common expressions, with help from Sheryl Sandberg, Kate Rusby and Dire Straits, but no help from Elton John, Eagles, The Faces or Sir Tim Hunt! /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/ Supporting children's language, communication and learning Mon, 29 Jun 2015 19:32:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.3 By: Michael Jones /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8070 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 13:35:38 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8070 Hi Simon!!
It was Simon Baron-Cohen, I believe, who put that idea forward in relation to children with autism, but it’s only a theory… but a popular one. I suspect it’s like Basil Bernstein and his concept of ‘elaborated code’ and ‘restricted code’ in the use of language by certain groups. I met Bernstein once (actually ‘met’ is a bit of an exaggeration, but that’s another story’. He said that his ideas were grabbed hold of by many teachers in his day who completely distorted his ideas and attributed some ideas to him that he didn’t actually write, such as ‘working class language’ is ‘less well-developed’ than ‘middle class English’.
Thanks for mentioning ‘systemising’ as I feel a blog coming on. Though it will take me a while to make a link with Little Feat!!!
More soon!
Michael

]]> By: Michael Jones /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8069 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 13:29:31 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8069 Hi again Tim!
Ah yes, ‘systemising’: some men do (engineers apparently), but not all men. Some women do… but not all women do. Some children with autism do… but not all… I feel a blog coming on!!!
Thanks!!!
Michael

]]> By: Tim Dunkerley /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8068 Thu, 18 Jun 2015 11:49:24 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8068 I agree about men and systemising and stuff.But lets evolve why don’t we?

I also think a little Feat clip would be fantastic for no other reason than Lowell George…….
However in common with much 70’s stuff the lyrics of almost all of it don’t bear a lot of examination through a gender equality lens.CF the Eagles clip above, co-written by Jackson Browne, who by anyone’s standards is a reasonably right on chap vis a vis the environment, social equality etc (not so much with Take it Easy lyrics though).
RE Sir Tim Hunt I’m not sure he got sacked he resigned /retired: Probably for the best, especially for all the potentially brilliant women scientists that his “hilarity” contributed to holding back.

]]> By: Simon /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8067 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 19:37:12 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8067 I’ve just been watching the film of High Fidelity. It reminds me of that quote about listening to music: Women mostly think, ‘Oh I love this song’. They have no corresponding wish to collect all others like it and arrange them into alphabetical order.

Of course, it is a huge generalisation but it was made by someone who was a scientist who believed that more men have a systemising brain and more women an empathising cognitive style. I don’t know whether you’ld agree with him but I think a lot of people would know where he was coming from.

There are differnces…. but I don’t believe that anybody should use those differences through their language to demean men or women.

By the way, Kate Rusby has also been called a ‘folk-babe’ Heard of any male singers called a ‘folk-hunk’? Why? Because its men who make up this stuff – blame it on their systemising brains!

Keep up the good work. Can we have a clip of Little Feat?

Simon

]]> By: Tim Dunkerley /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8066 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 16:51:39 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8066 Getting my Folkie head on I do admire Anne Briggs quite a lot. I struggle sometimes with JUne Tabor but will that one a go thanks.
I also had the honour to meet Shirley Collins once (she very graciously declined an invitation to sing one of my songs with our band about 7 years ago…I know what a cheek.. me not her): In fact her “inability” to sing anymore since quite a long time would interest you very much I think. I will now through the power of the internet try and post a link to my fav Shirley Collins song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=disCQF8yqog

]]> By: Michael Jones /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8065 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 10:53:00 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8065 Hi Tim!!!
Where have you been????????????????????????
Yes, Kate Rusby is brilliant! (Is it Ok to say, as the female presenter does, that she is ‘a lovely lass?’
I have made many mistakes in staffrooms and in front of audiences. Should we be grateful that Sir Tim is ‘human’ (an important attribute in a scientist) and let him get on with his work? Or should we thank him for bringing an important issue to the world’s attention. Or should he be sacked from every post he holds?
This is a rhetorical question and no need to reply!
Great to hear from you again!
Michael
PS How are you with June Tabor ‘No Man’s land/Flowers of the Forest’?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWhOO9Q323Y&list=PLerscO8QErxJj9XfLL68-WaTB8B5LwgH6&index=5

]]> By: Tim Dunkerley /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8064 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 10:20:27 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8064 I spend loads of time thinking about how the words we use illustrate the way we are really thinking and whether we mean it or not or whether we were “joking”.Or “not”. But in my work I also spend a lot of time sharing sound and music because I know in my heart that music is powerful and transformative.
Soooooo thankyou for making me weep onto the keyboard at school via Kate Rusby… It’s just science really isn’t it:Certain combinations of chords and melodies do that. Nothing to do with a simple ancient heartfelt song sung by somebody who means it surrounded by transcendent strings brass as sweet as birdsong and general loveliness.
So thanks for the tears Michael
TDX

]]> By: Michael Jones /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8063 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 10:19:05 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8063 Thank you Annika! Should we all accept that Sir Tim Hunt made a serious mistake in talking about women scientists in this way, and ‘forgive him’? Or should he have lost his job as a result of his views?
What would happen if a famous Swedish scientist made unfortunate sexist remarks like that?
Is it acceptable that we use different words when we talk about girls? Does it matter, if we say nice things about them?
Very best wishes
Michael

]]> By: Annika Hallsvik /2015/06/the-trouble-with-girls-or-how-to-avoid-sexism-by-thinking-about-the-true-meaning-of-common-expressions-with-help-from-sheryl-sandberg-kate-rusby-and-dire-straits-but-no-help-from/#comment-8062 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 09:44:54 +0000 /?p=1460#comment-8062 Just brilliant!

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