The article Sex differences in learning in chimpanzeez, a study which was conducted at Gombe National Park in Tanzania, talks about young female and male chimpanzees both learn the art of termite fishing from their mothers. It also talks about how female chimpanzees learn earlier, spend extra time at it and have the tendency to catch more termites with each attempt than young male chimpanzees. This paper will consist of critical questions as it relates to this article in an attempt to learn potential weak points in the writer’s arguments and make personal choices about what to accept and reject in the reader’s point of view.
The first critical question that Browne and Keeley talked about is “What are the issue and the conclusion?” (pg 20). Browne and Keeley states that, “An issue is a question or controversy responsible for the discussion. It is the stimulus for what is being said” (pg 20). There are two kinds of issues which are Descriptive and Prescriptive issues. Browne and Keeley states, “ Descriptive issues are those that raise questions about the accuracy of descriptions of the past, present, or future” and “Prescriptive issues are those that raise questions about what we should do or what is right and wrong, good or bad” (pg 20-21). To relate this first critical question to the article, the issues that are being brought up by the writer are “Do young females quickly learn than young males in both human children and chimpanzees?” This particular issue is a descriptive issue for it requires answer trying to illustrate the way the world was, is, or is going to be. It reveals our interest about patterns or order in the world. Browne and Keeley also talks about conclusion and states that,“ A conclusion is the message that the speaker or writer wishes you to accept” (pg 22). In this article, the messages that the writer wishes for the readers to accept are “Female chimpanzees begin fishing for termites at a younger age than male chimpanzees; Females are...