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I think we're going through a transition period with the social construction of the male gender in American society. It's difficult to put into words precisely what I mean, but I will try. In the past, men were raised to believe that they needed to be the breadwinner, and that they could expect to have a wife that would take care of the home and the children. As women have entered the labor force, expectations of men have changed dramatically. Men are not only expected to still bring home some of the bacon, but they are expected to step up when it comes to household chores and parenting, so that their wives don't have to work the second shift. Similarly, this idea extends into mental health issues; men are receiving conflicting messages about what it means to be a man. Do you share your feelings or don't you? Popular media says one thing, self-help books another.
This is a huge paradigm shift in what it means to be an American male, in what that identity is. I see a clear difference between men of my father's generation and men of my generation. One positive thing I see is more willingness on the part of men to be active parents.
I wonder if others have seen the same phenomenon.
One thing Zincenko's piece didn't mention was the fact that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act almost exclusively puts money towards projects with occupations dominated by men, and that men are the ones who stand to benefit most from the stimulus money being spent.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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