The Intersection of Feminism and Neuroscience

By Miruna Spătaru

Introduction  

Feminism has an impact on various scientific domains, such as neuroscience, by critiquing its methods, especially the current understanding of gender and sex, and by contributing with expertise on equality, sex, gender, and more. Thus, a new perspective has arisen among neuroscientists, largely known as feminist neuroscience (Roy, D., 2016).

Studies on Sex Differences

Neuroscience is viewed as an important tool for understanding our differences, promoting equality among all humans, and expanding and proving theoretical feminist ideas through scientific evidence. It is also important to note that various research has been conducted on the human brain in an attempt to compare the male brain with the female brain. This kind of research is not wrong on its own but can prove to be harmful when it is done with the intent of proving which one is superior. Various scientists began to examine the research on sex differences in the 1980s, due to the fact that many studies were attempting to associate the differences based on endocrinological and neurological factors with human behaviors that differed based on the sex of the person. Moreover, those studies had animal subjects, which implies the incorrect assumption that aspects such as brain size, hormonal differences, or differences in brain lateralization were linked to complex human conduct such as cognition, mathematical abilities, or aggressiveness (Fausto-Sterlind, A., 1985).

From a feminist perspective, the idea of equality between genders (and all races and social classes, if viewed through an intersectional lens) can lead a feminist neuroscientist to want to prove that there is no difference between the female and the male brain.

Unfortunately, that falls into a patriarchal rhetoric because of the opposition it creates between the two: it transmits the message that one must be greater than the other, and that the differences between them ensure the inequality and inferiority of one gender (Grosz, E., 2012).

Contemporary Perspectives

Due to technological advancements in neuroscience, researchers benefit from a plethora of tools to examine the brain and understand its complexity. Feminist neuroscientists’ perspective on sex differences now refers to identifying the differences without centering the male brain as the standard and analyzing the female brain through this patriarchal lens, but rather examining each brain as an individual object of reference.

Moreover, in recent years, scientists have largely moved on from this subject, considering it reductionist and old-fashioned, and have started to study more important matters, such as the neuroplasticity of the brain, more complex hormonal processes, and the ways in which research can be used to change the general perspective of gender differences, which can greatly help the feminist cause.

Feminist Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt as a consequence to what it experiences. There are two types of neuroplasticity: functional (moving abilities from a damaged brain area to another) and structural (changing the brain’s structure through learning) (Cherry, K., 2024). Feminist neuroscientists view neuroplasticity and epigenetics as far more relevant in the discussion about sex differences, as it is a more complex way of understanding and studying the brain than the sex-based binary of the human brain. It involves an infinity of types of brains, shaped by their individual experiences, not by their sex. Some scientists use the metaphor of the “mosaic” to refer to the intricate ways in which a brain develops, arguing that the sex of the person does not fully dictate the functioning and development of the brain; rather, there are many other influences from the environment and the individual’s experiences (Joel, D., 2011). We can safely state that the current neuroscience approach is more intersectional instead of the patriarchal perspective that circulated decades ago.

Conclusion

Currently, feminist researchers are beginning to reframe the discourse regarding sex differences and how we view the brain, stating that the old model is too obtuse and that studying the various other existing factors that impact the brain leads to far more knowledge about it than limiting the research to strictly determining the better brain model. Another point being made is that the phenotype of the male and female model is massively influenced by environmental factors, through social and cultural influences. Scientists claim that these aspects are even more important than the chromosomal sex differences (Roy, D., 2016). To conclude, the impact of feminism in neuroscience has helped enlarge the perspective on the brain, its development, and functionality, steering the discourse away from a limiting and patriarchal dogma.

References

1. Cherry, K., 2024, How Neuroplasticity Works, VerryWellMind.com https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886

2. Fausto-Sterling, Anne. 1985. Myths of Gender: Biological Theories about Women and Men. New York: Basic. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/33293221.pdf

3. Grosz, E., 2012, Feminist Knowledge (RLE Feminist Theory), Routledge London.  https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203094037-16/conclusion-elizabeth-grosz

4. Joel, D., 2011, Male or Female? Brains are Intersex. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 

   doi:10.3389/fnint.2011.00057

5. Roy, D. (2016). Neuroscience and Feminist Theory: A New Directions Essay. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 41(3), 531–552. doi:10.1086/684266