http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/ Dive into the awe-inspiring, beautiful and quirky world of science news with award-winning writer Ed Yong. No previous experience required. Sat, 26 May 2012 10:52:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5050 viking Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:28:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5050 A sample consisting of only factory workers seems inherently biased. This was well before the days of equal opportunity employment and if the postulate "left-handers had visible trouble with operating large and heavy machinery that were almost certainly designed for right-handers" holds true, wouldn't left-handers have been less likely to be working in a factory? A sample consisting of only factory workers seems inherently biased. This was well before the days of equal opportunity employment and if the postulate “left-handers had visible trouble with operating large and heavy machinery that were almost certainly designed for right-handers” holds true, wouldn’t left-handers have been less likely to be working in a factory?

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5049 Gray Gaffer Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:30:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5049 As another leftie, moreover one who was in kindergarten in 1950 (at 3yrs old) in the UK, I have to report I was quite intensely worked on to 'cure' my left-handedness. Techniques included rapping my knuckles with the edge of a ruler. Fortunately for my sanity, they were not completely successful. Writing remained leftie, because I could not stop writing mirrored text with my right hand. They eventually gave up on that. But table manners! Oy Veh! A gentleman _never_ uses the knife in his left hand! So I am still either confused or somewhat ambidextrous in most things other than writing. And I wave with my right hand because of it. Which is to say, there was a social stigma associated with being a leftie well into the 50's in the UK. And I would surmise it started in the Victorian days, along with such woo as Phrenology, when behavioral conditioning to a norm became the Thing to Do with the kids. I guess it was confused with upward mobility possibilities. Left was not fashionable. it was, indeed, "sinister". Social conditioning was rampant and mostly successful until relatively recently. I posit it plays a much larger part than genetics in the evidence for lower left-handedness rates at the end of the Victorian era. I am in fact somewhat surprised that non-social causes are considered quite so strongly in the report. As another leftie, moreover one who was in kindergarten in 1950 (at 3yrs old) in the UK, I have to report I was quite intensely worked on to ‘cure’ my left-handedness. Techniques included rapping my knuckles with the edge of a ruler. Fortunately for my sanity, they were not completely successful. Writing remained leftie, because I could not stop writing mirrored text with my right hand. They eventually gave up on that. But table manners! Oy Veh! A gentleman _never_ uses the knife in his left hand! So I am still either confused or somewhat ambidextrous in most things other than writing. And I wave with my right hand because of it.
Which is to say, there was a social stigma associated with being a leftie well into the 50′s in the UK. And I would surmise it started in the Victorian days, along with such woo as Phrenology, when behavioral conditioning to a norm became the Thing to Do with the kids. I guess it was confused with upward mobility possibilities. Left was not fashionable. it was, indeed, “sinister”.
Social conditioning was rampant and mostly successful until relatively recently. I posit it plays a much larger part than genetics in the evidence for lower left-handedness rates at the end of the Victorian era. I am in fact somewhat surprised that non-social causes are considered quite so strongly in the report.

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5048 fusilier Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:10:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5048 I'm right handed, and I tend to carry things like a briefcase or a lunch bag, in my right hand. Therefore I would wave with my free, or left, hand. I speculate that would be the case whether my dominance is innate (it is) or forced, as it was on my elementary-school friends. fusilier James 2:24 I’m right handed, and I tend to carry things like a briefcase or a lunch bag, in my right hand. Therefore I would wave with my free, or left, hand. I speculate that would be the case whether my dominance is innate (it is) or forced, as it was on my elementary-school friends.
fusilier
James 2:24

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5047 Anon Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:12:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5047 I'm sure that has everything to do with parents forcing left-handed children to be right-handed. It wasn't that uncommon of a practice years ago, due to the negative stigma attached to left-handedness. I think it's a little silly to judge handedness by how people wave, though. I’m sure that has everything to do with parents forcing left-handed children to be right-handed. It wasn’t that uncommon of a practice years ago, due to the negative stigma attached to left-handedness.
I think it’s a little silly to judge handedness by how people wave, though.

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5046 jarvina Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:39:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5046 I have to agree with Alice - I'm left-handed, and I would not be biased in which hand I would wave with. (For instance, I'm right-handed in my use of computer mouse. It started out as convienience when using shared computers, but I prefer it that way as it leaves my dominant hand to do other things. I would also argue that left-handers are better at ambidextrous activities) This interview reminded me of the follow-up studies examining which side mothers hold their newborns on - it was found that the majority of both left- and right-handed mothers held their infants on the left, but gave different reasons as to why (can't find the reference - bother! - but it was along the lines of left-handers saying "it's my dominant hand" and right-handers saying that it left their right hand free). I have to agree with Alice – I’m left-handed, and I would not be biased in which hand I would wave with. (For instance, I’m right-handed in my use of computer mouse. It started out as convienience when using shared computers, but I prefer it that way as it leaves my dominant hand to do other things. I would also argue that left-handers are better at ambidextrous activities)
This interview reminded me of the follow-up studies examining which side mothers hold their newborns on – it was found that the majority of both left- and right-handed mothers held their infants on the left, but gave different reasons as to why (can’t find the reference – bother! – but it was along the lines of left-handers saying “it’s my dominant hand” and right-handers saying that it left their right hand free).

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5045 oregonbird Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:52:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5045 Congratulations. You've overlooked entirely the educational system of Britain. In which violence and intimidation was used to promote right-handedness. Perhaps you've run into the word 'sinister'? The etemology can be traced to -- gasp -- left-handedness. My great-grandfather, grandfather and mother were all left-handed -- to begin with. Irish educators were even more devotely dedicated to removing this devilish trrait than their British contemporaries. So -- continue your study, and present us with your "findings". But for all our sakes, don't look to your left! Congratulations. You’ve overlooked entirely the educational system of Britain. In which violence and intimidation was used to promote right-handedness. Perhaps you’ve run into the word ‘sinister’? The etemology can be traced to — gasp — left-handedness. My great-grandfather, grandfather and mother were all left-handed — to begin with. Irish educators were even more devotely dedicated to removing this devilish trrait than their British contemporaries.
So — continue your study, and present us with your “findings”. But for all our sakes, don’t look to your left!

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5044 Alice Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:39:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5044 i am left handed and i wave with my right hand. I don't think i could wave with me left hand. i am left handed and i wave with my right hand. I don’t think i could wave with me left hand.

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5043 llewelly Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:32:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5043 Uh, hand-waving is a social communication. The idea that it wouldn't be socially regulated is ridiculous. Uh, hand-waving is a social communication. The idea that it wouldn’t be socially regulated is ridiculous.

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/comment-page-1/#comment-5042 Ian Tindale Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:09:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/08/31/the-fall-and-rise-of-lefties-in-victorian-england/#comment-5042 Although I'm (very) left handed myself, I'm not sure this is an accurate hypothesis. I would also interject that there is a temporal gradient of 'manners' at work here, in that there could quite possibly be an adopted mannerism of waving in a formalised manner, even though it seems an unconscious activity. Consider a salute. The closest I've ever been to the military is the Boy's Brigade as a young youth. We had to do this stupid saluting nonsense. My first attempt at mimicking what they were teaching me were apparently wrong. They were using a different hand. Idiots. Soon, I had to as well, which felt wrong. Now, of course, I know it's wrong, but that's what I had to do. Now, if I had to salute someone I might not just use my left hand, I might use the other one instead due to indoctrination. This might also have been prevalent at the time of the study sample, and more so among the younger recruits, too. After all, it was around that time that the idea of going off and fighting for a cause or the country you were accidentally born in was associated with ideas of valour and service and adventure. Exactly the opposite that most people coming out of the tail end of the 'great' war were to later imbue to our pre-beatnik society of free thinkers, but there you are - those were the assumed values at the time. Talking of manners, it's a thing that I'm noticing in films across the generations. I wear a hat. Am I the only one in London to wear a hat? No, there's lots of others. But with wearing a hat there should be hat wearing etiquette, which is essentially lost. Yes, anyone can wear a fedora or a trilby today, but will they lift it up when they are in the presence of a woman? Will they take it off indoors? These mannerisms are a marker of a sharp divide of actual indoctrination pertinent to particular times. I suspect there's some of that at work here. Although I’m (very) left handed myself, I’m not sure this is an accurate hypothesis. I would also interject that there is a temporal gradient of ‘manners’ at work here, in that there could quite possibly be an adopted mannerism of waving in a formalised manner, even though it seems an unconscious activity.
Consider a salute. The closest I’ve ever been to the military is the Boy’s Brigade as a young youth. We had to do this stupid saluting nonsense. My first attempt at mimicking what they were teaching me were apparently wrong. They were using a different hand. Idiots. Soon, I had to as well, which felt wrong. Now, of course, I know it’s wrong, but that’s what I had to do. Now, if I had to salute someone I might not just use my left hand, I might use the other one instead due to indoctrination.
This might also have been prevalent at the time of the study sample, and more so among the younger recruits, too. After all, it was around that time that the idea of going off and fighting for a cause or the country you were accidentally born in was associated with ideas of valour and service and adventure. Exactly the opposite that most people coming out of the tail end of the ‘great’ war were to later imbue to our pre-beatnik society of free thinkers, but there you are – those were the assumed values at the time.
Talking of manners, it’s a thing that I’m noticing in films across the generations. I wear a hat. Am I the only one in London to wear a hat? No, there’s lots of others. But with wearing a hat there should be hat wearing etiquette, which is essentially lost. Yes, anyone can wear a fedora or a trilby today, but will they lift it up when they are in the presence of a woman? Will they take it off indoors? These mannerisms are a marker of a sharp divide of actual indoctrination pertinent to particular times. I suspect there’s some of that at work here.

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