Gender conversation questions

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At work

• Why are there generally so few women in top positions?

• Do men, women or both normally do the following jobs: Secretary, clerk, shop assistant, bus driver, train driver, airline pilot, taxi driver, ship’s captain, building worker, doctor, primary school teacher, receptionist, prime minister, house wife/husband, nurse, university lecturer.

• If some of these jobs are generally done by women or men, why is this?

• Do you think that there are any jobs which only men or only women can or should do?

• Would you rather work for a male or female boss?

• Which gender do you think makes the best bosses? Can you give a reason?

• Would you rather have a male or a female secretary? Why?

• Does one gender take more time off from work than another?

• Is there any legislation in your country which tries to equalize the opportunities which men and women have when they are searching for jobs? Does it work? If it exists, are there many prosecutions?

• Have you ever come across the so-called “glass ceiling" (the point beyond which women don’t get promoted)? Do you think it exists or is it an urban myth? Do you know of any top managers in your country that are female? What percentage of the total do you think they are?

• Which gender works harder?

House Work

• Why do you think there are generally not so many women doing jobs around the house like taking out the trash and most of the heavy lifting stuff? Is this ok?

Socially

• In your country, how do the roles of men and women differ in the family?
• Which gender spends the most time shopping?
• Which gender is most likely to ask strangers for directions?
• Is one gender unable to “see" unwashed dishes or unmade beds? Is one gender "overly" concerned with tidiness? What is your experience?
• Which gender talks the most?
• Which gender gossips the most?
• Is one gender better at using machines than another? Do you personally like technology?
• Is there any difference between the way that men and women drive?
• Why do women usually live five years longer than men?
• As women live five years longer than men, should they retire five years later? Why/why not?
• What do you understand by the word "metro sexual"?
• Do you think that men and women “see" the same colors, or are men restricted to red, orange, green and blue?
• In your society are there some social behaviors which are only seen as appropriate for women? What behaviors?
• In your society are there some social behaviors which are only seen as appropriate for men? What behaviors?
• What clothing is appropriate for men but not for women and vice versa? What is appropriate for both?
• Are certain colors reserved for one gender or another?
• In what aspects of life is it easier being a girl/woman and in what aspects is it easier being a boy/man?
• Do you think there is a difference between friendships between a man and a woman, and a man and a man, or a woman and a woman? How do they differ?
• Who is a better communicator?

Youth opportunities

• Boys and girls frequently play with different toys. Girls often have dolls and boys often have toy guns. Is that because they prefer different toys or because we give them different ones? Does this matter? Should it be encouraged or discouraged?
• To what extent do you think that the educational system tries to push (or unconsciously pushes) people into traditionally “female" and "male" roles? Jobs?
• Which gender do you think studies most?
• In some countries, the number of female university students outnumbers the number of male students. What are the implications of this for the future of the labour market? Of society in general?
• If you had (or have) children. Should boys and girls be treated differently?

Sports

• At which sports are men considered better than women?
• At which sports are women considered better than men?
• Does one gender prefer “spectator sports" like football? Why do you think fewer women watch such sports?
• What sports can you think of where men and women compete against each other as equals?
• Why are there fewer opportunities for women than men in professional sports?

See also

• Au pair conversation questions
• Beauty conversation questions
• Employment conversation questions
• Fashion conversation questions
• Relationships conversation questions
• Shopping conversation questions
• Sport conversation questions