I am thinking "men" and "women" would be better as the pleural "males" ("males felt more likely to..." is a bit of a mouthful, although we could repeatedly use "*male students* felt..."
I'd appreciate your advice.
I would prefer to use male and female then men and women because it sounds more scientifically correct. Especially in the case where a student is a male in the official record but identifiable to a women in social appearance, the use of male is more scientifically correct than using the word man which connotes a social impression. And vice-versa explanation for the word female and women.
In reporting on students examining the work of other students, you can use the terms man and woman if you want to emphasise that they are adults.
Thank you all, an answer from a social scientist friend on facebook: Amy Spatz
Male students and female students or male participants and female participants. More suitable for academic writing in the social sciences - because it takes out gendered stereotypes and expectations more than 'men and women'... Are these students all really 'men' and 'women' - especially if they don't even identify themselves as such? Possibly not -these terms are defined in different ways in different cultures and places - they are 'gendered' terms. So, in academia we typically try to refer to 'sex' type rather than gender because it's more factual that they are males and females (unless they are transsexual, hermaphrodites etc etc). Putting the students or participants back in there gets around the issue of possibly dehumanising them by just saying male and female which isn't ideal either.
I think that male and female participants is the most appropriate way to describe your students. I identify much more readily with female than women, to a degree because of gender but also because of age. I am in absolute agreement with Amy Spatz's rationales.
I hope this helps your deliberations.
If the paper is related to studetns I think boys and girls can be used.
It will not be author's biasness if he/she uses male, female, woman, women etc.
I would say, in academics, we prefer male and female participants..and then you address the gender differences...
To me: "men" and "women" sounds better than "male" and :female".
I would say " men" and "women" sounds better for adults and "boys" and "girls" for children."Male" and "female" would refer to the gender binary ( two options; male and female) and limits the definition or the specifics, eg; male teachers or female accountants which is quiet a mouthful..
I prefer to use "boys" and "girls" for university students; but I,m not sure it is the best choice or not.
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