I wouldn't feel even slightly offended if he had not mentioned the 'innate' part. The example he gave about the 'daddy truck' and the 'baby truck' was a bit ridiculous.
I'm a female and I had the good fortune of being given all kinds of toys while growing up - dolls, toy cars, LEGOs, playmobiles, etc. - and I had a special preference for LEGOs, if I recall correctly. What happened? When I took an IQ test some years ago I scored very high in spatial visualization and mathematics.
That, plus several studies being conducted by Psychologists (as opposed to Economists, like Mr. Summers) lead to believe that despite there being some genetic pre-disposition for gender abilities' differences, it's mostly the environment and, especially, the upbringing that determine what abilities one possesses in adulthood. Of course, there are probably also studies with results conflicting with those I mentioned.
I'd feel the same way if a woman economist decided to say in that conference that, innately, men have less communication abilities than women since the way you are brought up is key to what abilities (and interests) you will have when you're older.
In either situation, it would be unfair to start refusing people jobs simply because there are studies that indicate that in most cases a gender is less likely to be better at something than another. People make CVs for a reason, I would think, and it's those that should be evaluated. If Mr. Summers is refusing women senior positions solely based on the abilities a gender 'innately' has, it's discrimination, yes.
Also, on the 'need to have children' thing, I must disagree that it's innate: I have absolutely no intention of having children of my own and lack any kind of maternal instincts toward kids.
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I wouldn't feel even slightly offended if he had not mentioned the 'innate' part. The example he gave about the 'daddy truck' and the 'baby truck' was a bit ridiculous. I'm a female and I had the good fortune of being given all kinds of toys while growing up - dolls, toy cars, LEGOs, playmobiles, etc. - and I had a special preference for LEGOs, if I recall correctly. What happened? When I took an IQ test some years ago I scored very high in spatial visualization and mathematics. That, plus several studies being conducted by Psychologists (as opposed to Economists, like Mr. Summers) lead to believe that despite there being some genetic pre-disposition for gender abilities' differences, it's mostly the environment and, especially, the upbringing that determine what abilities one possesses in adulthood. Of course, there are probably also studies with results conflicting with those I mentioned. I'd feel the same way if a woman economist decided to say in that conference that, innately, men have less communication abilities than women since the way you are brought up is key to what abilities (and interests) you will have when you're older. In either situation, it would be unfair to start refusing people jobs simply because there are studies that indicate that in most cases a gender is less likely to be better at something than another. People make CVs for a reason, I would think, and it's those that should be evaluated. If Mr. Summers is refusing women senior positions solely based on the abilities a gender 'innately' has, it's discrimination, yes. Also, on the 'need to have children' thing, I must disagree that it's innate: I have absolutely no intention of having children of my own and lack any kind of maternal instincts toward kids.