why only women mostly do these things? what do men do?

I suspect it’s more a need to know sort of thing. Men will learn new things as and when they need to rather than for fun.

My experience is more varied.

Language evening classes (have done several in 2 different cities) - all have been roughly equal men/women.

Salsa - I'd say also around 50/50.

Weekend walking group - not sure of ratio but plenty of men and women.

Circuits gym class - mostly men

Pilates evening class - one man, 11 women

I will go to a pub on my own, although I have been to one or two where it just did not work. However, I always have my phone or a book and will never talk to strange men in case it's misunderstood so I'm totally missing out on the socialising opportunities.

Well if you have a four voice choir, you will need it to be about 50-50 so that might be managed by those in charge, rather than reflecting the interest.

And you and your brother are the only people in the world?

I used to be into poker. Almost entirely men but also very social, there is plenty of time to chat while playing. It's a highly competitive game and maybe that puts off a lot of women? Or maybe it's the myth that it's all smoky clubs and gangsters. When I was single poker clubs made dating apps unnecessary. 😂

I'm also a member of a writing critique group which is about 60-70% male. Yet most styles of writing group are 90% female. I think it might be something to do with women being more nervous about giving opinions about other's work, or taking feedback on their own? (It is a bit scary.) Most writing groups are more low stakes and you don't need to share work, or on the rare occasions you read something out people tell you it's wonderful!

That’s cracked me up 😂

Any chance that is because they are… courses? 🤔

I’m the type to not read instructions - maybe skim read if essential and just figure it out and when you said courses, it sounded off putting. - I would do a language course though, that’s different 😅.

I find the theory put forth by two posters interesting re men just going for it as being evolutionary.

Not in my village. Or my local market town. Church choir is half men and half women, market town choir is 60% women, and 40% men.

Choirs are mainly women.

The men are all cycling.

I'm not sure I buy that it's an innate gender difference. The last time I joined a "random" class that wasn't one of my interests already, it was a street dance class - definitely about 50/50 in the beginners' group. When I play tennis, there are always group social lessons taking place on the courts next to me that seem fairly evenly balanced.

I do wonder whether it's connected to who maintains their hobbies through their 30s and 40s. MN seems full of women who dropped their hobbies when they had kids, or never had any in the first place. They're the perfect demographic for taking up something new in their 50s and beyond. Meanwhile most men know what they like to do by their 30s and by and large stick at it, unless there's a specific self-improvement angle like getting fit, getting better at cooking etc.

It’s a shame Maplin has gone. That’s used to be jammed full of men, like a city centre man warehouse. All of them looking at wire and resistors.

That's not my experience. I have done languages, sewing, knitting, art and jewellery making short courses at different institutions. The only courses with majority women were knitting and sewing, but there were men on both.
I wasn't doing any of the courses to meet a man as I'm happily married, but the bonus is I've made some lovely friends who I keep in touch with.

Maybe motorbikes, bike & accessory shops are full of men at weekend and bikers congregate outside a country pub near me every weekends spring and summer. Probably 90% men plus! But I'd be out of my depth with motorbikes 😂

Your local chess club will be 99.9% men, but chess isn't the most social activity, and clubs are for playing, not teaching.

I think men will often decide to do something because they want to for a particular reason ( say cycling to get fit or whatever) whereas women may prefer the social side .They may work long hours in their jobs ,more women still work PT hours than men I expect

I joined a beginners pickleball course in January. The split is about 55% female 45% male. DH's response was 'you joined a class where you know no-one?'. Well yes, that's how exercise classes often go.

Totally agree. I'm at a stage where I'd like to meet someone new, not in bars etc as I don't have childcare, and have found the same.

Join a walking club, someone advised! So I did, and there are some men there, but they are all 60's, 70's plus, as are most of the women there. Nothing wrong with that, I have older friends, but no good for broadening horizons to potentially date.

Maybe the men's wives don't let them go to events with so many women ... [/sarcasm ends].

Wrong type of courses! I’m doing engineering based courses and skills and it’s easily 10:1 men - women. It doesn’t matter if it’s an accredited course or leisure course though.

I’m surrounded by blokes but this isn’t the place to meet for dates. I’m here to learn how to make cool stuff

In my 40s I was in 2 walking groups, one was connected to a singles group, and the other was a straight forward fell walking group. They were both pretty evenly divided between sexes, although there were more men in the fell walking group. I enjoyed the straight forward fell walking group much more, the singles group had definite meat market vibes which made me uncomfortable.

Yep. Far be it from me to join in with any man bashing,😆 But in the 'social groups' I have been in, (that have been largely female,) the one or two men in the groups have been proper fucking know-it-alls. Mansplaining, acting like women are beneath them, and loving the sound of their own tedious voice.

Seriously, no wonder so many women want to be at female only pursuits. There is a female only session at my DD's gym, and a couple of men she knows, are proper miffed that there isn't a 'male only' session. There's a reason why there are female only things. MEN. (Some men!)

That's a good example of how men socialise - dad bands. They are learning but it's group self-led. It's as though they don't like someone else knowing more than them.

I think women are maybe more up for trying something new and less worried about people judging it or something? Like, for many men there may be a strong sense that sport is the only acceptable hobby and everything else is a bit ... girly and therefore unacceptable or weird for them?