| Are men and women different in their tastes of | | | | anything that you wish to include. You should |
| how to spend free time? Are teenagers | | | | create a good mix of so called male and female |
| different? Here's some background information | | | | oriented diversions. |
| that could be an interesting science fair project to | | | | It would be helpful to have as many as twenty |
| help you find out. If you are not interested in | | | | people on your list, making certain that you have |
| doing a project, you could do this experiment for | | | | a representative number of people of different |
| the fun of it. | | | | genders and age groups. Prepare your |
| Let's begin with some preconceived notions of | | | | questionnaire and ask them to rate what they like |
| what we think men and boys like to do. Sporting | | | | on a scale of one to five, with one being |
| events of all kinds; car racing, football, baseball, | | | | something they really like, and five being |
| basketball, hockey and wrestling would be among | | | | something they never do. |
| the favorites. Men like to male bond doing things | | | | We all know that Mohammed Ali was one of the |
| like hunting, fishing, camping, playing golf, playing | | | | greatest fighters of all time, but how many of us |
| cards and other forms of gambling. | | | | realize that his daughter was also a highly rated, |
| Some stereotypical diversions for girls and | | | | first class prizefighter. Women play in the men's |
| women might include visiting art galleries, spending | | | | golf tour. Michelle Wie does it all the time and |
| time with book clubs, shopping and window | | | | even the best women's golfer of our time, Annika |
| shopping, charitable work and child care. | | | | Sorenstam has played in the men's tour. |
| These gender-related avocations may seem a bit | | | | We have women soldiers and women sailers and |
| medieval and chauvinistic. Or are they? We will | | | | women marines. We have men who are nurses. |
| find out with an experiment to learn the truth. | | | | At one time, no so long ago, it was believed that |
| Gather a list of all of the friends and family that | | | | the nursing profession which is based on giving |
| you think would enjoy participating in the | | | | care to the sick and elderly was only for women, |
| experiment. If you are doing a science fair | | | | but not so. Men make very good nurses. |
| project, make sure you quantify all of your data | | | | How many other professions can you think of |
| to make your presentation. Get a good mix of | | | | that were once only for men and now attract |
| men and women, boy and girls. The more the | | | | many women, and how many other which were |
| merrier. | | | | once only for women now attract men? We may |
| Structure a questionnaire listing activities like those | | | | some day shortly have a woman president. At |
| mentioned above and add as many different | | | | one time there were only men in the House of |
| activities that you can think of. If you wish to | | | | Representatives and in the Senate, but now there |
| focus on high school students, for example, you | | | | are many women. We also have men who are |
| may wish to include items like school social | | | | among the best hair dressers, and clothing |
| activities, school trips, athletic events, dances, | | | | designers. |
| lectures, seminars, field trips, after-school | | | | After you have finished your experiment, gather |
| activities, home work and so on. | | | | the finished data, reduce the figures, and come up |
| If you are working with adults, you might include | | | | with your answers. What have you found? Where |
| luncheon meetings, parent-teacher activities, going | | | | your preconceived notions borne out? Or where |
| to the playground with your children, and most | | | | you surprised with the results? |