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Do we need a Men's Lounge for discussion of all things bearded and rugged?

 
TouchDown said:
I cannot participate in train discussions, I never had one or really wanted one. It was fun to see model trains when I visited places when I was younger.
I always had racetracks instead of trains. The smell of those little cars warming up and the sound they made going around the tracks. My brother and I would tear them apart and try to reassemble in different configurations to see which setup would be the fastest / tires / body style / etc.

That was fun. We took that track apart and back together so many times we wore out the electrical connections and eventually only ended up with just enough to make a small oval at the end before I think they all got pitched...

Any of you girls have racetracks or enjoy gocarts / etc?
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Nope, not into dirt bikes or anything of the sort. Some of my hobbies are stereotypically female - knitting, reading, organic vegetable gardening. We do a lot of DIY projects, too. I belong to a book club. My husband and I run together for exercise, and we like to go hiking with our dog. I'm big into knitting, though. A surprising number of engineers knit...on Ravelry there's a whole group of us!

I deal with enough machinery at work every day. When I'm away from the office I need other outlets where I don't have to tinker with things!

VTEnviro said:
I like football and porno and books about war...
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Do you have an average house with a nice hardwood floor?

 
Also - about SWE, I don't like the idea of excluding men (yeah, I know men are invited and welcome, but the name suggests otherwise). There's no SME, that would be wrong, so why is it OK to have SWE?

Personally I get a lot more useful knowledge out of IEEE.

However, although not a member, I do volunteer for some of the SWE events that I feel are important. They hold a few each year that introduce middle- and high-school girls to engineering thru workshops and activities. When I was young, nobody told me I could be an engineer so I never thought about it. I want that not to happen to other girls ;)

 
SparksFlying said:
Motorcycles! This is my current baby....Triumph Speed Triple. Super fun!
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I'm not a huge motorcycle guy. I had a few dirt bikes when I was a teenager... and my wife won't "let" me have one now - especially since I've had 2 moron cousins killed on bikes, doesn't help the argument for one.

I had to go look up on Wiki the Speed Triple. I found this interesting:

A jet black Speed Triple can be seen in the 1999 movie The Matrix; it is the bike used by Trinity as she witnesses Neo's arrest by agents outside of his office building.
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That bike looks fun. Where I'm at the weather is supposed to be fantastic this weekend, almost perfect for a bike ride. Hope it's the same where you're at.

 
SparksFlying said:
Also - about SWE, I don't like the idea of excluding men (yeah, I know men are invited and welcome, but the name suggests otherwise). There's no SME, that would be wrong, so why is it OK to have SWE? Personally I get a lot more useful knowledge out of IEEE.

However, although not a member, I do volunteer for some of the SWE events that I feel are important. They hold a few each year that introduce middle- and high-school girls to engineering thru workshops and activities. When I was young, nobody told me I could be an engineer so I never thought about it. I want that not to happen to other girls ;)
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I think gathering groups for minorities are more widely accepted, because the smaller groups have more to benefit from the meetings and discussion. There just aren't a high percentage of women engineers, so it's trying to improve communication / understanding / etc, just like the activities you've participated in. Those are great to help people "get the picture".

I'm glad that these groups exist - for one, I have daughters at home that I want to grow up knowing they can be ANYTHING they want to be, and groups like this are trying to overcome decades of prejudice and stupid generalizations.

There's a Society of Black Engineers, but I don't see a need for a Society of White Engineers...

 
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Why are women encouraged to participate in masculine hobbies and wear masculine clothes but not the converse?

Why the societal check?

PS. My campus has a society of Hispanic engineers and a society of Indian Engineers.

 
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SparksFlying said:
Also - about SWE, I don't like the idea of excluding men (yeah, I know men are invited and welcome, but the name suggests otherwise). There's no SME, that would be wrong, so why is it OK to have SWE? Personally I get a lot more useful knowledge out of IEEE.

However, although not a member, I do volunteer for some of the SWE events that I feel are important. They hold a few each year that introduce middle- and high-school girls to engineering thru workshops and activities. When I was young, nobody told me I could be an engineer so I never thought about it. I want that not to happen to other girls ;)
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we actually had a guy that was more active in SWE than a good portion of the female members.

 
MGX said:
Why are women encouraged to participate in masculine hobbies and wear masculine clothes but not the converse?
Why the societal check?

PS. My campus has a society of Hispanic engineers and a society of Indian Engineers.
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unless your scottish the kilts all around

 
I don't really want anything to change - I like my double standards as they are.

None have been able to provide a sufficient apologetic to explain the phenomenon.

 
I think because a lot of men things are attributed to intelligence and work and whatnot, while women's skills don't have similar ranking. A girl rebuilding an engine can be an engineer someday, while a boy who cleans like a bat outta hell is going to be a maid. "Women's work" still isn't held in very high regard, so there's no reason to encourage it.

Plus most me are afraid they'll be called :ghey: We even have an emoticon for it.

 
MGX said:
I don't really want anything to change - I like my double standards as they are.
None have been able to provide a sufficient apologetic to explain the phenomenon.
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To be fair, some careers such as nursing are now actively encouraging more men to join their ranks. One of my brothers-in-law is a new RN.

Traditionally, 'womens' careers' are not seen as worthy as 'men's careers'. As csb says, men might be loathe to admit that they've taken up needlepoint since society has taught them to be afraid of 'catching teh gay'. It seems to me that it's changing (for the better).

One of the good things, I think, to come out of the womens' movement has been this broadening of minds to encourage men to show their feelings, consider nursing or other traditional female roles, etc.

It's kind of like this idea that the choice to be a 'stay at home mom' is just as valid as the choice to pursue a career. People deserve the freedom to decide what they want to do; and one path is not better than another; rather, the path which suits the woman and her family is the best. Similarly, traditional male pursuits are just as groovy for guys as non-traditional pursuits. It's all good IMO.

The worth of a person is so much more than just their gender. I love men and wouldn't trade my hubby or sons for anything on the planet. They are not one-dimensional people; they have many varied interests, some manly and some not-so-manly. I'm down with all that. :)

 

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