I have a bunch of hobbies, which range from female dominated to a solid mix of participants. However, for a hobby that has a good number of both men and women involved, there seems to be a gap in the participation and achievement levels in a way that mostly alings with gender. A friend of mine mentioned we would have to look at how men engage with hobbies.
Do you feel that the ways men and women engage with hobbies generally, but especially when they share the same hobby still differs?
There’s obviously variation, but I’ve noticed even within relatively solitary hobbies women tend to be more inviting. If a female friend enjoys thread crafting or painting they are more likely to invite me to join than a male friend. I have a few friends that paint and generally the men will show off their work and accept a compliment, but if you were to compliment a female they will offer to teach you or show you a trick they learned or something. I’m not sure if that’s related to gendered socialization, what they are seeking from the hobby, interest in hanging out with me in particular, or something else entirely, but it is something I’ve personally picked up on.
As a guy - I feel like it would be presumptuous to offer to help someone simply because they gave me a compliment. They would need to express a desire to be helped for me to do that.