It’s a well-documented fact that there aren’t many women in the field of software engineering. So, at a coder’s haven like CivicScience, needless to say I am in a small minority. Some days, I feel like Jane Goodall. For 10 hours a day I watch the bizarre rituals of these genius male primates in their “cloud” habitat and marvel at how different we are.
With all of the data we collect and analyze to find obscure insights into different consumer types, comparing the differences between women and men seems pretty mundane. Women like Banana Republic more than men do. Men like mixed martial arts more than women do. Women spend more time on Pinterest. Men spend more time playing video games. None of this is earth-shattering; but given the hundreds of millions of poll responses we have from both genders, I thought it would be fun to search for some of the less obvious but highly-correlated differences between the sexes. Here are some of the most interesting things I found:
Gays in the Military: Women are more than 2.5X times more likely than men to believe that gays should be allowed to serve openly in the US military. Get over it guys.
Reading Paparazzi Blogs: Women are over 2X more likely than men to read paparazzi blogs on a daily or weekly basis. Uh, fellas, have you ever seen all the bikini-clad celebs on PerezHilton?
Technology Blogs: Men are 41% more likely than women to read technology blogs or websites at least weekly. Again, this is why I am the minority in the office.
Favorite Monopoly Piece: This one follows some traditional stereotypes but it’s still kind of funny. 33% of men say the car is their favorite Monopoly token versus just 18% of women. 27% of men prefer the battleship compared to only 6% of women. But, 36% of women say the Scottie Dog is their favorite, a full 3X more than men. Men love cars and boats… shocking.
Sewing: This one isn’t unexpected either. Women are 78% more likely than men to know how to sew, okay, but I was a bit surprised that 27% of men say they know how to sew. Looks like some guys were paying attention in home-ec.
Household Purchases: 40% of women say they make all of the household purchases for their home vs. 24% of men. Do we have to do everything?
Ghosts: 60% of women say they believe in ghosts, which is 50% more than men. That could stem from the fact that we like horror movies 63% more than men. Or maybe we like horror movies more because we know that ghosts are real. They are real, you know.
Stress Level: 73% of women say on an average day they are at least sometimes stressed, vs. 58% of men. Maybe it’s because we have to deal with men.
Alcoholic Beverage Choice: Men are 143% more likely than women to say beer is their drink of choice. 31% of women say that mixed drinks are their favorite type of alcoholic beverage, vs. 24% of men. Again, perhaps we just need a stronger drink to put up with the men.
New Shoes: Women are 63% more likely than men to purchase a new pair of shoes in the next 30 days. Yes guys, we really do “need” a new pair.
Coffee Orders: 54% of men say they typically order a regular coffee at a coffee shop, vs. 35% of women. 31% of women say they typically order a latte, Cappuccino, Macchiato, Mocha, or other espresso blend, which is over 2X as likely as men. Plain coffee is boring.
Stay At Home Parents: If given the choice and the financial means, 52% of women would choose to be a stay at home parent, vs. 41% of men. I wish this was because men realize what a tough job it is, but I doubt it.
Wait time: Women are 44% more willing to wait in line 30+ minutes than men are willing to wait for service, tickets, or a table. Patience fellas, patience.
Batman: 40% of men think Adam West is the best Batman, vs. 24% of women. 38% of women think Christian Bale is the best Batman, vs. 25% of men. Duh.?
Social Consciousness: 81% of women think a company’s social consciousness and overall kindness is important in choosing where to shop and what to buy, vs. 66% of men. Attention companies: Don’t just talk the talk.
Buying Green: Women are 44% more likely than men to make it a point to purchase environmentally friendly products or services. Green is the new black.
Nutritional Info: 68% of women read the nutritional information of most food items they purchase at the grocery store, vs. 54% of men. Another reason why we’re all going to live longer, ladies.
Organic: 52% of women make it a point to purchase organic products, vs. 37% of men. Again, see: Life Expectancy.
Local Library: 58% of women go to their local library at least a few times a year, vs. 41% of men. This is why we are smarter on issues like gays in the military, nutrition, and…ghosts.
There were literally thousands of other correlations in our database and it was hard to choose my favorites. Maybe I’ll report back with some more at a later date.
