Dr. Lise Eliot: Brain Development, Sex, Gender

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Lise Eliot discuss neurosexism and brain differences between males and females. Dr. Eliot explains that historical brain comparisons often aimed to prove women's inferiority, citing examples like weighing cadaver brains. Modern MRI studies show minor structural differences, but still present significant methodological challenges. She highlights that brain plasticity and social experiences shape gender differences, noting that women tend to have more active default mode networks, linked to anxiety and rumination. She emphasizes that gender is a psychological phenomenon, not strictly binary, and that early life experiences significantly influence brain development.

Key Takeaways:

• Sex is a biological phenomenon determined by physical characteristics and some secondary characteristics. Gender is a psychological phenomenon and is not binary - there are multiple dimensions of gender.

• Without brain plasticity, you would be unable to learn anything. While the brain has more plasticity when you're young, the brain can continue to learn and form new pathways even in adulthood.

• Gender is a uniquely human attribute - other animals do not have gender. This is something that humans have invented and reinvented in every culture to adapt our different physical bodies and reproductive roles to a social environment.

"I'm really starting to think about gender learning as almost like learning a language. You learn the language, you learn the rules and the symbols of being a boy or being a girl until it's finally internalized, and you reach this moment of gender identity thanks to endless clues in your environment, and this strong drive to find your place and find your identity and social community." — Dr. Lise Eliot

Connect with Dr. Lise Eliot:

Professional Bio: https://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/academics/faculty/lise-eliot/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lise-eliot-b0018713

Books:

• Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow into Troublesome Gaps and What We Can Do About It

• What's Going On in There?: How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

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