When people refer to tragedies why do they say women and children not humans

Mackdude15 · 2019-12-26T22:10:17+00:00

The death of women and children is perceived as a greater tragedy.

You know that

TruePolarWanderer · 2019-12-26T22:14:52+00:00

The word man used to be the word humans. So saying mankind in late germanic is the same as saying humankind now. It probably started before the word human existed and has carried over. Just like "haven't got a pot to piss in".

2019-12-26T22:10:27+00:00

Because if you were to put dollar values to people, women and children would be more valuable than men. That is how society looks at us and it seeps into news media in forms just as you described.

feltentragus · 2019-12-27T16:12:30+00:00

At one level, simply because headlines including the phrase "women and children" sell more newspapers, get more viewers, get more clicks. More (whatever) = more $$$.

At a deeper level, it's because of our psychology, and the different expectations we have of men, women, and children.

We are a group-social species. Altruism is wired into our genes. We're motivated to help save other people because in doing so we help those genes to survive, promoting human genetic diversity. At the same time, we're inclined to give help where it's seen as being most needed. That's only common sense: if you help someone who's capable of getting out of trouble by themselves then you end up saving fewer people than if you prioritize trying to help those who otherwise wouldn't make it.

This is where the "women & children" thing kicks in. Part of being a man is being seen as having *agency.* Agency is the ability to affect the situation, to make changes and to do things. Men are expected to get involved, to take charge of the situation, to be useful, and to effect change. Men who don't do these things are seen as "unmanly." There are costs to being unmanly: you're likely to suffer violence or shaming as a direct result (social policing), and you'll have more difficulty persuading or leading other men, and are more likely to have difficulty making your opinions heard.

Children, of course, are not expected to be in charge of a situation. If they manage it, great: we praise them and make much of them. As we should. But if the best they can manage is to hide under the table while the adults punch hell out of each other, then fair enough: no one blames them.

Women, unlike men, are not *required* to get involved in a dangerous situation. They may get involved if they choose, but if they don't, then they're not considered "unwomanly." So there is no social cost to her.

The thing is, that to be a victim, things have to happen to you that are outside your control. But because men are seen as having agency, they are not seen as victims, and do not get any sympathy.

All of which is a long way of saying that a woman getting punched is seen as a victim, while a man getting punched is seen as a weakling.

2019-12-26T22:52:08+00:00

Because society sees women and children as more important than men. I agree when it comes to the kiddies, but the woman thing is sexism at its vilest...

http://thepigmancometh.com/2013/06/04/only-women-bleed/

Title	When people refer to tragedies why do they say women and children not humans
Author	[deleted]
Upvotes	29
Comments	6
Date	December 26, 2019 9:58 PM UTC (6 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/eg1na4/when_people_refer_to_tragedies_why_do_they_say/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/when-people-refer-to-tragedies-why-do-they-say.1201839 https://theredarchive.com/post/1201839

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