Rethinking Feminism and Gender Through Evolutionary Science with Marc Defant

    In this week’s episode, Jennifer welcomes Professor Marc Defant from the University of South Florida. Marc is a renowned geology and geochemistry professor specializing in the study of volcanoes, the geochemistry of volcanic rocks, and mantle processes. With decades of experience researching volcanoes worldwide—including Russia—Marc has recently explored the intersection of evolutionary psychology and feminist studies. He is the author of the peer-reviewed paper, "Evolutionary Psychology and the Crisis of Empirical Rigor," which challenges mainstream academic views on social construction, feminism, and scientific rigor in sociocultural discourse.   Jennifer and Marc dig into the controversial relationship between evolutionary psychology and modern feminist theories. Marc shares his perspective on how biological evolution shaped human social structures, including the origins of patriarchy, mate selection criteria, and gender dynamics both in ancestral and contemporary societies. They discuss the clash between scientific rigor and politically motivated ideologies within academic feminist studies, particularly around issues like social construction, beauty, health, and fat studies. The episode also explores societal trends like the impact of "safe at any size" movements, generational shifts in health and education, and Marc’s critique of wokeism and its ties to gender representation in professional fields. This conversation is packed with candid observations, scientific reasoning, and reflections on how political culture often overshadows empirical evidence in academia.   "One thing a lot of women don't realize is back in a hunter gather society,  you were either breastfeeding a baby, lactating, or having another child. They stayed pregnant until they couldn't have children anymore. So that's created a society that we have today where men are in leadership roles."  ~Marc Defant   This week on Political Contessa: The evolutionary psychology behind patriarchy and gender-based social roles Issues of empirical rigor in feminist studies and social construction theory How societal expectations about beauty and health intersect with biology Discussion of “safe at any size” and health implications for younger generations Contrast between male and female approaches to competition and leadership The impact of generational upbringing, career shifts, and family structures on women’s choices Wokeism, gender dominance in professional fields, and freedom of speech Insights on mate selection and resource investment across cultures   Connect with Marc Defant: Website: https://www.marcdefant.com University of South Florida Faculty Profile: https://usf.academia.edu/MarcDefant ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marc-Defant Peer-reviewed paper: "Evolutionary Psychology and the Crisis of Empirical Rigor" (contact Marc for access) Resources Mentioned: Robert Wright’s "The Moral Animal"  Helen Andrews’ essay “The Great Feminization” for Compact Magazine  Corey Clark’s research on polling and gender differences in views on free speech   Awaken Your Inner Political Contessa   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Political Contessa. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Spotify I Stitcher I Apple Podcasts I iHeart Radio I TuneIn I Google Podcasts   Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media. And if you’ve ever considered running for office – or know a woman who should – head over to politicalcontessa.com to grab my quick guide, Secrets from the Campaign Trail. It will show you five signs to tell you you’re ready to enter the political arena.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.