NationStates Jolt Archive

Topic is pretty self-explanatory, I think; should the genders be held to different standards of conduct?

Is it right to maintain a "boys will be boys" attitude, while expecting women to be more mature? Should women be able to tell sexually-related jokes in the work place, but men should be charged with sexual harassment if they do so? Should the term "slut" be applied to women who have many sexual partners, but the word "player" used for men who do the same?

It could be argued that because the genders are different from one another it is only appropriate to hold them to different standards of conduct. One could say that the sexes are designed for different roles, and therefore it is wrong for society to try to apply identical behavioral standards to men and women. On the other hand, is it possible to have different standards while still allowing men and women to be equal? Are there sufficient grounds for treating men and women differently when they exhibit the same behavior?

I believe they should be held to equal standards, because the two sexes are equal.

I believe they should be held to equal standards, because the two sexes are equal.

Point taken, but how do you determine these standards?

In my opinion, no, they should not be treated as direct equals. We're biologically different, and perhaps psychologically different too. Would you piss off a woman in pms? :eek:

Topic is pretty self-explanatory, I think; should the genders be held to different standards of conduct?

Is it right to maintain a "boys will be boys" attitude, while expecting women to be more mature?

If we are talking about young men, supposedly they mature more slowly. In that event, you cannot blame them for not developing as quickly. It isn't like they can simply will themselves to mature (unless I've been misled my entire life). It happens gradually over time.

Should women be able to tell sexually-related jokes in the work place, but men should be charged with sexual harassment if they do so?

No.

Should the term "slut" be applied to women who have many sexual partners, but the word "player" used for men who do the same?

I would wonder if it really matters. Both terms infer someone who has a copious amount of sexual partners, and probably a less than substantial set of mores when it comes to sex. I certainly wouldn't be offended to be called a slut. It isn't the word that is offensive, but the connotation; a man who sleeps with many beautiful women is the paragon most men aim to be. On the other hand, most women are taught by society to be chaste and pure.

They should be given equality in all legal issues, certainly. But they are not exactly the same. Let society view them as society wishes.


Should the term "slut" be applied to women who have many sexual partners, but the word "player" used for men who do the same?

Yes. I've heard this brought up by women many times as a complaint of society's chauvinistic bias. The simple fact is that they don't realize how hard it is for a guy to get a girl. A woman -virtually ANY woman, even if she is of only average(or even slightly less than average) attraction- can walk into a bar, etc., and there will always be at least ONE guy who'd be willing/desperate enough to take her. Guys don't have vaginas and tits, so we don't have this advantage. A guy scoring is much more of an achievement than a woman scoring. Not that I glorify these so-called "players" -personally I don't see tham any better than sluts- but I'm not going to be so idiotic as to say the applied double standard is without reason.

Topic is pretty self-explanatory, I think; should the genders be held to different standards of conduct?

Is it right to maintain a "boys will be boys" attitude, while expecting women to be more mature?

I don't expect women to be any more mature than men. In fact from what I've observed a lot of women are actually crazier than men. Of course the female mind is something that guys have always been trying to figure out.

Should women be able to tell sexually-related jokes in the work place, but men should be charged with sexual harassment if they do so? Nobody should be charged with anything. If you take offense at something get revenge, but let them know why you're getting revenge in hopes that you don‘t have to do such again..

Should the term "slut" be applied to women who have many sexual partners, but the word "player" used for men who do the same?
From what I've observed members of both sexes use the word slut to describe members of the opposite sex who sleep with multiple partners. And the word player to describe members of the same sex who sleep with multiple partners.

It could be argued that because the genders are different from one another it is only appropriate to hold them to different standards of conduct. One could say that the sexes are designed for different roles, and therefore it is wrong for society to try to apply identical behavioral standards to men and women. On the other hand, is it possible to have different standards while still allowing men and women to be equal? Are there sufficient grounds for treating men and women differently when they exhibit the same behavior?
It's easy to expect something from somebody. But not everybody lives up to their expectations. So it can be hard to really know what to expect. Sure certain behaviors can be considered normal, but hardly anybody ever exhibits those normal behaviors all the time, if at all. Especially in this day and age where things are getting more and more unpredictable. Of course things were always unpredictable to a certain extent. But in this day and age I don't even know who's really a guy or a girl anymore. Just last week I met at least twelve people whose gender I couldn't classify.
:(

I'm unsure about this one. I think it's wrong to treat both the sexes as completely identical in every way because they're clearly not. I believe in a 'seperate but equal' approach. However, it's always important to make sure the way in which these standards are applied doesn't treat women as inferior.