2023 Fay Gale Lecture by Professor Cordelia Fine

Battle of the Sex Differences: Where to begin?
When it comes to the question of why there are gender differences in behaviour - where to begin? According to Social Role Theory, the most basic cause is social structure. But for Evolutionary Psychologists, the causal arrow starts instead with sex-specific evolved psychological mechanisms. Advocates of the Evolutionary Psychology framework accuse Social Role Theory of being a “blank slate” approach that ignores biology and evolution - potentially misdirecting policymakers concerned with gender disparities. This lecture explores the debate.
The Fay Gale Lecture is named in honour of the late Professor Gwendoline Fay Gale AO (1932-2008), the first female President of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and an eminent human geographer well known for her contributions to the advancement of women within academia, Indigenous studies and juvenile justice. The lecture, inaugurated in 2010, is presented each year by a distinguished female social scientist and is open to the public. This lecture is jointly hosted by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender.