Sex, Lies and Statistics

One of the key battles in the gender wars has raged around the wisdom of collecting data on sex. Some argue that knowledge of one's biological sex is, in most situations, irrelevant and that self-reported gender identity holds most importance for understanding society. Others foresee harmful consequences in letting biological sex slip through the cracks and argue that in order to move towards a less misogynistic world, resisting the erasure of femaleness in statistics is paramount. Heated emotions have prevented balanced discussion from flourishing in the media and academia.

Sociologist Alice Sullivan explains why we are losing data on sex, and why we still need it as much as ever. She explains how even small numbers of people being misclassified according to their sex can lead to paradoxically large errors in data analysis. The differences between the sexes are a fundamentally important factor for analysis of demography, physical and mental health, crime, education, employment, religion, and social and political attitudes. And without accurate data on our society and institutions we risk entering a post-fact and post-truth world, where claims can no longer be tested against evidence. Without trusted data, democracies wilt, and conspiracy theories and cynicism thrive.

With lucidity and balance, Sullivan makes a calm case against sex denialism, but for the necessity of collecting data on both sex and gender identity. The world she envisages is one in which coming generations can draw on a bedrock of data which reflects our transforming society in all its turbulence, political diversity and optimism for a better future.