More guys play D&D than gals, Why?

[sniffles]

It's because men and women are different.

Honestly, that's the only answer I can think of, as a female player. I don't understand it either. But then I don't think I'm a very good example to judge by; I like shooting games, I like combat, and I couldn't care less about babies or scrapbooking.

Just for the record, I'm straight and over 40, too. I don't know what might be different if I had begun roleplaying in my teens, but I didn't start until I was over 30.

 

[davidschwartznz]

A recent issue of Scientific American had a short little blurb about a study that found that male baboons prefer playing with trucks and female baboons prefer playing with dolls. So the answer to your question is proabably genetics.

(Of course you also have to take into consideration the issue of androgyny; which to oversimplify it, basically means that there is a statistical relationship between gender and hobbies, but that relationship is casual, not direct.)

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Our female player is also a scrapbooker. She brings back some pretty wild tales from her scrapbooking retreats and conventions of barhopping and clubbing in Florida with women half-again her age. Her currrent debate: more stamps and paper or Mutants and Masterminds?

Eh, I don't think we'll ever really figure out the reason why. Sort of like with comics and many other geekly things, it seems more a province of men than women. Certainly lots of women do these things, but not the ideal 50/50 split we'd like to see.

Ha! One of the females in my gaming group is also a scrapbooker. Then again, that seems to be a hobby that is increasing in popularity.

 

[Gez]

It's because women prefer more girly stuff, like playing with dolls.

Boys sure wouldn't play around with little plastic models of people, imagining their plastic folk's daily lives, struggles, and problems, imagining how they clad themselves and what they like to eat. Oh no, not at all.

 

[Yttrai]

It's because men and women are different.

Honestly, that's the only answer I can think of, as a female player. I don't understand it either.

May i disagree? Just a little?

We are different, sure, but mostly we are told we _WILL_ act differently. Even if we are told we can do whatever we want, regardless of gender, very very rarely are the attitudes present to back it up. A small example: my parents told my brother and myself we would be treated equally, regardless of gender, and in most ways we were. But when i was of driving age and had to get a job, they helped me find a nice waitressing job. My brother was hired to help my dad with his construction business in the summer.

I would have _LOVED_ to spend my summers doing construction! I still would love to have that opportunity presented to me!

My point being, don't blame all of our different tastes entirely on genetics. Peer pressure is a much larger factor, IMHO.

Specifically why roleplaying isn't popular among women as much a men: because most women i know are acutely self-conscious about their public image and how others percieve them. Most men i know could care less. It isn't super acceptable to game, so the more self-conscious avoid it more. DISCLAIMER: this is a generalization based on the people i have personally known, and my private theory on why girls don't game as much.

Lastly: i'd rather have burning pokers put in my eyes than spend time scrapbooking. Do you hear that, Dr. Summers?????? ; )

 

[sniffles]

Specifically why roleplaying isn't popular among women as much a men: because most women i know are acutely self-conscious about their public image and how others percieve them. Most men i know could care less. It isn't super acceptable to game, so the more self-conscious avoid it more. DISCLAIMER: this is a generalization based on the people i have personally known, and my private theory on why girls don't game as much.

I was actually joking in my comment. Good point, Yttrai. Peer pressure and personal image is a big motivator for a lot of women.

Now why is it that it is *more* geeky for a woman to enjoy D&D than for a man? It's geeky for a man too, but the general perception seems to be that it's worse for a woman. I guess it's okay for men to do something that's considered "immature", but women aren't allowed that luxury. Is it because we're the moms? Maybe that's why none of that stuff affects me - I was born without a mom gene.

Now why is it -not- "immature" to be fascinated with sports? ???

 

[gizmo33]

I guess it's okay for men to do something that's considered "immature", but women aren't allowed that luxury. Is it because we're the moms?

I read an interesting idea that women are more "consensus building" as a general rule than men. This could probably be translated as "conformist", and might be one of many reasons that fewer women play DnD than men. Maybe this explains why the women who have played in my game always seemed to take it a little more personally when I (as the DM) sent monsters to try to kill their characters.

Women IME tend to seek out the NPC interactions more often, and if there are guys in the group they start yawning at that point and causing trouble until the group gets back to killing things. As a DM I try to juggle all sides but I think the more numeric side (guys) gets a proportionally greater amount of attention. So I think women sometimes can't find a game that would focus on their interests.

The other thing is that IME women in general (meaning all of the women I've ever gamed with) don't seem to like the crunchy/tactical side of the game. Using another analogy: Jewel is a woman and plays guitar. Yngwe Malmstein is a guy and plays guitar. I hope anyone who knows who both of these are (and I bet you it's mostly guys) gets my point. I'm sorry if my generalizations are offensive, and I'll apologize to the first woman that I see in Guitar Center practicing her speed metal riffs.

 

[blargney the second]

Why is it that there are more guys than girls that play D&D?

It must be because guys are inherently more social than women.

*wink*
-blarg

 

[kirinke]

I don't see why women play D&D more. I mean, dungeon crawls are the equivalent of braving the shopping malls at christmas. Only instead of purses, you pack swords, wands of fireball and ice-storm.

Oh wait....

 

[Ogre Mage]

In my experience, systems such as White Wolf are more popular among women than D&D. I don't want to make generalizations, but the White Wolf system is typically more focused on RP than hack-and-slash and min-maxing.