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

[CoursesForHorsesandMares]

Over the past years say like a decade maybe longer I have done lots of different activities including short courses. Initially (like many women who made a similar mistake!) I started out with wine tasting when I was in a dating mind set and I did it to try to meet some men and broaden my social circle. Of course as anyone who has done this will tell you, wine tasting is 99% women trying to meet men who arent there!

Since then I've done lots of different courses for things I was interested in learning - not to meet guys -but a comment on a different thread (about walking groups) made me think that actually all of these courses are just women -maybe you get one or two men but in every case it is hugely dispropotionate weighting. This covers a really wide range of subjects from lots of varied providers - art based courses, computer based courses, acting courses, language course, comedy courses, wine tasting I've mentioned, street skating, skiiing, climbing. Even the ones that are less stereotypically 'female' - same thing again - almost all women.

Doesn't matter what the subject is - it's always women and not just single women with very few men. If you have a group of say 10 or 15, usually one man maybe two. Why is this? Is it women who are just interested in learning? Or is there something else? It's really strange because the law of averages should dictate a greater male attendance. I'm not saying 50:50 but maybe even 60:40 is so far away.

Why is it so disproportionate? What are men never doing these kinds of things?

It's just so strikingly disproportionate as to be odd when you look across so many different subjects.

You could dismiss it maybe for classically stereotypical female subjects like very craft based, sewing, arts but it is everything it seems to me. It is very out of the ordinary to find a sex balance approaching anything like even 60:40 or even 70:30 sometimes, its more 90:10 or 100% women.

I think as people get older women are more social and join things yes.

I’ve been to book groups and various music groups that have all been about 50% men.

I think a lot of men, especially those beyond about 30, genuinely aren't fussed about socialising, and particularly not through group classes. I think their focus is solely on skill acquisition as opposed to appreciate something like a watercolour class partly for social engagement too.

I was going to say something similar - it seems to me that men just get on with it and start the activity by themselves, be it an instrument, language or sport.

Also, Instead of wasting in lessons/courses, they probably rather spent the money on more "gear".

In my current evening class we are about equal, maybe even more men, but it's something that might help people's careers.
If a course is done 'for fun' then I'd think it's more like a social club and in general women are 'joiners' whereas men aren't and I think the main reason for this is that it's more acceptable for men to just go to the pub by themselves and start chatting to the other men in the pub. Women (in general) don't do this, so need to join a club/group.
Also, some cities really just have a lot more women than men.

I also think in some instances a lot of women do not want to be single, so invest a lot of time widening their social sphere in the hope of meeting a partner. Men are often not bothered, and tend in my experience to choose sports/teams where mixed teams can be rare.

I wonder if as some people say that men are less inclined to seek society. I mean some of the stuff I've done has had most retired women in it where I've been the youngest by a long way - and I don't mean lonely widows, people who have partners who are still alive - but have free time in retirement and are interested in the topic.

So you would think that there would be men in both of these groups - both retired with more time and interested in learning and men who are widowed trying to find a wide social circle. Maybe they all just sit at home lonely.

Just to be clear, I'm not asking this in a 'I want to meet men way' because I've no need but in a socio-anthropological (probably wrong words) interested way because it is very noticeable and strange.

I don't really agree that men aren't bothered about being single. They're often more lonely than women because they don't cultivate their friendships as much. Anything that is specifically to find a partner will have a lot of men in it e.g. dating sites.

"Maybe they all just sit at home lonely."

Or they're at the pub?
My gd met his friends at his local library, nothing planned, they'd just be there.

Male arrogance and risk taking plays a part for sure. Much as I love the men in my life, they seem to think that they can just teach themselves, or wing it, whereas in general, women will be more measured and seek instruction.

Probably also to do with millennia of women being told they were not as good, not as able or intelligent or just downright inferior. That has an effect on our collective confidence, so women may feel they want to know for certain (by being taught by someone) that they are doing whatever it is right. Does not explain the more eclectic interests of women on courses, though.

@CoursesForHorsesandMares
mostiy music these days

I suppose that's why they invented men's shed, so men would go out and do something social, as it doesn't seem to come naturally to a lot of them. I used to go to a Ceilidh in England. Any man wanting to meet someone would have done very well there as it was 90% women.

Or they're all outside being MAMILs

Most dancing things are mainly women and women often have to dance the male role.

I used to do aqua aerobics - a class of 14 woman and one man. He was affectionately called Aquaman.

Yoga and pilates are like that as well.

From the men that I know, their main interests are sport related so they're either doing this solo, at a specific club or at home watching the sport. The women I know are far more likely to try their hand at new activities or want to be part of a group so will sign up for a class for the social aspect as well as the new skill.

Plus, let's be honest, men can just go the pub and have a quiet pint. I go the pub for a quiet drink and some man will always try his luck "what a nice lady like you is doing in here", it's no wonder we're all booking pottery classes.

Yes, that’s been my experience too.

For the same reason that many men won’t ask for help with a task or directions when they’re lost, they hate being perceived as lesser.

My DH has no real male friends because he’s just not interested in getting to know them better. He’s not sporty and doesn’t like pubs and prefers reading and solitary diy type activities.

If it’s classes for older people more men are in ill health or dead than women. My mum (82) goes to an art class with 10 women and two men. All of them, everyone in the art class, is widowed.

MayaPinion · Today 12:19
I used to do aqua aerobics - a class of 14 woman and one man. He was affectionately called Aquaman

Does he look like Jason Mamoa? Where is this class, please? Asking for a friend 😁

I hear you

I can think of quite a few different clubs/groups I've attended which were very male dominated. E.g. Scuba diving, archery. Orienteering, running club, cycling and ski lessons were more even. The art/craft lessons I've attended have only had the odd token bloke.

Most middle aged men would hate the kind of organised fun you're describing.

How and why do cities have more women than men ? Is it single male farmers who are rurally based skewing the stats?