From press release at Michigan State University via Eurekalert, something sure to rile almost everyone.
Published: Sept. 14, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Women tend to believe the scientific consensus on global warming more than men, according to a study by a Michigan State University researcher.
The findings, published in the September issue of the journal Population and Environment, challenge common perceptions that men are more scientifically literate, said sociologist Aaron M. McCright.
“Men still claim they have a better understanding of global warming than women, even though women’s beliefs align much more closely with the scientific consensus,” said McCright, an associate professor with appointments in MSU’s Department of Sociology, Lyman Briggs College and Environmental Science and Policy Program.
The study is one of the first to focus in-depth on how the genders think about climate change. The findings also reinforce past research that suggests women lack confidence in their science comprehension.
“Here is yet another study finding that women underestimate their scientific knowledge – a troubling pattern that inhibits many young women from pursuing scientific careers,” McCright said.
Understanding how the genders think about the environment is important on several fronts, said McCright, who calls climate change “the most expansive environmental problem facing humanity.”
“Does this mean women are more likely to buy energy-efficient appliances and hybrid vehicles than men?” he said. “Do they vote for different political candidates? Do they talk to their children differently about global warming?”
McCright analyzed eight years of data from Gallup’s annual environment poll that asked fairly basic questions about climate change knowledge and concern. He said the gender divide on concern about climate change was not explained by the roles that men and women perform such as whether they were homemakers, parents or employed full time.
Instead, he said the gender divide likely is explained by “gender socialization.” According to this theory, boys in the United States learn that masculinity emphasizes detachment, control and mastery. A feminine identity, on the other hand, stresses attachment, empathy and care – traits that may make it easier to feel concern about the potential dire consequences of global warming, McCright said.
“Women and men think about climate change differently,” he said. “And when scientists or policymakers are communicating about climate change with the general public, they should consider this rather than treating the public as one big monolithic audience.”
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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.
Contact: Andy Henion, University Relations, Office: (517) 355-3294, Cell: (517) 281-6949, Andy.Henion@ur.msu.edu; Aaron M. McCright, Sociology and Lyman Briggs, Office: (517) 432-8026, mccright@msu.edu
“McCright, an associate professor with appointments in MSU’s Department of Sociology, Lyman Briggs College and Environmental Science and Policy Program.”
“Environmental Science and Policy Program”
This dunder head designs a study to show that every one that agrees with him is smart, and everyone that disagrees with him is stupid.
“A feminine identity, on the other hand, stresses attachment, empathy and care – traits that may make it easier to feel concern about the potential dire consequences of global warming, McCright said.”
I hope he’s not saying what I think he is…………
Who paid for this study? I bet it was the taxpayers. Why?
Maybe semi-OT:
Report: More women than men in U.S. earned doctorates last year for first time
Washington Post
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/14/AR2010091400004.html
Followers of this site should applaud Anthony for “Truth in Advertising”.
He promised a paper “sure to rile almost everyone”.
He has delivered exactly that.
Well done, Anthony!
Pamela Gray says:
September 14, 2010 at 6:33 pm
> I think it is highly interesting and relevant to list the number of comments from men who readily believed this pile of horse apples.
Let me guess – they didn’t ask you to answer the poll. 🙂
“The findings, published in the September issue of the journal Population and Environment, challenge common perceptions that men are more scientifically literate, said sociologist Aaron M. McCright.”
Doesnt this actually CONFIRM men ARE more scientifically literate?
Considering the preconceptions of the authors of the “study”, it is no wonder they came to the conclusion they have.
Why would Aaron M. McCright be a source for a list of climate change skeptics?
For wiki??
1. Derive list of climate change skeptics.
•Locate reliable lists of climate change skeptics, and triangulate, noting which names appear on at least two lists. The list of climate change skeptics is derived from four sources: sourcewatch.com, motherjones.com, wikipedia.org and the sociologists, Aaron McCright and Riley Dunlap
http://wiki.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/ClimateChangeSkeptics
HEY JJR Canada. I take exception to your derisive remark about MSU. True, it started out as a cow college (Michigan Agricultural College 1855), and sports seem to be an integral part of the curriculum. However, MSU is the home to the very best Cyclotron in the world; its Astronomy Department hogs the double mainframe comupter all night long computing size, distance, and composition of the universe; it provides a foundation of agricultural research used to feed the developing and developed part of the world; and yes, it does have the social sciences which studies gender as well as ethnic differences. But, inspite of concerted efforts to encourage women into the basic sciences, no go. My take home message: there is a difference in the sociology of women and men and this is reflected in how the two groups think and can be seen in various polls. Nothing to complain about. Just what is, is.
Now I understand why Princess Charles is constantly getting her knickers in a knot.
Taken in, taken in again
Wrapped around the finger of some fair-weather friend
Andrew
Not my wife- and she’s the one with the Master’s-From Michigan State, Btw…
So, here we go: 1) assume the consensus (must be correct, right? (doesn’t make an ass out of you and them, right?)). 2) measure against the consensus (especially using the less informed (please notice I didn’t say less intelligent!)). 3) report results. All this from a peon professor at a school that would hope to be lucky to scrounge the scraps from the likes of Penn State. Oh! Penn State has Michael Mann!. Go Sparty!
Jimash says:
September 14, 2010 at 5:17 pm
“These weenies are weenies for trying to get [it] over on women, or assuming that they can.”
Social engineering is dangerous, I was very surprised when Al Gore recommended training [brain washing] children.
I am wont to remark thusly:
There are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics.
There are sinners, damned sinners, and then there are the heretics.
There is science, pseudo-science, and then there’s just plain BS.
Lately, reading between the lines has become something of a ‘knee boot’ affair …
I should have worn my ‘waders’ before reading that article!
latitude says:
September 14, 2010 at 5:25 pm
“Will not go there…
….except to say I find this study insulting”
I agree
Despite my wife’s anxieties we have avoided bird flu , swine flu , West Nile Disease , salmonella , the Gulf oil spill getting caught in the dread loop current and polluting the beaches of South Georgia and a host of other miseries . She still hasn’t learned to take alarmist headlines with a grain of salt . I can say this because she does’t read this blog .
According to religioustolerance.org, (sorry, not sure how to link this up- just google belief in creation) 53% of women believe in biblical new Earth creation versus 39% of men. Wonder what conclusions the sociology prof would draw from this? Could AGW be similar to religion? Hmmmm
So that’s why Tipper kept with her Sex Poodle for so long.
Back to the topic – sociologists are still trying to make themselves look like a ‘science’. A hot, intelligent skeptic is still a hot, intelligent skeptic no matter the sex. Quit trying to pigeonhole me.
[REPLY – Much as we might not enjoy it, I really think we have to give the so-and-so the benefit of the doubt on this one. ~ Evan]
latitude says:
September 14, 2010 at 6:34 pm
“I hope he’s not saying what I think he is…………”
lol, maybe, maybe not. He’s making it impossible to argue with his assertion. He’s simply framing the question to make it almost impossible to argue. He’s assuming people won’t take time to question the methodologies of his study. I won’t, because I don’t think its worth the time. But who knows, it may be on CNN tomorrow.
If the numbers are correct, how would a male skeptic respond without appearing sexist? If a male alarmist reads this, it validates his concern. If a female alarmist reads this, it validates not only her caring but also her feminine insight. The only possible persons to be able to voice concerns without looking cloddish and sexist are skeptical females……….if one was to worry about the political correctness of the statements.
I like his style, though, in the way he frames the discussion. An act of beauty. Of course, it wouldn’t pass any mustard in any scientific communities I’m aware of, but then, most simply make fun of sociologists anyways.
Anyone with half the sense God gave them would see that this is simply desperate alarmist tripe attempting to move the discussion. Skeptics are turning the tide and it is thanks to men and women alike. The fact is, I don’t really know the gender of most of the people that post here. I can make assumptions, and I do, but I don’t really know. And neither does anyone else here.
The good prof is just trying to get lucky.[snip]
Men love the company of women. I put them on an elevated pedestal. Any Prof who tries to play with that equation is dumb and probably lonesome tonight.
‘Vive La Différence!’, in its original context.
What load of insulting rubbish!
I am a woman who never believed in this “warming” religion or it’s
high priest Al Gore and I am very worried about his preaching to our children
Unfortunately politicians found a good excuse to squeeze as much money from us as they can under the disguise of sanctimonious “doing the right thing for the planet”
As an example of being scientifically illiterate…
I had Inside Edition on for background noise tonight when I heard this. (I’m on antenna and only get a few digital channels, okay?)
PETA released a statement saying the “meat dress” Lady Gaga wore to the VMA’s couldn’t have been real meat. I found the statement here:
The designer said it was real meat, 6 pounds of flank steak. Took three days to make and was stored in a refrigerator.
Wow, TV lights cause fly eggs to spontaneously appear in raw meat and promptly develop into wriggling larvae within mere hours. Who knew? Those TV lights are unnatural and dangerous!
To toss it in from the link because it sounds cute:
When she goes up to the Arctic, personally confronts the polar bears face to snout, and convinces them to give up meat because it “represents bloody violence and suffering,” then I’ll consider giving it up myself. I’ll also consider if this is evidence too much Coca-Cola causes brain damage in polar bears.
Well… women tend to vote left of centre more than men which shows they are also more politicaly astute than men. They are more likely to want children than men, showing their interest in continuing the human race is superior to that of men. Women are more likely to be stay at home parents than men, proving their superiority in maintaining the family unit which is the cornerstone of society. When it comes to breast feeding infants, women are so vastly superior to men that the ratio of competant women divided by competant men is infinity, proving that women have boobs.
Of course these are just studies, and at the end of the day, the fact is that men are more likely to want to check for themselves. That last one in particular…