Version vom 24. Februar 2010, 22:32 Uhr

Men and Women - basically different

Vocabulary

What women (in this English LK) think ...

What do men expect of women? - We should be…

• beautiful and sexy
• able to cook well
• innocent
• harmonious
• exciting

What is typical of men?

• They aren’t multitasking
• They don’t understand what we say because they don’t listen
• They are unreliable
• They want to protect us
• They think they are better car drivers
• They are spontaneous because they don’t make plans
• They always want to watch sports on TV
• They love to drink (beer)
• They hate to go shopping
• They are not romantic
• They are childish
• They always think about sex

What men (in this English LK) think

Expectations women have: We should

• be faithful,
• be romantic
• be creative, smart
• be funny
• be good lovers
• earn much money
• spend a lot of time with them
• treat them well
• make them compliments
• be honest
• support them in their plans and moods
• listen to them
• help them to fulfill their dreams

Typical of women

• love to go shopping
• buying shoes
• talk badly about other women
• are ambitious
• cook , always clean flat/house
• constantly criticize men
• can`t handle a car
• are too proud
• always make men feel guilty
• use sex strike … :( and tears as weapons
• call their mothers if there are problems
• spend a lot of time in the bathroom

A traditional - and new - thesis: Men and Woman are VERY different

• Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

1. Read the short wikipedia article and describe the main ideas in your own words! (==> on your user page in this wiki)
2. Explain the images/connotations Gray uses in his thesis "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"

Articles/Videos supportig this theory:

• Men and Women - Different Brains (Molly Edmonds)

How can the differences between men and women be explained?

• Videos on differences between men's and women's brains

• different basic instincts because of evolution from stoneage: hunters and gatherers
• education of boys and girls especially parents
• society influences our behaviour
• development in different countries
• friends reaction to what you do
• media e.g. reality TV,role models (stars,celebrities), music TV
• school: different reactions to boys/girls behaviour; older pupils

What neuroscience has found out: different, but this needn't be a problem

• men's brains are bigger ==> men are cleverer ??
• men's brains contain more gray matter
• men's part of the brain which controls sexual and social behaviour is bigger
• men mainly use one side to complete tasks

• women's brains work faster because they contain more white matter
• white matter contains more neurons and connections
• women use two halfs of their brain, which are better connected
• women usually score better at language and communication tests

So women and men think differently, but often come to the same results

Reasons for differences:

• evolution?
• society influences boys' and girls' brains in different ways
• attitudes are passed on e.g. from mothers to daughters
• certain areas of the brain are neglected
• for boys e.g. spacial perception is trained by playing football, baseball ...

==> brains are shaped by society and peergroup

Men and Women - born and to be seen as equal?

An answer many psychologists and feminists give: They are quite similar and to be seen as equal ....

Sex-Stereotypes and how they work .... how are we turned into "real" boys/men asnd girls/women?

How are we turned into real boys or girls? Who is responsible?

Influences/ways of influencing boys or girls: