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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Men should stay at home to minimise risk. Can we have this conversation?

253 replies

DJLippy · 08/04/2020 21:50

The stats are showing that men are far more likely to die from Corona than women. It's a 70/30 split according to some estimates.

However when I go out on my daily bike ride I notice far more men in the streets than women. They are very vulnerable to Covid I am concerned. Should we encourage men who are not key workers to stay at home? Would society be able to function?

Many of the key services are staffed by women. The NHS workforce is 74% female and nurses and health care assistant workforces (who provide the most intimate care) are 90% female. Even doctors (who we often imagine as male) are 45% female.

The key workers seem to be split by sex quite a lot. For example - nurses and teachers overwhelmingly female. Drivers, engineers, road crews ect overwhelmingly male. Obviously they are allowed to travel freely. They are doing vital work.

Is there a case to be made (to minimise risk) that men should stay in the house?

Aside from the genetic aspects which make men vulnerable to Covid, stats show that men (as a class) all have much lower personal hygiene than women. Women obey the hand washing rules better than men. Therefore women (as a class) are less likely to spread disease.

Meanwhile police have to concentrate their resources on Covid related issues. Considering that men commit 90% of violent crime maybe it's best we introduce a law which keeps the sex with the greatest propensity for criminality in the house.

I cant help but feel like if the stats were the other way around women would be living under house arrest. Or at least face a lot of social pressure to do so...

Can we have a conversation about this?

OP posts:
FloralBunting · 09/04/2020 15:41

Well, I think, despite a valiant attempt, I think the answer to the question in the thread title is no, really. I think some people are preferring to take it all very personally and I'm not interested in mud wrestling with the argumentative. Best of luck to those who want to persist.

Ordree · 09/04/2020 15:49

Every non key worker is asked to stay at home except for exercise and grocery/pharmacy shopping. If all men stayed completely at home including young and healthy men the women allowed out would still be at risk as there are female carriers. Plus, when would you then allow male movement outside the home? Given men are 75% of suicides it would seem that you'd risk a rocketing suicide rate among men confined to their houses

ErrolTheDragon · 09/04/2020 15:52

I think the answer to the question in the thread title is no, really.

Obviously the answer is 'no'.

It's perhaps arguable that more people should be staying at home more than they are (for various reasons);and that a higher proportion of these may be men than women

FloralBunting · 09/04/2020 16:42

Errol, I meant the specific question about can we have a conversation about itGrin

ErrolTheDragon · 09/04/2020 17:42

Oh... c'mon. We can have a conversation about almost anything.

FloralBunting · 09/04/2020 17:52

Errol, we can certainly try, 'tis true!

Original poster
DJLippy · 09/04/2020 18:11

It would be interesting to see what a world without men would look like wouldn't it?

OP posts:
Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 09/04/2020 18:22

It would be interesting to see what a world without men would look like wouldn't it?

Well, no babies for a start so the human race wouldn't have long to ponder it would we?

SoupDragon · 09/04/2020 18:51

It would be interesting to see what a world without men would look like wouldn't it?

Not really.

ErrolTheDragon · 09/04/2020 19:02

It might be interesting to briefly see the public world without men. Just as some sort of experiment, not for real.

Gronky · 09/04/2020 19:32

It would be interesting to see what a world without men would look like wouldn't it?

I think many would die severely premature deaths, just as men would without women, due to the uncountable, not immediately replaceable roles worldwide that keep our lives going. The only major difference would be the causes.

Justhadathought · 09/04/2020 21:12

It would be interesting to see what a world without men would look like wouldn't it

I'm sure there would be plenty of women willing to take up the slack......

Jeez! This forum is displaying its absolute worst at the moment. Disappointing, very revealing, and not very appealing.

Danceswithwarthogs · 09/04/2020 21:19

That all went a bit strange quite quickly Confused Goodness knows what will be going on after 6 weeks of lockdown

Original poster
DJLippy · 10/04/2020 02:04

Jesus fucking christ what happened to this board?

We have been banging on about the importance of single sex spaces for years. The public sphere is a male sphere. Women had to fight for years to be allowed out of the house without a male escort. Wondering on a feminist board what a world without men would be like and everyone is losing their shit. Get a grip women jfc

OP posts:
Coyoacan · 10/04/2020 04:44

In Mexico, so far, men constitute 60% of the people hospitalised and 80% of the fatalities, yet when I'm out the only people I see being reckless with social distancing are men.

Danceswithwarthogs · 10/04/2020 09:25

I think bearing in mind the current situation and our collective worries about the people we love (men and women), it’s maybe just not the time

deydododatdodontdeydo · 10/04/2020 10:10

Women had to fight for years to be allowed out of the house without a male escort.

Oh really? No, just no.
Read some history.

SoupDragon · 10/04/2020 11:22

Get a grip women jfc

Maybe take your own advice

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 10/04/2020 11:44

Upper class unmarried women used for a time to suffer reputational damage if they went out without a male escort.

There were not very many women at any given time to whom this applied.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 10/04/2020 15:48

I don’t know what happened to this board

It used to be possible to have a completely hypothetical discussion about all sorts of stuff

I rarely took part and sometimes disagreed completely with the premise but it was still interesting being made to think

Original poster
DJLippy · 10/04/2020 16:13

We're not allowed to think for ourselves nowadays it seems unless its Government Sanctioned. One hour once a day. And No you cant talk to anybody else about your thoughts we are doing social distancing remember!?!?

OP posts:
TheProdigalKittensReturn · 10/04/2020 16:18

When any board is constantly trolled it does tend to suck the goodwill and ease of communication out of it. Especially if smacking down the trolling isn't allowed because it's Not Nice.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 10/04/2020 16:18

Do you not think it's in poor taste that, during a global pandemic when 70% of the people dying are male, to ask people to muse about what it would be like in a world without men? That many posters will be worried about their dads, husbands, sons surviving this?

ErrolTheDragon · 10/04/2020 16:38

My DH is one of the men who needs to be careful. I find this thought experiment / discussion somewhat interesting.

If anyone doesn't like any thread on MN they're under no obligation to engage with it.

Gronky · 10/04/2020 16:47

We're not allowed to think for ourselves nowadays it seems unless its Government Sanctioned. One hour once a day.

It seems like almost everyone in this discussion has been thinking for themselves. Do you take issue with people pointing out inconsistencies in your idea, simply calling it silly or both? Ironically, only permitting agreement would be representative of much more restricted thought.