I recognized that boys around me tend to read phylosophycal text and non-fiction while girls around me prefer novels and poetry... I myself do so (although I like some phylosophycal stuff every now and then)
did you realize simmilar tendencies?
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I recognized that boys around me tend to read phylosophycal text and non-fiction while girls around me prefer novels and poetry... I myself do so (although I like some phylosophycal stuff every now and then)
did you realize simmilar tendencies?
Better title would be Connection between Gender and Preferred Literature.
Most boys...and men... in my family don't read willingly at all. Though when they do it is mainly non fiction.
Do boys prefer to get their fiction/fantasy through computer games? My 13 year old nephew can't be prised away from them.
Just out of interest...why move bodies?
sex is correct. It refers to the biological male and female. While gender is the more sociological masculine and feminineQuote:
Originally Posted by Seasider
but to answer the OP. Yes, women like romance drivel and men like 2-fisted westerns :angel:
No it's something of gender, I think it would be incredibly difficult to attach anything to do with biological sex to literature preference.
Just historically, in the 18th century the novel was a genre that was considered feminine, while poetry was generally regarded as a male pursuit. Today, we look at lyric poetry as feminine and some novels as perhaps a more masculine pursuit. However, just in general women are more likely to read anything than men these days.
connection between sex and preferred literature
My initial thought was that this thread could be interesting. Is your preferred literature about sex? And I have long sworn by Yeats dictum that "sex and death" are the only subjects worthy of serious contemplation. But no such luck... the usual guys read adventure novels with lots of car chases and convoluted philosophy and women read romantic poetry (Man=culture/woman+ nature?) Unfortunately I actually prefer poetry myself... followed by short stories, essays, histories, and novels... I also like the opera, classical music, and even the ballet (at times). On the other hand, I like a strong Belgian ale or English stout, the Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, and Muddy Waters and paintings of "nekkid" ladies.:devil: (I even make 'em myself:ihih:)
Go figure.:shocked:
I think gender is the appropriate term in this case as the poster is enquiring about social rather than biological behaviour.Quote:
Originally Posted by keilj
And the angel icon is there to denote irony, I take it. Nice try, but I'm not convinced.
I find it quite hysterical that my own dearly beloved who is both biologically a male, and in most regards, physiologically a male as well, he is typically a guy guy, very masculine in many regards, but go figure he reads paranormal romances which I myself find loathsome. In fact though my own reading tastes are quite varied, romance of any kind (with the exception of some classical works) does not fit in anywhere.
Honestly I have always associated poetry as the male pursuit, and novels as the female pursuit.
The OP is from Germany. It seems for a lot of posts she makes people are nit-picking her grammar. Give her a break. We have other posters here who write grammatically non-sensical posts that don't get nearly the amount of grief she seems to be getting for something as trivial is interchangeable synonyms.
They aren't interchangeable synonyms though, sex and gender are different things. Conflating them is like saying that having a vagina should make you naturally want to wear a dress.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutatis-Mutandi
Sex is a biological state, which I would contend is not as clear cut as the male/female dichotomy anyway, since intersex children are occasionally born. Gender is the cultural and social constructs that are built up around biological sex. Conceptions of gender vary between cultures. They aren't all two gender systems either, several cultures have been documented with different conceptions of gender systems.
My point still stands. Cut her a break.
That is actually true to an extent, and the general belief until 1960 or so too. The genre of poetry has generally been associated with men, and read by men, whereas novels were read by women, and absorbed by women.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexander III
In Canada, all genres seem dominated by women, with perhaps drama as an exception (though drama is not a dominant genre in any regards). Novelists and poets are close to 50/50, with much of the great work being done by women.
In truth though, there has been some bad pressure on women poets to be "women poets" rather than "poets." That basically stunted growth in many poets, who were restricted to alienating male audiences, and limiting their scope - the female-academic readership shot its followers in the foot, when they realized such a thing cannot be sustained, and people do not want to read about such experience for a whole anthology. The trend is still echoing but we see more and more the removal of political-poetics in favor of a return to artistic poetics - that is probably why Atwood has stopped writing novels and poetry, for the simple fact that her traumatized woman bit has gotten old, and in a country like Canada which is close to equality (though with some unresolved issues detailing men's and women's rights) her rants about male abuse and violence, of male suppression and restriction of women have gotten old, and, quite simply, she has gotten old.
The trend applies similarly to novels, but that trend is different across countries. The problem though is, that marketing has also created a rift in novels - fantasy is marketed at males, romance at women, J. K. Rowling removes her first name from the book jacket of her book, and changes her protagonist to a male as a means of securing higher sales - the world of popular fiction is screwed up, because it is way too commercial. Promotion and sales pitches have too much control, and thus, steer readers and create imaginary genres and niches.
I believe this is true for the psychological distinction of men and women also.Quote:
Originally Posted by OrphanPip
On topic, I know more men who read poetry than women. On the whole, it seems there are more women than men who read at all.
I remember having come across an article once which stated that men are (unconsciously) tending towards using their visual sense whereas women are emphasizing their tactile and auditory senses (including every kinds of variation, of course). However, if true, it could be an explanation why men seem to prefer watching movies or playing video games.
While that is a valid argument and it is actually right at least in Anglosaxon criticism, for all we know, the OP might not know this and so knit picking like Mutatis-Mutandis says, is not exactly nice for anyone (I can testify). So, like MM has said, we should give her a break so that she may learn without being targeted, although it is probably in a nice way. I learned a tremendous amount just by reading other posts, my English was not even near to this a few years ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by OrphanPip
So just talk about 'gender' and stop talking about 'sex' in that context and he/she will learn without telling her what the difference is. Otherwise she can send some of us a message asking for clarification.
On topic :D:
There are probably exceptions to the rule, but probably overly romantic stuff is not going to appeal to the average man. Nor will action stuff without any purpose really appeal to the average woman, but I suppose that there are very few books of the extreme kind in the good section of lit. That said, though, there are whole target markets to certain genders: the chicklit genre as one of them. But then again classics will probably appeal to the two sexes as otherwise they would probably not have entered the canon. (apart from Austen, although I have known a few men who actually like it. It has probably rather to do with general impression than with genuine reading, though.)
Can't comment on poetry. I don't really choose to spend my time with it AND I'M A WOMAN! :D
Margaret Atwood is... Fellow of the Royal Society of CanadaQuote:
Originally Posted by JBI
winner of Arthur C.Clarke Award
winner of Prince of Asturias Award
winner of Booker Prize (and shortlisted 5 times)
winner of Governor General's Literary Award twice (runner up 5)
was made Companion of The Order of Canada
And that's just a selection.
I doubt she would have achieved all this if her oeuvre could be reduced to a traumatised woman's rants about male abuse and violence. Her politics include Green and Environmental issues and Animal Welfare.
What is described here as political- poetics has a long and honourable history including Chaucer,Dryden, Pope, Shelley and Byron and that's only English poetry. I suspect it is Atwood's feminism rather than her politics that is being targeted here. Her most recent work has covered environmental matters which concern young and old alike.