Traditionally, the building trades (carpentry, masonry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC) and automotive trades have been viewed as male-oriented professions. Luckily, I've noticed a trend of more women becoming involved in these trades, eespecially when taking into account that many college degrees are not necessarily suited to the workplace. In my hometown, the local community college also offers one-off classes for the general public to increase knowledge in various areas. My brother reported that when he took an "automobile 101" type course, the majority of the class consisted of ladies. I grant you, the class was mostly "here's how to change your oil and brake pads, here's how to flush the fluids in your car, here's how you change the air filter" type stuff, but considering doing this stuff saves a lot in labor costs, it makes sense to be interested in it for folks who like to be frugal. The more educated a woman is as a consumer, the less likely she is to be ripped off by someone shady who thinks that because she's a lady, she doesn't know anything about vehicles or their maintenance.

Or perhaps specific personality types are drawn to different professions; have you ever noticed how firefighting, law enforcement, and nursing/healthcare seem to run in families as a preferred profession? Considering the relatively low pay in comparison to the higher risk of bodily harm, it's a wonder that anyone chooses these careers. And yet in many families,iit's practically a tradition. I wonder if that is because certain personality traits are passed down in families, leading subsequent generations to find these professions a good mesh with the skills and innate abilities God gave them.

Different skill sets can actually improve one's performance in crisis management, and I'm not too sure that certain skills/abilities can be learned; a protective instinct towards others appears to be something that one is born with, regardless of sex/gender. Take parents for example: the overwhelming majority of parents, male and female, would take a bullet for their child (as it should be!). There is a minority, though, who lack that protective instinct and beat or otherwise harm their child horribly. That can't be learned behavior, that goes against all nature! So seems to be with a protective instinct towards member of society ingeneral -- either it's there, or it's not. Training can help sharpen it, but cannot bring it into existence.

Because I work a different shift than my husband, I do those things you mention. Opening stuck jars is an easy thing, and many times what looks difficult or impossible from one angle can be finagled and finessed into working if viewed from a different perspective. Often, the problem solving is the fun part!

In a related question, Lori, did you ever hear of a TV show in the 1980s called "MacGyver"? The hero of the series used "outside the box" thinking (and valid science - that's how I learned chocolate in sufficient quantities can inactivate sulfuric acid) to solve problems that appeared impossible and to save the day against incredible odds. Anyway, all this discussion about emergencies and problem solving put me in mind of way back when I was a kid and how delightful it was for my dad to use "MacGyver" as a jumping off point to reinforce the science and problem solving aspects of the show. And now this tangent has made me really nostalgic. :-)

I must respectfully disagree with your assertion that men are calmer and more rational than women in emergencies. Firstly, the majority of nurses are women, and many physicians, police officers, and emergency medical technicians/paramedics are women as well; their training teaches them how to triage and prioritize in stressful, life-and-death situations. Folks who work in these fields (as well as firefighters, who still tend to have a male majority) are trained to think clearly and retain critical thinking skills in emergencies. This is specific to the professions, not to the sex/gender of the person in that profession. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a female nurse. My specialty is psychiatric nursing, which means I work with some patients - not all, bit some - who can and will become aggressive or violent when they are in crisis. This means I go to work every single day prepared for emergencies that may threaten my well being as well as the health and safety of others. It is absolutely essential that I can stay calm and focused during these moments of crisis.

Secondly, it has been my experience that there are two kinds of people in a crisis: those who can compartmentalize their fear/panic and shove it into a little mental box to process after the crisis passes, and those who have not learned or been trained to do so. Again, this doesn't depend on the genitalia a person has; it has everything to do with their life experiences and any training (official or casual) they may have received.