Women

Editor's note: This post begins with a section by Sharon Hodde Miller, followed by Caryn Rivadeneira and Rachel Marie Stone, then concluded by Sharon.

Swimsuit designer Jessica Rey's presentation "Evolution of the Swimsuit," given at the most recent Q conference, has certainly grabbed Christians' attention. In it, she traces the historical development of the itsy-bitsy bikinis that have gone from unthinkably scandalous to completely normalized in a matter of decades. Her presentation also addresses—though indirectly—the power of culture to shape our vision, particularly our view of the female body.

In her talk, Rey shares data from a neurological study of the male brain:

Brain scans revealed that when men are shown pictures of scantily clad women, the region of the brain associated with tools, such as screw drivers and hammers, lit up. Some men showed zero brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that lights up when one ponders another person's thoughts, feelings, and intentions.

These findings are significant, but they also beg an important question: Why do men perceive women's bodies this way? Scientific findings show that the brain is essentially plastic. It can be shaped and formed and changed by our environments. This means that not all neurological responses are hardwired. Some are conditioned.

In the case of women's bodies, it's very possible that men have been conditioned ...

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