Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!aero-c!nadel From: uunet!mitel!Software!vince@ncar.UCAR.EDU (Vince Mous) Newsgroups: soc.feminism Subject: Re: Chess (Was: Sexism) Message-ID: <7378@vince> Date: 11 Apr 91 12:44:49 GMT References: <1991Mar29.020740.2687@world.std.com> <1991Apr1.030506.16835@athena.mit.edu> <1991Apr4.123252.1@dev8.mdcbbs.com> Sender: news@aero.org Organization: Mitel. Kanata (Ontario). Canada. Lines: 41 Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org Status: R Originator: nadel@aerospace.aero.org In article <1991Apr4.123252.1@dev8.mdcbbs.com> rivero@dev8.mdcbbs.com writes: >In article <1991Apr1.030506.16835@athena.mit.edu>, sethg@athena.mit.EDU ("Seth A. Gordon") writes: |> A friend of mine, who is a fairly good chess player, says that in |> order to play chess at the international-master level, you need to be |> aggressive; you have to treat the other player as an enemy to be |> demolished, not just someone you're playing a game with. He has made |> a conscious choice to be a nice guy instead of a master chess player. |> If he's right about chess and attitude, then when boys are socialized |> to be more aggressive than girls, it helps male chess players win more |> games than female players. |> Furthermore, if chess-playing ability is distributed in a normal curve |> (or something similar), a small difference in the ability of average |> players implies a massive difference in the ability of |> grandmaster-level players. >It's not just chess. Men are socialized to operate in packs ( football, >basketball, baseball, platoons), while women are basically conditioned >to operate as a single unit. Actually, men are socialized/expected to operate as a single unit (chess, lone wolf/ranger, 'Rambo' style macho hero) and take care of their problems on their own (boys don't cry) while women are socialized to operate in packs (high school dance choreography, band, volleyball, ringette, activists) and have their support group of friends/confidantes to whom they can talk for emotional support. i guess this means we're both wrong, huh? i don't think dealing in stereotypes helps us get anywhere. i don't play or like football/basketball/baseball and am not in the army. i also have friends whom i can count on for support. i am pretty sure that this all depends on the individual much more than the sex of the person. Other than that, i don't think being socialized to operate in packs is really equivalent to being socialized to be aggressive, though i'm not sure i agree with that statement either. -- ___ __ ___ _ _ ____ ___ | \/ \ / _ \(o) (o)( __]/ _ \ (vince@mitel.com) | |\/| |( <_> )\@^@/ _\ \ (