In Costume
So, looking around my workplace today, I find myself wondering:Â Is dressing in costume for Halloween a gendered activity?
Excepting those persons in the workplace who of necessity will be meeting with customers and are expected (and instructed) to dress in business attire, the numbers of males and females in my building are (roughly) equal in numbers and very similar in terms of age, education and social status. None of the men are in costume; an overwhelming majority of the women are in costume.
Thoughts?
October 31st, 2007 at 11:11 am
Our office used to have a “Halloween parade” for those brave enough to come in costume. The gender balance was 50/50, if I remember how it was last year. But the bosses finally nixed the parade, without explanation of course– probably they wanted people to work instead (they can always hope).
October 31st, 2007 at 11:46 am
I usually dress up for Halloween at work, but this year I’m sick, so I’ll be lucky if I dress up tonight.
October 31st, 2007 at 2:16 pm
I notice more grown women than men dressing up, but I’m not sure if it’s a big enough sampling to get an overall idea.
I do see more men dressing up these days as opposed to 10 years ago . . .
October 31st, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Jenni - I’m not certain I have a statistically significant sample to work with but I do think it is consistent that more women than men wear costumes to work. But, it also seems men welcome the opportunity to wear costumes to parties and so forth. I also think that more women will attend school halloween festivals and so forth with their kids than do men, and they wear costumes to those events then need to return to work.
October 31st, 2007 at 4:50 pm
I’m never dressed as the real me.