The Importance of Empowering Women

  As a rule, I generally try to avoid political labels, because labels imply a sort of rigidity in one's thinking. Once a label is applied, it generally tends to stick, especially when it is applied to oneself. Labels are generalizations, ways in which we simplify the world in order to make it easier for us to understand, and sometimes this is necessary, but when overused they lead to lazy or rigid thinking, stereotyping, prejudice, and in some severe cases, even outright Conservatism. But I digress. I only mention this before I go ahead and embrace the “Feminist” label, so that you might understand that this isn't some off-the-cuff position that I adopted because it seemed politically fashionable, but rather because there are very good reasons to be a Feminist, in the sense of the term that implies a deep support for the equal rights of all women.

  The fact that in many parts of the world roughly half the population lives in servitude and virtual slavery to the other should profoundly disturb us. And yet, this is the situation faced by women in countries everywhere, where “cultural norms” are used as justification for their humiliating, often brutal, and occasionally fatal subjugation to men. Cultural norms, I would strongly suspect, that have been dictated by generations of very highly privileged men, raised by their fathers to thoroughly believe in their own sex's superiority. As a Western male, I should mention that although I'm quite happy with the gender I was born with, I find the idea that men are somehow innately superior be frankly laughable, given how very keenly flawed we often prove ourselves to be, and how many exemplary and brilliant women I have had the privilege to know or read about. One thing the West has learned very well since elevating our women to the legal status of equals is that they really are equally capable, and while in general their aptitudes may differ slightly due to differences in the wiring of male and female brains, there are certain areas in which they consistently outperform men (anything requiring working in a team, for example). Treating women like property, hindering their education and affording them little more status than one would give to livestock is a contemptible practice, that demeans them and squanders their innate capacity to contribute to society.

  While tolerance certainly is a necessary ingredient in creating a healthy global civilization, it is also necessary to know when to draw the line, and to call a spade a spade. There is nothing politically incorrect in shaming countries that perpetuate atrocities against women – in fact I would argue quite the opposite. If your culture advocates or even condones throwing acid in the faces of girls who want to go to school, then it should be obvious to anyone with any moral sense at all that something is deeply wrong with your culture. When a culture reaches such a point, it deserves – nay, begs - for criticism, from within and without, and we are morally obligated to provide it, lest we commit a terrible sin of omission. One could only hope that such criticism might motivate a degree of self-reflection, so that a culture may, in the long term, choose to purge itself of such a sickness. Citing culture does not provide blanket immunity to moral questions, and if we wish to think of ourselves as moral creatures at all, then we must not be afraid to ask such questions. It is only through the power of conversation and public debate that cultures develop over time, and if there is any hope of moving such frankly primitive attitudes toward women out of the stone age, then the conversation cannot be indefinitely deferred in the name of political correctness.

  One might hear the argument made that cultural norms are all relative, but even a cursory look at actual sociological data would reveal this to be apologist nonsense. I believe cultural relativism to be a dangerous concept, used to justify too many human rights abuses in the past, particularly women's rights abuses. The fact is we all have certain emotional and social inclinations from birth, perhaps aside from sociopaths and psychopaths. These inclinations are cross-cultural, hardwired into our brains by evolution, and are then modified by our environment and upbringing, and so it is quite possible to argue that we do have a certain “universal morality”, that can be extrapolated from our natural, intuitive social impulses.  Organizations like the UN and Amnesty International already appear to recognize this to a certain extent, but it is important for us all to recognize this on an individual level as well. Those traits most common to societies around the world, a global average of social norms, if you will, could (and often do) guide us toward a standard for universal morality. If we want to refine this further, and find universal norms most likely to lead to positive social outcomes, then we need only look at those societies that score highest on indicators of social well-being, and weight their social norms proportionally when determining an overall average. I would be willing to bet very heavily that countries with equal rights for women would score very highly in such an assessment. They do, as a matter of fact, tend to do much better economically – having a population in which anyone can potentially become a member of the workforce tends to have this effect. This was a very large contributing factor the success of the U.S. Post World War II.

  This last point is one of the main reasons that I advocate women's rights – it is simply the most practical way to elevate entire societies out of poverty. Christopher Hitchens put it very well – we have a cure for poverty, one that works every time that it is tried, and that is the elevation of women. In many countries today, there are initiatives to provide micro-loans to women in rural communities, and this is happening because it is proving stunningly effective. These women, when given even the smallest bit of opportunity, have consistently demonstrated an ability to create successful small businesses. They overwhelmingly tend to become contributing members of the business community, repaying their loans at a higher rate than is typically seen in developed countries. Furthermore, as they do this, they help to pull their entire communities out of poverty by generating cash flow, hiring employees, and sharing their experience. This is the true face of the “job creator”, not the ultra-rich (and generally male) business executive. I'm pragmatic, and simply believe in providing support to those who have proven their worth to the rest of society, and in this case, it is the former, not the latter.

  Men have certainly had their time as leaders, and we see the results quite clearly when we look back at history – a propensity for war, materialism, and a general lack of flexibility in negotiation. We were the hunters, historically, and as such are inclined to territoriality and aggression – this is simply built into the wiring of our brains. Although we can (and often do) overcome it, it is only through great effort, typically, and many men simply do not care to expend this effort. If you doubt this, simply glance at violent crime statistics virtually anywhere in the world, and you will see which sex is more inclined to use violence when solving problems. Women, conversely, were the gatherers in early human societies, and as such are more inclined to working cooperatively, working together to find mutually beneficial solutions for problems facing the social group. In today's world, this is rapidly becoming the only viable means of problem-solving left to us. As we develop more and more catastrophic weapons, we will eventually have no choice but to give up war, lest the slightest conflict spiral out of control and lead to the extinction of our very species. In our history, armed conflict, distasteful as it is, may have served a purpose, but we simply do not have the luxury anymore, and as such, perhaps we should elect leaders who are less inclined to use it. In almost any situation, there are typically ways of resolving disputes that can allow both parties at least some benefit, and women, I believe, are simply better at finding these options.

Ensuring women are educated, given equal status, and a voice in social policy can change societies dramatically, and overwhelmingly, it is for the better. This was a difficult transition for Western society many years ago, no doubt, but it is one we can now look back on with pride and satisfaction, and I sincerely hope that in this century, we can help other areas to see the benefits of making this same transition. Too long have we shamed ourselves through the exploitation of women, too long have we wasted so much human potential, and too long have we allowed patriarchy and machismo to dictate how we live. A change in the status quo is long overdue – this is why I am a proud Feminist, and you should be too. 

The Reasons We Play

 I'll start by saying that I am an avid gamer – video games, board games, you name it – and I have been since I could first hold a controller or a set of dice. I also rely heavily on games as a teaching method in my current role, teaching English in Japan. I've encountered a lot of people who don't understand how I can sit for hours in front of a video game console, pore over a board game with friends for the better part of a Sunday afternoon, or use games to teach effectively, so I felt the need to explain why we are designed to play games, and how doing so truly does enrich us, both intellectually and yes, socially.

 As children, we learn many of our core social and motor skills through gaming. Games and play in general are a way for us to learn without really realizing we're learning, and that is part of their beauty. In many cultures we have come to accept the idea that for “real” learning to occur we must put away the games and hit the books, but this is not necessarily true. While I'm also a huge fan of books, I don't believe that they are necessarily a superior medium, as everyone has their own learning style. While books are an invaluable resource, some people are simply more suited to interactive styles of learning. I have seen ample evidence that complex skills can be effectively taught and reinforced through games; they simply require well-designed game platforms to make learning the skill-sets fun and challenging. Well designed activities and computer programs can aid in learning a wide variety of subjects, and allow us to increase our learning capacity by extending our attention span and engaging us more fully. It is simply a matter of adapting your technique to the subject matter, in my opinion - I see it working in my classroom all the time.

 If you don't believe me, there are actually a number of studies that have been done that show how playing games enhances our cognitive skill sets. Hand-eye coordination, recall, problem-solving, multitasking, sustained attention, and audio/visual processing are all abilities that can be challenged through gaming, and indeed as gamers are challenged, it has been shown that these skills do improve. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that in older adults, gaming can help to maintain these skills longer, holding off the cognitive effects of ageing and even blunting the symptoms of disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. The term “use it or lose it” applies just as much to the brain as it does to the body, and as we stretch our capabilities and develop new skills through gaming, we are in a sense working out our brains. George Bernard Shaw put it best: We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.

 This being said, a major drawback with gaming as a hobby is that it is typically very sedentary. Spending hours on end sitting immobile and staring at a screen is not the best way to stay in shape, and this was probably the main criticism that my parents have leveled at me over the years. Lately however, this is becoming less true. Thanks to motion-tracking systems like the Wii, games are now becoming physically as well as mentally interactive, and a happy side effect is that gamers are, in general, getting more exercise. As this sort of technology improves, we will no doubt eventually be able to immerse ourselves in virtual realities and engage in any matter of physical activity, much like in the holodecks on Star Trek. As this happens, perhaps exercise will become less of a chore for many, and more of a fun and engaging experience. It will also allow those who are uncomfortable with their bodies to exercise easily from the comfort of home, probably one of the most significant challenges that obese people face when they decide to start getting in shape. Using games and virtual environments to promote physical activity could be society's best new secret weapon in fighting off the pounds.

 As someone who has been a lifelong gamer, I'll pass along a little anecdotal evidence here. Despite spending more time gaming than some people spend watching television, I'm happy to report that my eyesight is just fine, I remain capable of staying in reasonably good shape, and I genuinely believe that gaming does help to keep me sharp, in a way that passively absorbing television isn't able to, particularly in the areas of strategic thinking and problem solving. Furthermore, most of my close friends are gamers, and are among the more intelligent and rational people that I know. While there is admittedly a subset among gamers who can be obsessive and petty, this does tend to get stamped out over time, as a sore loser, or poor winner for that matter, will soon find themselves without other people willing to play with them. The gaming community in general encourages fairness, good manners and honesty, and when one compares this with the social norms portrayed in most popular television, you may see why gaming is something that we should encourage. It is, like any form of media, simply a tool, and one that has great potential if used wisely.  

Scientific Literacy is the New...Literacy

 In my lifetime, I've been very pleased to see one trend in society taking shape, and that is the increasing popularity of science with the general public. The increasing exposure that scientific endeavors now receive in the media may not reach all audiences just yet, but is certainly reaching a broader audience than in the past. As a result, the public is becoming more aware of the good that science can do (and has done) in their lives, and this can only be for the good. It used to be that when you talked about science to anyone other than a scientist, you would either get blank stares or open hostility. When I grew up, the smart people (adults too, not just children) actually tried to hide the fact, whereas now, looking “slow on the uptake” is the ultimate deal-breaker, be it in a job interview or on a date. The schoolyard mentality that science is only for geeks is melting away, as the value of science becomes increasingly, glaringly apparently to an increasingly technological and information-driven society. Gone are the days where the majority of people could make a decent living without the benefit of a higher education, and as an increasing majority of society pursues higher education, geek is becoming the new chic. As someone who has been a geek virtually since conception, I can't quite convey how much I'm loving this development.

 The thing is, science isn't just about cool new gadgets, or advancements in health care. It is to a point, and certainly provides many of these attractive fringe benefits, but underlying it all, science is about expanding our understanding of our own reality. We all want, on some level, to understand why we're here, to place our existence in a larger context, and science does this with more eloquence than any other system we have ever come up with as a species. Carl Sagan put it best: “Science is more than just a body of knowledge. It's a way of thinking, a way of rationally interrogating the world.” Although we live in a “middle world”, too large to perceive atoms and too small to perceive the structure of the galaxy, we have through the rational process of science managed to unlock many of the secrets nature has stored away at these mind-boggling scales. We have determined the most basic components of what we are made of (we believe) and now understand our place in the larger universe in much more intricate detail than would have ever been possible without looking through the illuminating lens of science. People are coming to understand this, and are increasingly being drawn into this amazing, ongoing narrative as it unfolds. Our quest to understand the universe is, when you think about it, the universe's way of knowing itself, and a life spent in the pursuit of such understanding can only be a life well spent. In the past, people often turned to religion when asking themselves the question “Why are we here?”, but recently, this thirst for understanding and the never-ending quest to expand that drives science it is providing a much more satisfactory purpose for increasing millions worldwide. I believe it no coincidence that this wave of reason and rationalism coincides with the massive decrease in worldwide violence, both at the individual and national levels, that the past few decades have seen.

 If current trends continue, science will change our lives even more dramatically in the coming decades than it has in the past. Technology and research are not just cumulative, but amplify each other, with advances in materials science, for example, spurring leaps forward in computer technology, renewables, and a number of other fields. As such, our technological progress as a species is increasing at an exponential rate, and that being said, we had better be prepared. Only by utilizing science for the unique tool that it is, and fostering a deep general understanding of it among the public, can we hope to successfully ride out this unprecedented transition. It's been said that our species faces a bottleneck very shortly, as our population reaches the limits of what the Earth can naturally provide for. If this is the case, as I believe the evidence indicates it to be, then the only way we can avoid a great deal of suffering is to find and implement innovative solutions via science. Every day, amazing new innovations and technologies are announced that can help us to make the transition into a more humane, prosperous and self-sustaining society, but only through legislation can they be widely and quickly implemented, and this is contingent on a well-educated public creating the political pressure to do so. This is the most fundamental reason for every one of us to keep informed – we need to be, in order to ensure our democracies function well, and remain in step with the times. We should not delude ourselves about the fact that societies can collapse, and in the past, it has been the ones that refused to adapt that have most often met this fate. The countries of the world, now deeply entangled by the internet, economic ties and global travel, are forming a fledgeling global civilization, but in the face of the grotesque environmental damage we are inflicting in the process, it should be obvious that we are not immune to potential catastrophe. Without wisely implementing policies to mitigate this damage, and mitigate the threat from other dangers, we are simply tempting fate.

 On a brighter note, the amount of human potential that science stands to unlock this century is incredibly inspiring. In a recent blog post, I made several predictions about how science and technology will likely enhance our lives in coming decades, and these were perhaps conservative. New and completely innovative ideas emerge all the time in science, often completely by accident, and by properly funding new research and development, we increase our odds of such happy and beneficial discoveries. In brief, this decade is likely to see the end of cancer, the dramatic expansion of the human lifespan, the eradication of extreme poverty, and the beginnings of our colonization of the solar system, all thanks to science. Such accomplishments should make us all proud of what we can accomplish as a species, and inspire us to continue pushing at the limits of our knowledge. The beginning of wisdom, it is said, is to understand that you know nothing, and I would argue that the next step to wisdom is refusing to accept this as the status quo.