Hey guys,

I'm working on yet another research project and I need help.

What do you guys believe makes a woman a "woman"?

Is it simply gender?


What does it mean to be a woman?

What do women here like about being a woman?

What is it you don't like?

What do men view as female characteristics?

What is men don't like about women?


If anyone is willing to participate in a survey, I'd appreciate that as well.

I'll take your surevy, Ivy!

And I'll be back to answer this when I've got a bit more time...

I'll do the survey ...

Vendetta1 said:

[Edited 1/7/10 7:27am]

Vendetta1 said:

[Edited 1/7/10 7:35am]

BklynBabe said:[quote]

Vendetta1 said:

ditto

How timely. I got in a big debate about just this last night with my wife and a friend of ours.

I'll try to add my in a bit, Ivy.

Vendetta1 said:

That's all I got on short, pre-breakfast notice...

Vendetta1 said:

Sure, I'd take the survey!
come on ladies! be proud of your womenhood!

Thank you all so much. I will use the posts from here and Facebook to develop the survey and send it out on Saturday.

You guys are awesome.

What do you guys believe makes a woman a "woman"?

Is it simply gender?
No. If a person feels they are a woman they ARE one. It's the mind thing

What does it mean to be a woman?
(do you mean woman as opposed to girl or just "female"?)
This one is hard!!! Can have babies. Feminine as opposed to masculine, being strong, having incredible stamina, tolerance, being allowed to look nice, being expected to make an effort on appearance, youth more important than wisdom and experience, a LOT of emphasis on appearance, supposedly being so lucky because we can get sex whenever we want. Can like pink no questions asked. I'm not sure I know what the essence of it is, don't think it's any one thing.

What do women here like about being a woman?
I like most things. I like not having a beard or being hairy. I like that no matter how much I love, I won't ever run out I like being able to communicate very well verbally. I like boobies. I like that I don't have to "compete" the way men seem to have to.

What is it you don't like?
Probably the only thing attitudes towards me because I am female, ie.wolf-whistles, harassment or not being spoken to - ie. camera or computer salespeople talking automatically to my male companion (despite him knowing fuck all)
I don't like that orgasm seems less easy to achieve than it is for a man.
I don't like heavy periods

What do men view as female characteristics?
negative - physical weakness, give up too easily, dependent, having low standards, inability to make good choices, indecisiveness, insecurity,
positive - strength (childbirth), fiercely loving, ready to die for their children, forgiving, diplomacy, beauty, memory like elephants, holding it all together, supportive, giving

What is men don't like about women?
I truly believe in the natural order of things men wish to differentiate themselves from women. Being a man in many ways simply being in NO WAY LIKE A WOMAN. A friend of mine said that young men don't have enough positive male traits/characteristics shown to them by grown men to emulate, and growing up simply reject those that they see in women (their mothers, sisters, teachers etc) Men hate women because they feel emasculated by them - in many many different ways, they feel that women can control them (through base natural urges) against their will.

Vendetta1 said:

I'll take the survey, yeah.

I've thought a lot about this stuff, and honestly, I don't know. I know that I'm a woman, and I don't really know how I know. I'm not a typical woman, I identify strongly with men, I don't even understand women. . . but I've never doubted that I am one.

It's not just an imposed social thing, or a genitalia/hormone thing, because trans people are subject to all of that and still recognize their true gender.

I think that aspects of whatever it is to be female (or male) have been deeply woven into all of our cultures, and we are able to recognize ourselves (or not) in our cultural understanding of gender. I think stronger capacity for verbal communication is in there somewhere. Social intuition. Multitasking. Caregiving. Subtle, and not universal, but there is something to these tendencies.


There's not much that I like about being a woman. I don't hate being a woman, but if I were to wake up male tomorrow, I don't feel like I'd miss much about being female. I guess I like the female body better in some ways. It's prettier. I think women in my culture are a little bit more free to express gender and sexuality variability than men are. That's a good thing. Along with that, my "normal" fashion options are more varied (meaning, if I were a guy, wearing eyeliner or heels to work might be a problem).

There's plenty that I don't like, most of it wrapped up in imposed body image crap. I feel like I'm judged more harshly for my looks, and physical imperfections, than I would be if I were a man. The assumptions faced by a fat woman are much harsher than those faced by a fat man, imho. I'm not demure about my sexuality -- or anything else -- and I get judged and stereotyped for that as a woman. I don't like the assumptions about what I seek in a partner, or about what my bisexuality entails. Basically, I reject about 90% of what my culture expects from me as a female, and I catch shit for that. Also, I'm a little bummed about not having a cock, cuz those things are neato.

I don't really know what men think about women. I don't think men, especially men my age, are monolithic about that. Most of my male friends are gay, and I think that changes things...I feel like gay men are somewhat more likely to take individual women at face value than straight guys are. I do think that they mostly find us to be confusing, as they should. You can't imagine what it's like to have your personality linked to a monthly hormone cycle until you've experienced it. I can't blame guys for thinking women are a little bit psycho, on balance. Most of the men I've known well have more love and admiration for women than I do, though.