Naomi Klein: Our societies are addicted to risk

Very interesting. Thanks, Simon. > Men are more prone to reckless risk taking than women but it’s social privilege, not biology, that is the culprit. I'd dispute that a little - biology plays a roll. A group of, say, 8-year old boys left to play will behave quite differently to a group of 6-year old girls. The boys will often engage in 'high' risk activities - climbing things or throwing things at each other... at least that's how it was when I was that age! I'm amazed all of us from my village escaped childhood with nothing more than a few scars!

Yes I know what you mean. But biology shouldn't play any difference when children are at that age. Instead I think that children from a very young age gets affected by our gender norms which dictates what is considered to be socially appropriate behaviors for girls and boys. Like in your story about how boys are more prone to reckless activities while the girls are expected to act more calmly. Everything from advertisements to how differently parents and teachers interact with boys and girls affect children from a very young age. Even more than one can think I believe! We don't even notice what big role these social and behavioral norms play in our daily life because they are so deeply entangled in our culture and society. Just take a look at this toy commercial for girls:

I agree -- Climate change isn't something that can be "managed". http://www.greenleafgoods.com/blog/

That's a very good point - societal pressures and expectations certainly influence our behaviour and any good parent should try to minimise those effects. However, I believe there are innate differences due to gender with regards aggression and risk-taking that are caused by biological differences. E.g. * "Testosterone has been proposed as a proximate mediator of positive illusions, given its role in promoting dominance and challenge behaviour, particularly in men." http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/273/1600/2513.full Also: * "Speaking as a biologist, I think women are less aggressive than men..." http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20928015.400-biology-nobelist-natural-selection-will-destroy-us.html So, let's put women in charge of the world (as long as they're not like Maggie Thatcher ).

Risks are what define our way of life. Especially in the west. French men say: "Qui ne risque rien, n'a rien", meaning "you only succeed, if you willing to take risks". Unfortunately, this applies to all aspects of life. Politics, government, civil society, and even in our day to day lively hoods. We altimately end up becoming reckless in all that we do.   Tanou www.recklessdrivingfacts.com