Do American men treat women that much better? - Page 2

Jerry · 11-08-07, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herenow1

If you look at how ME men treat their women I guess you could say hands down that American men are more respectful to their women. Someone brought up a good point on a similar topic of discussion. The point was along the lines that American men overall don't treat women all that much better, especially when you take into account all the womens shelters, the rape stats, the domestic violence stats etc. Do you think we need to take the plank out of our own eye before judging other countries?

Call me crazy but I think America should let women show some ankle once in a while...mabye even speak in public, once or twice.

roguenuke · 11-09-07, 01:29 PM

The first foreign country I ever visited was the UAE (this was in 2000, not a bad place and one of the more liberal ME countries from what I've read in the Navy's online training of Iraq, Iran, and Syria) but we still were given training before leaving the boat on customs in the country. One of them was that the women should travel with at least one male in the group because, although many in the country were adapting to western customs, many others still hold the belief that women should walk at least 3 feet behind a man (we were cautioned that some may be insulted if the women were walking in front of the man at all) and that some men would not talk to us or do business with us without a man present. I can remember talking to a couple of sales clerks in the mall (1 man, 1 woman) and they were both quite shocked when we informed them that we were all in the USN and that we were mechanics and electricians. They said that women did not participate in these fields in their country (I can't truly recall though if it was not allowed or just considered unfit jobs for women).
When we went to Bahrain on my next deployment, one of the girls I was shopping with quickly left a shop we had been in because the sales clerk was inappropriately touching her as he was showing her shaws. This could have been just this clerk but many times we were not offered help until after the men in the store were helped, even when we came in first.

Jerry · 11-09-07, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roguenuke

The first foreign country I ever visited was the UAE (this was in 2000, not a bad place and one of the more liberal ME countries from what I've read in the Navy's online training of Iraq, Iran, and Syria) but we still were given training before leaving the boat on customs in the country. One of them was that the women should travel with at least one male in the group because, although many in the country were adapting to western customs, many others still hold the belief that women should walk at least 3 feet behind a man (we were cautioned that some may be insulted if the women were walking in front of the man at all) and that some men would not talk to us or do business with us without a man present. I can remember talking to a couple of sales clerks in the mall (1 man, 1 woman) and they were both quite shocked when we informed them that we were all in the USN and that we were mechanics and electricians. They said that women did not participate in these fields in their country (I can't truly recall though if it was not allowed or just considered unfit jobs for women).
When we went to Bahrain on my next deployment, one of the girls I was shopping with quickly left a shop we had been in because the sales clerk was inappropriately touching her as he was showing her shaws. This could have been just this clerk but many times we were not offered help until after the men in the store were helped, even when we came in first.

Thank you for that illustration of one sacrifice women in the militery make for their country, and thank you for your service.

WI Crippler · 11-09-07, 03:12 PM

Everywhere I have been, American men are considered much more polite than the men of those said countries. Some times it was obvious, other times I was told it was so by one of the "native" women. Australia was a good example of a place where you wouldn't expect a poor treatment of women, but there was. Everybody expects the ME to be all ****ed up in regards to how women are treated, but in Australia it was a suprise. Now it certainley was not at the level of ME societies, but it was weird seeing women take verbal abuse and not even flinch.

mikhail · 11-09-07, 04:10 PM

I thinks more a question of whats socially exceptable rather than what some individuals do behind closed doors.Women certainly arent under conrol by men in America by any major social norm.

AS for American men from the ones ive met i would say they are actually quite wimpish towards women too much kinda oh "your so beautiful your so great" in a manner which i couldnt myself.

rivrrat · 11-09-07, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WI Crippler

Everywhere I have been, American men are considered much more polite than the men of those said countries. Some times it was obvious, other times I was told it was so by one of the "native" women. Australia was a good example of a place where you wouldn't expect a poor treatment of women, but there was. Everybody expects the ME to be all ****ed up in regards to how women are treated, but in Australia it was a suprise. Now it certainley was not at the level of ME societies, but it was weird seeing women take verbal abuse and not even flinch.

I don't think I knew what polite was until I went to India.

WI Crippler · 11-09-07, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivrrat

I don't think I knew what polite was until I went to India.

I haven't been to India, so I wouldn't know. I hear they are even more polite to cows....

bhkad · 11-09-07, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatuey

Ummm we don't stone our women.....

That's an extreme which isn't the norm. But I agree with the OP.

Further, there is an argument to be made that we treat women a bit too deferentially at times. The man is the leader of the family.

Period.

bhkad · 11-09-07, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivrrat

I don't think I knew what polite was until I went to India.

Part of that was due to the fact that women know their place and the men can afford to be polite.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikhail

I thinks more a question of whats socially exceptable rather than what some individuals do behind closed doors.Women certainly arent under conrol by men in America by any major social norm.

AS for American men from the ones ive met i would say they are actually quite wimpish towards women too much kinda oh "your so beautiful your so great" in a manner which i couldnt myself.

Great observation!

1069 · 11-09-07, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Further, there is an argument to be made that we treat women a bit too deferentially at times. The man is the leader of the family.

Period.

Not this family.
We're a matriarchy.