Message: "Controversial study on sexism and hurricane deaths"

Controversial study on sexism and hurricane deaths

by clevelandkentevans

6/2/2014, 5:09 PM

A study that found that hurricanes with "feminine" names have a higher death toll because people are less afraid of them is getting a lot of publicity today.

Here's an article from "The Economist" on it:

http://www.economist.com/news/21603243-it-sounds-incredible-hurricanes-womens-names-kill-more-people-do-those-mens-deadlier

And here's one I was quoted in:

http://www.livescience.com/46044-hurricane-names-gender-bias-deaths.html

Replies

- LMS

6/4/2014, 5:18 PM

But what if the hurricane has a feminine sounding masculine name, a unisex name, or a masculine sounding feminine name?

Haha, it all just sounds ridiculous.

- mirfak +2

6/3/2014, 9:20 AM

Do you really take it that seriously? I don't. I agree with Hugh Gladwin, it's "not significant by itself, and only becomes so after a lot of statistical massaging."

The study of people's estimation of a hurricane's danger based only on the name is amusing, though, and IMO that could be a real effect. I just don't think it affects how damaging the storms actually end up being.

This message was edited 6/3/2014, 9:21 AM

- clevelandkentevans +1

6/3/2014, 11:55 AM

I'm sorry, I don't agree with Mr. Gladwin, because in his comments he doesn't seem to get that the weather bureau's designation of "male" vs. "female" is not the same thing as rated "masculinity" vs. "femininity". Masculine and Feminine are not the same concepts as Male and Female and I don't think using the latter is "statistical massaging" but in fact should lead to more accurate analysis of the issue of possible sexist bias.

- mirfak

6/4/2014, 9:34 AM

OK. I didn't read the studies so I don't know how they measured name gender, especially for the one about hypothetical evacuation. True that a person's perception of a name's gender relative to perception about its sex, is a different thing from a name's conventional sex. heh

I'm not sure it can really be called an issue of sexist (or racist) bias. Maybe just stereotyping bias, because assumptions about hurricane danger don't necessarily imply disrespectful behavior towards people.

Well, it's very interesting. Thanks for posting the link.

I'm curious - what advice did you give to the National Weather Service on naming hurricanes, to no avail?

- elbowin

6/3/2014, 12:02 AM

Wait for the next 10 hurricane seasons and the effect will be gone. It does not surprise me that this kind of study is published in "The Economist". IMO, it is not controversial, but simply spurious.

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