The hottest Gender Studies Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Education Topics

2024 S&tS Year in Review

Sex and the State • 13 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Gender Studies Media Analysis Social Issues Personal reflections Writing Techniques
  1. Focusing on gender was a big highlight in 2024. It helped shape the content and direction of the discussions.
  2. The author chose favorite posts based on personal value rather than popularity. This shows a desire to share meaningful insights, not just what's trending.
  3. Collaboration and guest appearances were significant this year. Engaging with others brought in new perspectives and growth for the newsletter.

And I'm not sorry

Disaffected Newsletter • 899 implied HN points • 27 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Cultural critique Social Issues Gender Studies Media Analysis Public Discourse
  1. Some people feel upset about direct talk on tough issues. It's okay to speak your mind, even if it annoys others.
  2. There are mixed feelings around responsibility in relationships. Everyone should own their actions without blaming others.
  3. Sharing honest thoughts can sometimes lead to being seen as irrelevant. But staying true to your beliefs is important.

Back with Bette and Joan!

Disaffected Newsletter • 399 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Television Film Hollywood Gender Studies
  1. The watch party for the miniseries 'Feud: Bette and Joan' is a fun way to connect over classic Hollywood drama. It's happening on March 19 and everyone is welcome to join the discussion.
  2. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford had very different personalities, with Davis being a talented actress and Crawford more of a classic movie star. Their intense rivalry makes for a captivating story to explore.
  3. The series delves deeper into the personal struggles of both actresses and highlights the challenges they faced in an ageist Hollywood. It's a mix of humor, tragedy, and glamour that portrays their complex relationship.
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He'd Rather be a Killer than a Girl: What Halloween Costumes Can Teach Us About the Patriarchal Thinking Within Us All

Humanities in Revolt • 159 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Gender Studies Social Issues Identity Patriarchy Ideology
  1. Halloween costumes play a significant role in reinforcing or combating stereotypes about gender roles and expectations.
  2. There is a sexist double standard present in Halloween costuming where it's more acceptable for girls and women to identify with male characters than for boys and men to identify with female characters.
  3. Patriarchal ideology influences costume options available for men and women, perpetuating narrow conceptions of femininity and masculinity. This limitation can lead to the internalization of gender stereotypes and unequal valuing of qualities associated with each gender.

Women Are Crazy, Science Finally Admits

Torture Chamber Small Talk • 159 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology Gender Studies Humor
  1. The article discusses the misinterpretation of women's behavior as 'crazy' and highlights the need to distinguish between actual psychopathy and common stereotypes.
  2. Female psychopathy is often subtler and harder to diagnose than male psychopathy, which is a result of existing biases in how psychopathy is recognized and studied.
  3. There's a call for more awareness and understanding of female psychopathy, breaking stereotypes, and approaching the topic with a sense of unity and cooperation rather than division.

When Will Women Be Human?

Meaning || Matter • 19 implied HN points • 22 Jun 24
🎭️ Culture History Science Social Issues Gender Studies
  1. Women in science, like the Morris sisters, often faced struggles for recognition and respect. Their hard work was sometimes overlooked because of the views society had about women's roles.
  2. Margaretta and Elizabeth Morris had to use clever strategies to get their scientific contributions noticed, like publishing anonymously and building relationships with influential men in science. They showed that persistence was key.
  3. Despite some advancements, women still had to fight for equality in scientific societies and other areas of life. This shows that the fight for women's rights is ongoing, and society needs to value women as equals.

Why So Serious? Halloween, Popular Culture, and the Specter of Anonymous Authority

Humanities in Revolt • 139 implied HN points • 12 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Pop culture Cultural Studies Gender Studies Social influence Identity
  1. Halloween allows for a fun and liberating experience, where people of all ages can embody different identities through costumes.
  2. Popular culture, like Halloween costumes, reflects societal influences, such as gender norms and media trends.
  3. Our personal and social identities are shaped by cultural beliefs and practices, sometimes without us realizing, indicating the presence of 'anonymous authority' in society.

Insta-Cucked

Many Such Cases • 299 implied HN points • 20 Dec 22
🎭️ Culture Relationships Social media Sexuality Psychology Gender Studies
  1. Some people on Instagram ask others to cuck them without really knowing what it means. They just send a direct message without any introduction.
  2. Cuckolding is about feeling powerless, but messaging a stranger isn't the right way to explore this desire. Understanding one's own feelings is important.
  3. It's frustrating when people think they can easily get others to fulfill their fantasies online. Real connections are more meaningful than quick messages.

Men and Women Have Different Discursive Styles

Disaffected Newsletter • 419 implied HN points • 18 Aug 22
🎭️ Culture Gender Studies Communication styles Social Dynamics Identity politics
  1. Men and women often communicate differently, leading to misunderstandings. Some women might expect a more gentle approach, while some men are more direct and blunt.
  2. When someone focuses on feelings rather than the core message, it can feel disrespectful. It's important to engage with the actual content instead of just correcting someone's tone.
  3. Not all men are aligned with women's issues, and everyone has their own unique perspectives. It's important to recognize that each person's approach to discussion can vary significantly.

Some Sex Differences are More Problematic than Others

Unsafe Science • 125 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
🔬 Science Gender Studies Social Psychology Gender disparities
  1. Efforts to address sex disparities in occupational representation focus more on male-dominated jobs, while issues in female-dominated jobs receive less attention.
  2. Participants, especially women, view male-dominated jobs as more problematic due to perceived sexism/discrimination, regardless of job status or pay.
  3. Perceptions of the causes of gender gaps influence how problematic they are perceived to be, with attributions to sexism/discrimination making the gaps more concerning.

The Present is Female

Holodoxa • 99 implied HN points • 20 Jan 23
🎭️ Culture Gender Studies Social Issues Education Literature Ideology
  1. In many ways, men have fallen from their prominent position, with concerns rising about the social and economic well-being of boys and men.
  2. There are significant disparities between men and women in education and the labor market, with girls outperforming boys in school and fewer men participating in the workforce today than in 1979.
  3. Biological and psychological differences between genders, such as differences in brain development and social behaviors, play a role in observed disparities between males and females.

What Josh Hawley gets wrong about me

Of Boys and Men • 131 implied HN points • 23 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social Issues Gender Studies Labor Market Political Economy Government Policy
  1. More men should be encouraged to work in HEAL professions like healthcare and education for a variety of reasons.
  2. It's important to address the gender disparities in occupations like health care and education to better serve clients and address labor shortages.
  3. Supporting opportunities for men in both blue-collar jobs and growing HEAL sectors is vital for a balanced workforce.

Curator

Castalia • 159 implied HN points • 12 Jul 22
🎭️ Culture Relationships Sociology Philosophy Literature Gender Studies
  1. Open marriages can be complicated and messy. There's a lot of debate about whether they really work for couples over time.
  2. People often cope with jealousy in different ways when it comes to open relationships. It's a strong emotion that many don't expect to deal with.
  3. Incels are a misunderstood group dealing with deep emotional pain. Society often reacts harshly to their feelings without understanding their struggles.

The Beauty Quandary

Polymathic Being • 77 implied HN points • 17 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Beauty Evolutionary Psychology Societal norms Gender Studies Perception
  1. Beauty is a complex topic that influences various aspects of our lives, from societal perceptions to evolutionary biology.
  2. Looking good involves presenting ourselves in a way that signals health, status, and genetic viability.
  3. Our appearance can impact our social and economic outcomes, and understanding these dynamics can help us address biases and stereotypes.

Jane Austen and Cognitive Bias—Or on Persuasion

Vremya • 139 implied HN points • 01 Jun 21
📚 Literature Fiction Psychology Gender Studies Cognitive Science Narrative analysis
  1. Jane Austen explores the idea of love and how men and women experience it differently. She suggests that women may find it harder to move on from love than men do.
  2. Motivated reasoning is a key concept, where people look for evidence that supports what they already believe. This means we often see our own experiences as proof for our opinions.
  3. Austen also hints at cognitive biases like the availability heuristic, which is when we overestimate how common something is based on how easily we can recall examples from our life. This can lead to skewed perceptions of reality.

The Cost of Couple Equity

Logos and Liberty • 1 HN point • 09 Jul 24
🚌 Education Gender Studies Career development Family Dynamics Work-life balance Policy Analysis
  1. The earnings gap between men and women often results from 'couple inequity' caused by demanding work environments that are incompatible with caregiving responsibilities.
  2. Couples face difficult tradeoffs between equity and financial security due to the structure of workplaces, like 'greedy work' and 'up or out' promotion policies.
  3. Solutions to reduce the gender earnings gap include increasing flexibility in jobs, lessening the cost of childcare, and changing societal norms around gender roles and caregiving responsibilities.

Kill The Mother

Reactionary Feminist • 26 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Gender Studies Psychology Feminism Social Issues Motherhood
  1. The article discusses the concept of 'killing the mother' as a psychoanalytic fantasy related to Oedipal complex.
  2. There is a trend of intense hostility towards women, especially mothers, in contemporary culture.
  3. Expressions of rage and fantasies of annihilating the mother are evident in various cultural aspects, leading to questions about the origins and implications of this phenomenon.

Men Vs. Women

Some Unpleasant Arithmetic • 9 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Gender Studies Political Identity
  1. There is a battle of the sexes in terms of political identity and beliefs, with young women becoming more progressive while young men are not.
  2. Economic imbalances and cultural resentments contribute to the divergence of young men and young women politically.
  3. The shift from in-person to online socialization has played a role in radicalization and extremist views among young men.

Life In Plastic Ain't So Fantastic

Some Unpleasant Arithmetic • 8 implied HN points • 20 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Gender Studies Economics Social Issues Diversity Film
  1. Barbie's history and impact reflect complex issues of feminism and economics
  2. Women's labor force participation has evolved over time due to various factors like economic conditions and cultural norms
  3. Gender disparities in wages and career progress are influenced by a mix of discrimination, societal expectations, and individual choices

And the Oscar for Economics Goes To... (2/2)

Some Unpleasant Arithmetic • 2 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🚌 Education Economics Cultural analysis Gender Studies Social Sciences
  1. Attending elite prep schools like the fictional Barton Academy can significantly impact future success, leading to better chances of admission to prestigious colleges and higher income levels.
  2. Distinctively Black names have always existed in the United States, and research shows that having these names does not necessarily imply disadvantages in the labor market.
  3. Moving to better neighborhoods during childhood can have a positive impact on future outcomes, such as higher education attainment and earnings, particularly if the move occurs at a young age.

Book Review: "The Two-Parent Privilege"

Data Taboo • 1 HN point • 05 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social Issues Economics Family Dynamics Gender Studies
  1. The surge in single-parent households is a result of economic factors affecting marriage patterns, especially for non-college-educated men.
  2. Children of single-parent homes often face worse outcomes due to challenges faced by single parents such as financial strain, time constraints, and lack of supervision.
  3. Although economics plays a role in the rise of single-parent families, it is not the sole cause, and factors like legal rights, cultural shifts, and individual choices also contribute to this societal change.

Pro-Sex Work Advocacy as a Form of Doomerism

The 21st Century Proletarian • 0 implied HN points • 07 Sep 22
🎭️ Culture Activism Feminism Sexuality Social Issues Gender Studies
  1. Exchanging sex for money is a controversial topic, often leading to intense political debates.
  2. Liberal feminists may prioritize sex industry workers at the expense of the marginalized, influenced by capitalist realism.
  3. To tackle issues in the sex industry, reducing demand and moving away from capitalism are crucial goals.

The Inclusive City

Demodexio • 0 implied HN points • 19 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Urbanism Gender Studies Community Advocacy
  1. The built environment shapes politics, and politics shape architecture, although the changes are subtle.
  2. The needs of women and children were not considered in city designs, leading to significant daily challenges.
  3. Advocacy is important, but dedicated committees and structural changes are needed to address societal issues effectively.

Artistic activism, the genetics of personality & archeological strategies

The Strategy Toolkit • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Art Activism History Sociology Gender Studies
  1. Art can be a powerful tool for activism. Throughout history, artists have used their work to express resistance and challenge authority.
  2. Textile art, like knitting and embroidery, has been a form of protest, especially against domestic violence. These activities are often seen as simple, but they carry deep meaning and impact.
  3. Women's use of sewing as a form of resistance shows that there is a lot of thought and intention behind their actions. It challenges the assumption that crafts are purely trivial.