Lately Shane and John have both commented on the growing size of the Methodist Blogroll and thus the Methodist Blogger Weekly Roundup. Our growing numbers are super - remember back when the MBWR highlighted about 10 blogs? I think it is super that so many Methodists, lay and clergy, are sharing in this tool, blogging. I've certainly enjoyed my blogging experiences so far. With the launching by Shane of Wesley Daily, I've specifically been wondering about women and men and blogging. The first several posts at Wesley Daily were by men. One post from a woman blogger. Then some more men.
Before you think I'm picking on Shane, let me say - my noticing led me to look at the Methodist Blogroll as a whole. Waay more male bloggers than female. I didn't count everyone, but I'd guess there are at least 3 or 4 times more men on our list than women. The posts at Wesley Daily reflect the Methodist Blogroll membership. So I did some quick google searches on women and blogging and came across some articles I found interesting. Theories and arguments (in these articles about women blogging primarily on political issues) about why women seem less present.
Theories include: women less likely to engage in the out-and-out fighting that goes on in some blogs. Men less likely to link to women and thus provide women traffic to their blogs. Women less likely to promote their own blogs (mentioning their posts in comments, advertising, actively cultivating readership.) I'm not sure what to make of the theories, though I think that I can see myself in some of the theories. I have definitely cultivated readership of my blog, but haven't advertised and usually don't mention my posts outside my own blog. And I am definitely turned off by the angry debates that sometimes happen on blogs.
My own experience of women blogging has been enriched by my participation in the RevGalBlogPals group self-described as "An Open Table set for a diverse group of people -- women pursuing or discerning a religious vocation -- and their friends". Over a hundred blogs in this group, mostly women, and women pursuing or discerning a call to vocational ministry. Not all Metho-bloggers - an ecumenical community. A different space in the blogosphere, which I appreciate.
Just some observations. No conclusions. Thoughts percolating in the brain made in to a post. Do you have thoughts to share about men and women blogging?
9 comments:
Another possible explanation is the disproportional representation of IT folk (who are still mostly male) among bloggers. ~ from a comment on the first article
I wonder if that is part of it. For so long computers were a guy thing so many of the older bloggers will be guys just since they are more comfortable with computers. Maybe as the younger bloggers, who have grown up on computers, get older there will be more of a mix.
I also think the fighting thing may be part of it too. I know I stay away from the crazy fights.
Beth,
The same identical places my thoughts were going. Except much more polite.
While there is certainly diversity of thought among UM bloggers, I wonder what diversity there is when it comes to race. As you've observed, the majority of bloggers are male & from what I can tell, white, middle class males at that.
Any thoughts as to why that's true?
GREAT post.
I wonder if the success of Rev Gals in part is due to the fact that it is ecumenical, mostly women and there is space to be without the fear of being debated to death.
I've found it a very encouraging place to grow.
I like the Methodist Blogger weekly round up too - but the posts are often more political and edgy. I like that and it helps me be more aware of issues,(not just UMC) but it doesn't really nurture me. It may also be that for men being UMC is more part of their identity than for women. I also don't know enough of the policitics in the UMC in the USA but it maybe (possibly) that UMC women aren't yet comfortable in having their voice heard?
But I do think it's geat that men and women are blogging. I'm not sure we are the new prophets (as Gavin asks) but we are a voice - a Christian voice-and I think that that's good.
Karen's remark about the fighting thing rings true for this female blogger. It's part of why my blog's content is purely a creative writing exercise and not a commentary on religion or culture. It's the chief reason I have never once commented over at Wesley Blog. They're too mean to each other -- in the name of Christian love, of course.
And even though I vehemently disagree with the folks over at Wesley Daily this morning who are saying Pat Robertson has a point about Muslims (guys, have you actually met any Muslims? because it sounds like you haven't, if you're agreeing with Pat), I will continue to keep my mouth shut in that arena. I'm just not interested in taking a verbal beating from my fellow UMs.
I think that the disparity may because of different communication styles between the genders, as some have suggested.
Of course, we don't actually know that Bloggers are the gender that they claim the are.
There was a libertarian blogger about a year back who caused a scandal because she seemed like a hot chick writing witty banter while occasionally making references to a kinky lifestyle. She was enormously popular, until it was discovered that she was a middle-aged man who used the sex appeal of his alter ego to drive traffic his way.
I love blogging and find the RevGal community a really rewarding and supportive one.
I read a blog (by a man) which was wanting women interested in the emergent church to comment so he could develop a list. But he didn't want any that talked about kids, craft, house, friends and emergent church. He just wanted ones about emergent church.
It appears from his next post that he was told a few times that this was how women tend to blog. Ministry is life and life is ministry there is no need to have seperate blogs for different areas of life. This seems to agree with the theory of guys having more topic specific blogs.
It's an interesting difference that seems to exsist between men and women in blogging
Blessings
Revem
Could it be that many of us women are already balancing numerous tasks within our lives and blogging is time consuming? As a 40-something UM seminarian with two teens, husband, and a ministry with youth in a 1400+ member congregation, I recently started a blog for my youth, but haven't really had the time to fully develop it yet. Our staff is struggling to get our IT tools (website, hardware,software, network, etc) coordinated. It is scary to know that my limited skills are way beyond my fellow staff members.
Web research on the emergent church has led me to many blogs and they are time stealers. How do you all keep up? Just wondering.
Beth, I love your spot and have checked it out several times since discovering the link from the GBOD worship page.
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