A womans place

[WilmaM]

I our family at least - the women are the ones who keep connected to the living family members, so it's only natural that our field should widen to included the Deid Wans too.

Of course we are more logical


and down right nosy

I am , what shall we say - tenacious [ pig head ?] so a tangled family tree is a challenge that needs sorted out ! Oh if the youngest generation were as easy!

[joette]

I think it is a fact that Women in general tend to be better listeners.So we hear the family tales that pique our interest.I was adept at being lost in a book & so heard many family secrets when the women got together.We are usually the ones that keep the ties going with the living rellies too.
On a straw poll amongst friends/relations I would say it's slightly balanced towards female researchers.In my immediate family they are all intrested but it is only my Mum,Mum's sister,myself & little sister who have actually did any research.
Most of the males are working/taking care of the children/watching football/playing golf/dialysing/playing computer games.
Women are also good multi-taskers so a few minutes working on something then back to work in whatever capacity it may take then back again presents us with fewer problems- we are trained to work like this.
Also I myself am NOSEY I couldn't comment on other women but it is the desire to find out WHAT HAPPENED WHY? that keeps me going when I want to just forget it all.

[sporran]

Hello Joette,

Most of the males are working/taking care of the children/watching football/playing golf/dialysing/playing computer games.

I have done all of those except dialysing. Have my kidneys prevented me from having another pleasure?


Regards,

John

[Jack]

In any spare time i'd always liked doing a large jigsaw, and night reading was an old fashioned "who dunnit".
So Family History neatly combined both
But i was a bitty surprised that so many women were interested - initially i thought it would be mainly (auld) men!
Well out with that thinking! Reading the posts i'm pleased to see so many young folk are also enjoying their family history.
(though i just don't know how you manage to find the time to do it!)
Jack

[joette]

NO Sporran what I was meaning was that we are all busy doing different but equally valid things.I was commenting on what the men in MY FAMILY were occuping their time with.Be assured my brother does not consider it a pleasure just a neccesary chore that keeps him alive.He also considers football neccesary to his exsistence but I couldn't possibily comment on that!

[sporran]

Hello Joette,


no offence intended, and best wishes to your brother. I just thought that it was an odd thing to slip into a list of what appeared to be hobbies.


Regards,

John

[joette]

I know Sporran & none taken.Although there is a "social" aspect to the dialysis as he is mainly with youngish women.They are a great bunch who support one another.So if there are any patients from Gartnavel overnight dialysis unit on here HI! He is great with women,see having three big sisters gave him some advantages!

[paddyscar]

Having worked with genealogists in a mid-size public library for about a decade, I would say that women out-number the men by 2-3 to one.

No one here has raised the issue of it being a "couple's" thing. Although the women would often be the more interactive with the Reference Staff, probably due to shift-work in the local mills, the men of the family were actively involved in persuing family histories.

We had quite a few male patrons who were involved with genealogy long before we became aware there was a "Mrs." We also had a few spouses who made it abundantly clear that they were in to read microfilms only because their husbands were on the 'wrong shift' during the week the films were available from the archives.

Is it a 'nature vs nurture' thing? More women it seems attend churches, parent-teacher associations, school functions, dance recitals, keep in touch with families.

Are women more curious not nosey? More prone to order - where does everyone fit in? Are women more likely to ask, than assume? Are they by tradition the primary care-givers and therefore required to satisfy inquiring children?

There's a thesis here in the making!

Frances

[Russell]

Just a few comments from one half of a genealogy partnership.

I worked all my life with almost exclusively female colleagues - in nursing.But the multi-tasking etc mentioned in an earlier post is not an exclusively female thing!There are all shades and degrees of ability. I have worked with female dedicated single taskers. They would do a brilliant job but "Go away and don't interrupt me!" was the usual response.
BUT I now think that male and female brains are wired-up differently in most cases. Given the same information most (not all please note!) men jump to a conclusion and will stick with it even when proven wrong. Shove it in their face and they will hate you for it. Women generally mull things over (comes over as indecision) then conclude, tentatively that it might be so'. Open to persuasion and more willing to change if wrong.
Sorry gents but there's a lifetimes experience here!
For genealogy - I trawl and dig out unrelated bits My wife takes them, feeds them into her mental processor and comes up with remarkable conclusions mostly 100% correct.
Put patience and processing together and it breaks down brick walls.

Do I need a tin hat ladies ?

Russell

[rdem]

I remeber when I was about eight years old and walking back to school after lunch, and asking myself :
"I wonder who my great great great great great great...........great great grandfather (ad infinitum) was? "
So I suppose at an early age I was interested in family history. I just wish I had thought to ask my parents some questions.
However after 30 years of research, I can safely say as David said it's about four to one in favour women researcher.
I worked as a non member volunteer at a LDS library, and the same ratio was there too. However, I won't get into speculating why!!!