Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!jarthur!ucivax!gateway
From: jeffb.bbs@shark.cs.fau.EDU (Jeffrey Boser)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: opportunities
Message-ID: <0FDe24w163w@shark.cs.fau.edu>
Date: 7 May 91 17:37:55 GMT
References: <1991May1.175906.5106@isc.rit.edu>
Organization: Florida Atlantic University
Lines: 53
Approved: tittle@ics.uci.edu
Nntp-Posting-Host: blanche.ics.uci.edu

pad6516@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (DANN, PA) writes:

[part of quotes deleted for brevity]
> 	Is anyone familiar with Romantic and Classic ways of thinking?
> Well females tend to think romantically and males classically. A classic
> way of thinking is how a male looks at the beauty of a car. The engine and
> its parts, what makes it go fast, its pistons, and spark plugs, and fuel
> injection. While a female looks at the color and the interior and whether
> it matches. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with that,
> so don't get pissed! I think we all could benefit if males and females could
> have a mix of both. But of course this way of thinking is a result of
> upbringing from childhood, because I am sure we all know women who are into
> the workings of cars and males that are interior decorators. I am speaking
> as a wholeAnd vice versa. Women are generally not into that. Well I suspect
> that I will get killed for my ideas on the subject but I would like to
> know what other people think. Please do not tell me I am wrong because
> everyonge is entitled to there opinion and I would like to hear other
> peoples opinions! In fact to all you feminists out there I think the
> socitey could benefit greatly if men would let women get more involved
> in it. It is changing but it takes time!

I think your ideas have possibilities, and it is not my intention to
flame them.  I would like to offer an alternative: that men and women
function differently mentaly.  I am not saying a huge difference, but
even a 5% difference over so huge a time scale can be overwhelming.

Like the original posting, these are indicators of general patterns:

The sci-fi/fantasy field tends to be dominated by women.  Which is
weird, as there are women in it, the oportunities exist, but few women
are major players in the field.  Every single woman I know does not
like to read it as a general rule, while many men I know live on the
stuff.

When men talk about sex, the majority of it is vague, leaving much to
the imagination, hinting and indicating.  I have listened to women
talk about sex, and the majority of it is detailed, leaving little to
the imagination.

A man gets revenge, a woman hates...

I realize that these might be exaggerations, but I think that men and
women handle abstractions and symbols differently.  I think that
oppression does not explain the huge dominence that men have in some
fields...  it might have encouraged it, but I do not think it is the
whole answer...  It might have to do with their raising, but then
again, it might only have encouraged it.


.....jeff
jeffb.bbs@shark.cs.fau.edu
"Make something an idiot can use, and only an idiot will use it" -RAH
  Like a Bible, maybe?