One thing I admire about this book is that the authors seem to always explain why they looked at the Terman subjects in a certain way compared to other studies. Chapter 13 discusses the difference in genders affect on longevity, but instead of focusing on biological sex they put more emphasis on socially constructed gender norms. The results from the Terman subjects suggest that femininity is correlated with a longer life, while masculinity is not. Therefore, a women or a man who possess more feminine traits is more likely to live a long, healthy life; it is not just dependent on chromosomes.
I can see how their measurements of masculinity and femininity might be controversial however. It is hard to put a label on socially constructed gender norms. For the self-assessment of gender roles, the researcher asked questions about what careers the participants would pursue. Different careers were associated with being more feminine or masculine, however, I think this isn’t entirely applicable to modern times.
Also, to mention Chapter 14 that discusses the toll of war and trauma on the Terman subjects. In previous chapters, the authors mentioned how stressed is potentially beneficial to health, however, findings from the Terman participants suggest that chronic stress from war experiences is detrimental. Fighting overseas and in combat posed a huge health threat. The more consciousness a person was, the less likely they were to fight in combat in the Pacific.
I also found it interesting about a lot of Terman subjects blamed their health on stress and genes. It is true that certain aspects of health are due to genetics, however, the subjects belief that health behaviors doesn’t play a major role in their health can be detrimental. For example, in 2013 the American Medical Association labeled obesity as a disease. Though this will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue, describing obesity in biological terms decreases the perception that people have control over their own weight.