Review of Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences by Leonard Sax
Oren Martin and Barak Tjader
This book review appears in the Annotated Bibliography for Gender-Related Books in 2005, JBMW Volume 11 No. 2.
Category: Non-Evangelical - important secular works and books that addrss the subject of biblical gender issues from a religious, albeit, non-evangelical point of view. This category also serves as our classification for liberal scholars wanting to retain some sort of Christian identity.
Sax has written an important book about recent scientific research on sex differences. He offers advice for parents and educators on the importance of recognizing and welcoming gender-specific differences in child development. Bucking the sociological trend of blurring gender distinction, Sax explores the relationship between gender and sexual activity as well as parental discipline. Much to be welcomed are some of Sax's arguments for strong gender and age-related discipline in the home, preferring an inductive, reflective method of discipline for girls and "power assertion," including physical restraint and corporal punishment, for boys. While one will certainly not agree with every conclusion, this volume provides a helpful reminder that gender affects every aspect of life and that gender differences need to be enforced in parenting and teaching.
