Question

Interview a classmate (or friend or family member) of the other gender about the way he or she most likes to enjoy nature, or to describe his or her most memorable experience in nature, or to describe the aspect of being "in nature" most feared or most disliked. Then consider the extent to which the kinds of things mentioned differ among men and women and the extent to which they are similar. Last, consider the extent to which any differences in men's and women's experiences reflect patriarchy or reflect gender differences that do not indicate hierarchical or patriarchal thinking and submit a paper. The paper must be double spaced, minimum two pages in length, and in APA format.

Answer 1

Interview Analysis

From a biological and psychological perspective, men and women differ from one another in different ways. This is a difference which must be considered natural and obvious. The orientation of a woman differs greatly from that of a man, and that is one primary reason why the approach and attitude of a woman is not easy to be equated to a man’s. In respect of the difference in attitude, sensitivity, approach, and creative and critical thinking, the psychological makeup of women should be considered thoroughly different from men, and to ascertain how much the difference is, an interview was conducted in which the interviewee was a woman and the topic of interview was the exploration of a woman’s view of enjoying and loving Mother Nature. The interview was conducted on the basis of open-ended and closed-ended questions in which the interviewee (a classmate) was provided ample opportunity to speak her mind, and this mixed nature of the interview questions made it possible for the interviewer to explore both the explicit and subtle differences that constitute the individuality of a woman and a man in terms of loving the nature and the natural world.

In respect of observing Mother Nature and enjoying her different manifestations, the difference between a man and a woman becomes explicit, and this has been hinted upon by the interviewee. When she was asked if she ever ignored natural beauty in the company of her male friend amidst of a road trip (by car), the interviewee responded with a negation. She confessed that while touring with male friends she has often been distracted by the natural beauties that are to be observed beside broadways. This answer is quite honest and natural and this can be argued by citing the fact that, experiments done at the University of Southern California revealed (as cited in) that while in a conversation, women are more likely to get distracted by other people or by other aspects (Live Science Staff, 2012), and in this case, the presence of natural beauties like different landscapes or flora or fauna, can actually draw the attention of a woman more than a man even in the course of a conversation on a road trip by car.

Moreover, when the interviewee was asked if she prefers gardening as a mode of loving and enjoying nature, she replied affirmatively. The interviewee responded that she is always enthralled by the idea of visiting her grandparents’ farm-house because the visit always provide her with the chance of gardening and being in touch with different flowering plants and trees. This particular response should also be considered a valid and justifiable one. This is because, in terms of enjoying nature through the process of gardening, women and men do differ in approach. In this regard it must be noted that women are more in love with nature through practicing gardening because such an act provides them with the opportunity to nurture something, and nurturing is inherently present in women in a greater degree than men (due to evolutionary reasons). It is to be noted in this respect that, women are infused with natural gardening skills and abilities, and “This natural gardening ability is thought to be related to evolutionary programming, which required men to hunt while women were gatherers and foragers” (Norton, 2000). Hence, it is evident that in respect of loving and enjoying nature, the approach of a man and a woman differs largely. But this has nothing to do with the patriarchal nature of any society; rather, it has to thoroughly do with individual choices which differ widely in terms of gender.

In conclusion, the orientation of a woman differs greatly from that of a man, and that is one primary reason why the approach and attitude of a woman is not easy to be equated to a man’s. In respect of the difference in attitude, sensitivity, approach, and creative and critical thinking, the psychological makeup of women should be considered thoroughly different from men, and due to evolutionary reasons the way a woman enjoys Mother Nature becomes different from the way a man does.

References

Live Science Staff (2012). Men and Women Really Do See the World Differently.

Norton, C. (2000). When it comes to the garden, women are better. Independent.