Why is my question still off topic?

Question

I have a question about my History Stack Exchange post: Is there any historical reason why women don't go topless in public just like men?

I've edited my question after initial feedback. Is there still something wrong?

Answer 1

I don't know; the community decides what is on topic/off topic. I'd suggest you compare the question to the two references found at how to write a good question. I'll offer a couple of additional opinions/reactions to the question; it is up to you to determine if they are useful.

1. There is no preliminary research. No evidence that you've attempted to solve the problem. No evidence that you've considered alternative explanations (e.g. weather, climate, etc.) No evidence that you've compared the actual frequency of toplessness among men and women. No evidence that you've considered the contexts in which toplessness does occur. (e.g. Burning Man, protests, etc.) Lack of preliminary research frequently results in question closure. Questions without preliminary research communicate "I want to discuss....", not "I have a question that I'm trying to answer...."

2. Related but distinct - why don't North Americans go topless (why are you asking about only one gender? As one of the commenters points out the ability to go topless can be quite distinct from the preference to go topless. Addressing this question would help to convince me that this is a sincere desire to answer the question rather than an attempt to discuss/provoke/elicit response.

3. I'm not going to speak on behalf of a community I'm not qualified to represent, but I have a hypothesis. I haven't tested this, but I strongly suspect that a casual conversation with any female acquaintances will reveal that going topless in public is likely to result in unwelcome behavior. (I'm not saying that this is appropriate; I'm saying that there are men out there who will interpret topless women in a context that is, perhaps, not intended). There are probable consequences for toplessness that I imagine are not entirely positive. If I were interested in the question, I'd be interested in the relative importance of comfort, fashion and other factors in women's apparel choices. This question ignores all these factors, which suggests that the intent is to provoke, rather than to find an answer.

4. Not everything that happened in the past is history; not everything that happens in history is significant. There is no attempt within the question to suggest that the question or the answer is important or significant in any way. This contributes to the impression that this isn't a sincere question.