Hur görs djur? Könsstereotyper och androcentrism i studier av andra arter än Homo sapiens

Abstract

The field of evolutionary ecology in general and behavioural ecology in particular is often regarded as an androcentric science where sexual stereotypes pervade. In this article the authors review some of the evidence for this notion and suggest that behavioural ecology still is suffering from such gender bias. The criticism so far has mainly been centred on howthese problems affect the understanding of humans. Here the authors focus on how it can produce misconceptions of animals and animal behaviour. In particular the authors discuss why gender perspectives are relevant to theory production, experiment design and the choice of study species. It is suggested that sexual stereotypes and androcentrism are not a necessary part of behavioural ecology, and that the field has the potential of producing knowledge that could revolutionize some of the thinking around sex and gender.