Women will lead Generation Y – what will men do?
May 13, 2008 | By Rebecca ThormanI really like alpha males – Hercules is the latest and perhaps greatest example in my line-up. Johannes is another. But these male leaders are not only a dying, but now an unnecessary breed.
Evolution from an industrial to a knowledge economy realizes the day of Hercules – known for strength, dominance, and authority – as fleeting. “Men could become losers in a global economy that values mental power over might,” Business Week argues. The age of force is over.
Issues of dependence and independence, dominance and subordination are largely irrelevant to how emerging young women see themselves, Harvard psychologist Dan Kindlon argues in his book Alpha Girls. “Generation Y is the first generation that is reaping the full benefits of the women’s movement,” he says. “Women corporate leaders blend feminine qualities of leadership with classic male traits.”
Gen Y women have both masculinity and feminity, developing as the best of both worlds. We balance the typically female feeling part of ourselves with the typically male thinking parts. We are powerful hybrids integrating “the intuitive and rational, the tender and hardheaded, the self-sacrificing and self-serving.”
We utilize a “transformational approach that focuses on building a team. The team approach is less hierarchal than the traditional business model. A girl’s primary goal is not to win but to maintain relationships,” Kindlon says.
The way of the alpha girl is the rallying cry for Generation Y. We disdain complex rules and authoritarian structures.
In contrast, men and boys “base their reasoning on how established rules or laws should be applied, rather than on the feelings of those affected by their decisions,” Kindlon reports. “Male children learn to put winning ahead of personal relationships or growth, to feel comfortable with rules, boundaries, and procedures.”
Men and boys with such personality types are not naturally in tune with other people’s feelings, a key to success in the new economy. Leadership that marshals and directs is often observed by young women as part of the dinosaur age.
Gen Y women will lead the new generation to positive and meaningful change. The ascent of women in the workforce will be unprecedented in history, and promises to have far-reaching implications.
We already see more women than men attaining bachelor’s degrees. In 2005, nearly 59 percent of undergraduates were granted to women. By 2050, it is projected that the degree gap will grow drastically.
Jobs are no different. Business Week reports, that “from last November through this April, American women aged 20 and up gained nearly 300,000 jobs, and American men lost nearly 700,000 jobs.” Research also shows that women who are in management make companies more profitable, even among the Fortune 500.
Roles traditionally filled by men – that of lawyers, doctors and managers – are seeing an influx of women. Other male-dominated industries such as manufacturing and construction seem to be perpetually in downturn, while women are found concentrated in upcoming and thriving industries such as education and healthcare.
As men are being hemorrhaged in blue-collar, white-collar, and gold-collar jobs, young women are picking up the slack, becoming both the providers and the glue for families.
The new economy is largely dominated by young women who have unique skills, not by men who have been taught to follow the rules.
“Men are less suited than women to the knowledge economy, which rewards supposedly female traits such as sensitivity, intuition, and a willingness to collaborate,” reports Peter Coy in Business Week. “Men have tended to do better in the hierarchies, following orders and relying on positional power.”
Young men then, seemingly devoid of the meaning and opportunities that once defined them, are left in a prolonged state of adolescence. And this limbo doesn’t bring out the best in young men, columnist Kay Hymowitz argues.
“Men feel threatened by female empowerment,” Hymowitz states in one theory, “and in their anxiety, they cling to outdated roles.”
Today’s young men are “following the line of Peter Pan, ‘I don’t want to grow up.’” Hymowitz argues. “Plus, who needs commitment when there is a fantasy football team league to dominate, the possibility that a gaming product better than the Xbox 360 could be on the horizon, and your live-in girlfriend will have sex with you whenever you want?”
Young men today “suffer from a proverbial fear of commitment,” and this may be the biggest problem – “a tendency to avoid not just marriage but any deep attachments,” leading to a life that is as empty of passion as it is of responsibility, Hymowitz says. For the contemporary guy, it’s “easy to fill your days without actually doing anything.”
The solution? Not a new career, but marriage. Marriage, she says, turns boys into men.
Kindlon agrees. Married men are more successful in work, getting promoted more often and receiving higher performance appraisals than single men. Married men are much less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking heavily, driving dangerously, or using drugs. They are more likely to work regularly, help others more, and volunteer more. Married men also have better immune systems, and are half as likely not to commit suicide.
But women don’t need men like they need us.
“Marriage is generally more beneficial to men than women,” Kindlon reports. “Research found that women who stayed single in their lives seemed to have good mental health, while men who stayed single all their lives did not. Choosing to be single seems to be good for women but not so good for men.”
Role reversal.
This post also published at Brazen Careerist. 18 more comments, opinions and viewpoints there.
All I can say is that I was going to go to sleep early tonight, but saw you posted and had to read it. This article must have taken you a while to write, but honestly, it’s amazing. Instead of all the quotes from businessweek, this piece should replace them.
I agree that there is a rise in women being independent and successful. That statistic about men losing all the jobs is eye opening. I hope Penelope reads this one because it’s right up here alley.
Comment by Dan Schawbel — May 13, 2008 #
Wow. This is quite the post. Let me dissect a bit.
“I really like alpha males… Johannes is another”–Thank you.
“But these male leaders are not only a dying, but now an unnecessary breed.”
–A little overboard, don’t you think? I think the problems facing the world in the 21st century could stand to be tackled by the best leaders, regardless of sex.
I think you’re missing the core of what an alpha male truly is. An alpha male is defined not only by “strength, dominance, and authority” but also by poise, social competence, and intelligence. You imply that alpha males are intrinsically flawed and one-dimensional, unable to adapt. This kind of logic does not hold water–because one is strong and dominant does not mean they are not able to be intuitive or have a sense for the feelings of others. These are not mutually exclusive traits (as the women who combine them demonstrate). A caveman an alpha male is not.
I will grant you that there are differences between men and women, and that some of your generalizations are true. However, I think the conclusions you reach are largely flawed. Will women continue to gain more power, approaching the power of men? Sure. Is that a good thing? Yes. But will women “overtake” men in these measures? Doubtful. Women are at a biologic disadvantage.
What do I mean? Men and women value different traits in the opposite sex. Traits that serve a man well in the workplace (dominance, authority, and power) not only make him effective, but are found to be attractive in a male by females–as you admit in the first line of your post. Therefore, a man with these traits is admired by both men and women. It’s the classic “Men wanna be him, and women wanna be WITH him.”
A woman is at a disadvantage. Men, on the whole, value physical attractiveness and femininity. The same traits that a woman finds attractive in a man (authority, dominance) are off-putting when a man views a woman. Is it fair? No. Is it true throughout every culture known to (wo)man? Yes. Bound to change???
Look at the presidential race. You have fawned over Obama. Women swoon (and vote for him), and men respect his poise, confidence, and verbal fluidity. Meanwhile, the preeminent Alpha Girl (Hillary) is largely seen as abrasive and “bitchy” (and this all before we now must add racist, selfish, and petty). Power in a woman is not valued by men, while women find it attractive in a man. It may be unfair, but alpha males are here to stay.
Comment by johannes — May 13, 2008 #
Hi, Rebecca. This is an interesting post, and it’s sure to get some good discussion going. While gentler times may be ahead for business, I don’t think the age of force is over just yet. This post is speaking to the victory of women in the workplace, about the eminent superiority of women in the industries of tomorrow. This is language of triumph, competition, and hierarchy, though.
Somewhat interestingly, Mr. Schawbel has responded with appreciation of your work, affirmation of your effort, and empathy at the hard work that went into it. He then quickly demonstrates consideration and collaboration by suggesting that the article should be shared with Penelope.
I’m not trying to point out anything in particular about you or Dan other than a convenient example of things being less clear cut than what I hear you suggesting.
While the content of your post suggests that the old regime is fading, the tone of both the post and the first comment remind us that it’s more a blending and meeting in the middle than anything else, members of each sex seeking to meet somewhere in the middle. Men and women work together in marriage as a complimentary team. I imagine the most successful teams in business will feature the best of both sexes as well.
As Dan said, I appreciate that this must have taken a long time (possibly weeks) to aggregate, and you’ve done a very good job presenting a case from a variety of sources. Thanks for sharing : )
Comment by Chuck — May 13, 2008 #
@ Dan - Thanks so much for the kind comment! It took most of a day to bring all the information together, synthesize, and see the patterns… I had more than ten pages at one point, so I cropped quite a bit ; ) It was all inspired by the article “The Slump: It’s a Guy Thing” I linked to in the post.
@ Johannes - Yes and no. It’s such a complex issue.
First off, the research and trends prove that women are better equipped to lead the new generation and economy. So no, I don’t think it’s overboard.
Also, I think Barack Obama is successful precisely because he exhibits the qualities of an alpha female, not the traditional dominance of an alpha male.
Despite being a woman, Hillary is focused purely on winning, not building and maintaining relationships. Clinton is of the old-school dinosaur mold, while Obama speaks to this new leadership style. And that new leadership style - when you look at the new generatio - is primarily exhibited and executed by young woman.
I almost put that in my post, but didn’t, so thanks for bringing it up.
As far as what men find attractive, it doesn’t matter. Women are leading and men will succumb to what we want. This isn’t me just soapboxing; it’s proven in the book Alpha Girls. I’ll lend it to you.
@ Chuck - I think force and strength of a woman are different. I fully expect the genders to meet in the middle, sway back and forth and do a little dance on each other’s lines of what has is generally accepted.
And while we’re still talking about it, young women and men in high school, middle school, etc. aren’t conscious of a real disparity in either direction - a triumph for all of us to be sure. : )
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — May 13, 2008 #
Rebecca
If we are gonna generalize, men are left-brained (more logical) and women right-brained (feeling, intuition) etc. I don’t know any man who would claim that “the research and trends PROVE that women are better…”
or “…it’s PROVEN in the book Alpha Girls.” Illogical statements such as these cause those of us bound by the constraints of making sense to roll our eyes at the women who make them. And as for saying Obama’s only successful b/c he’s acting like a woman? How about saying he’s successful b/c he’s acting like a leader.
And this “As far as what men find attractive, it doesn’t matter. Women are leading and men will succumb to what we want.” It does matter. The governor of AZ, Napolitano, would be a leading VP candidate except that she’s single, unnattractive, and therefore rumored to be a lesbian. It’s holding her back, while a man in the same place would be perceived as a workaholic. Meanwhile, attractive women are rumored to only be where they are b/c of looks (again, you know all too well this to be true).
All I’m saying is that the social structure regarding status makes it much easier for a man to carry a high social status and be admired for it. This can’t be separated from considerations of sexuality. And men aren’t succumbing to women, we’re just not choosing to hold them down anymore
Comment by johannes — May 13, 2008 #
Neurscientists are learning that gay people have brains with both female and male characteristics. So really, we’re the ones with the best of both worlds, not Gen Y women.
But we’ll let you straight folks help us run the world from time to time.
Comment by A.J. — May 13, 2008 #
This article really makes me appreciate my marriage and the male/female dynamic we share. We have what I think is a blending of traditional and unconventional roles.
Where I am emotionally irrational, he is logical; where he is disorganized, I bring order and flow. He cooks and takes care of our dog like a child, I manage the finances and coordinate schedules.
Interesting food for thought…
Comment by Milena Thomas — May 13, 2008 #
@ Johannes - Since we talked about this over email, I’ll say just a few things. I’m not sure why research is all of sudden illogical to you. Research is general rational.
Also, I did say Obama was successful because of his leadership style. His style just happens to resemble alpha girls and/or vice versa.
A lot of this post is also talking about what is going to inform the future, and the young women that are coming of age right now. That Governor may be at a disadvantage now, but Gen Y has only just entered the workplace. Think about fifty years down the road. Things will change. For the better.
@ AJ - Your comment made me laugh. Thanks for sharing the interesting research!
@ Milena - Thanks for sharing the first female perspective! It’s great to hear of a couple who is blending both traditional and unconventional roles : )
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — May 13, 2008 #
OK, but whom do you call to move your furniture? Smile.
In the old days–boomers and before–boys were taught to take care of THINGS and girls to take care of PEOPLE. Those distinct lines have been washed away by time and change for the betterment of both sexes.
I sincerely hope that gains for women aren’t because they are STILL traditionally paid less than men for the same work. Why not hire a woman who can do a great job and pay her less? Even though she’s earned it.
Hillary Clinton is the lesser of the two Democratic candidates because I have a memory of the Clinton years and the continuous sex scandels that came before and during with Bill. Hillary showed me she was not the woman I’d want as my President by accepting and living with his unforgivable public humiliations. She lacks backbone and personal pride. She also lied about some very serious things during her campaign that added insult to injury. I’m ready for a woman President. The World has shown women provide superior leadship. I’m just not ready for Hillary. I DO see a Gen Y WOMAN President in my future.
Barack Obama on the other hand exemplifies the traditional family with family values and lives the American dream. He has taken the high road avoiding the “typical pigs rolling in mud” campaigning. He wants to make a difference in the US for everyone and change our lives for the better. He wants to reach out for World Peace and make the World see Americans as good people again. He is thoughtful, intelligent, speaks with confidence, reason, and I believe could bring the Parties together to accomplish what is needed. And he has a great vocabulary, pronunciations, and wants to serve for all Americans, not just his friends in oil.
He’s my candidate, not because he’s a man, not because he’s a black man, but because I believe he can be a great man.
Comment by Linda — May 13, 2008 #
First off, the research and trends prove that women are better equipped to lead the new generation and economy. So no, I don’t think it’s overboard.
Rebecca, I have no doubts this statement is true, In fact, (and I wish I knew the research that supported this) I’ve heard that women do exceedingly well because of our innate “female” tendencies to be caregivers. We take our jobs very seriously. We nurture them like children.
In fact, I don’t think women have changed at all, on a fundamental level. They have focused their strengths somewhere else.
Just thinking out loud here - I wonder if it will stick. Do you think that some women will grow tired of working and we’ll see a backlash back to old-school roles? Child-rearing, marriage, one income, male as breadwinner? I just wonder. Because that’s the route I’m heading in, and to be honest, I’m the most surprised of anyone.
Although – I think that even traditional motherhood roles are changing. The magazine “Working Mother” is fantastic (the title is misleading, terrible branding, great content) Iand I think applicable to all women, not just mothers. It is chock full of info about being a female entrepreneur, work/life balance, and mothers still having careers - unconventional ones that don’t require them to sit in a corner office, but still “have it all.”
I still plan to work as a future stay-at-home-wife, but I don’t think it will fit the traditional work models either…
Just more food for thought. Thanks for starting this conversation.
Comment by Milena Thomas — May 13, 2008 #
You did a great job with this post! I have to admit, however, that I don’t forsee the predominance of women in this knowledge economy lasting forever. If the men of the world are anything like the men I know, they’ll find their feet soon enough.
I think the article by Kay Hymowitz was interesting but a little too quick to assign attribution for men’s newfound perpetual adolescence. Surely there are more complex reasons than a different economy to provoke men into this Peter Pan-esque state. She assigns men’s reluctance to make long-term commitments to being immature, but since men and women are marrying and having kids at later ages, can’t the same be said of women?
Comment by Erika — May 13, 2008 #
It’s an interesting post, but for me your strong language clouds the point. As a financial analyst and a researcher, I long ago learned that you can make numbers tell any story you want. I haven’t looked at any of your sources, but they all seem to be sources that are trying to sway an audience, and are therefore most likely using a biased approach to presenting their research. I would hesitate to ever say the number and research PROVE any issue around female dominance, the role of attractiveness or any other points in your article. I would be willing, however, to accept, that researchers have CONCLUDED or HYPOTHESIZED about such issues.
My other issue is how you’ve universally painted all women and men with the same thick brush. Think back to physics class when you talked about the different between theories and laws. Scientists are extremely wary to call anything absolute, even things like relativity. As such, I don’t think you can so soundly conclude such soft social facts to be as universally true as you so depict them to be.
Comment by Rachel — May 13, 2008 #
@ Linda - Absolutely. We agree, particularly on what is good about Barack Obama. Thanks for sharing! : )
@ Milena - I’m not sure where we differ. Certainly, it’s our strengths as caregivers that are leading us to lead the new economy in a profoundly different way. There is also research that points that women are also becoming more indpendent and selfish - what have been traditionally male traits. This also helps us. I think the main point is that putting men or women in a defined section or area is no longer applicable. Thanks for the interesting points!
@ Erika - I expect men to find their feet sooner rather than later as well, and the pendulum will continue to swing, sometimes violently, which is why this discussion is so interesting.
I also think you bring up a fascinating point regarding women and their lack of commitment as well - this is another side of the coin I wasn’t able to cover in the post, and agree that women are increasingly putting off commitment as well. We’re all defining an entirely new society. Thanks for the thought-provoking comment!
@ Rachel - Interesting thoguhts regarding reserach. Certainly, everyone can use research for their own viewpoint. And I’ll agree, some sources were biased towards a viewpoint, but that’s why they are presented as “they argued”, “they presented”, etc., not as absolute truths. Other research was clearly not biased. The point is to encourage dialogue, not to have this be the be all, end all post ; )
To your second point, obviously, we can’t generalize that all Gen Y men are the way Hymowitz desscribes, nor are all women the way that Kindlon describes. But these are two important groups that do exist within Gen Y, which is why it’s important to talk about them. Thanks for your comment!
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — May 13, 2008 #
I reject the notion that women will lead generation Y or the new economy. I also reject the notion that men will lead either. Actually the true leader in this “new economy” or any economy for that matter will the be one who has paid the price and done their homework. That’s right, the one who busted their butt to get ahead. That’s the one who will lead. This post obviously took some serious effort. How much preparation did it take? How many late nights did you spend writing a blog post when it would have been much easier to just go grab a drink with some friends instead? To read, write, and communicate effectively is a learned skill that takes work. Hard work. I think people are drawn to leadership that knows what it’s talking about. The leaders of tomorrow will be the ones willing to bust their A** for something they believe in. I know of very successful high school dropouts and very successful people with PhD’s. Both worked super hard to achieve their success and that is the example for leadership going ahead. It’s not about male, or female, old or young, tall or short. It’s about knowing what you’re talking about in a manner that can provide value. I believe the famous quote is, “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity”. Or maybe Henry Ford’s was better, “Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success.” At least that’s my 2 cents. This is good journalism though. Take a hard stance one way and let the dialogue flow.
Comment by Josh Lavik — May 13, 2008 #
Rebecca - I wasn’t trying to differ with you (for once, eh?) I was just writing some things that were not well-thought-out, or articulated, apparently.
Basically, I was just agreeing w/ you, and also wondering if, despite all this potential for women to excel as new leaders, they might want to stay home and be mommies after all…
Comment by Milena — May 13, 2008 #
It’s not the number of your posts…it’s the quality content that keeps bringing me back here. Thanks for another great post. I guess us males will have to work our brain cells a little harder to keep up. I’m up for the challenge!;)
Comment by Mark W. — May 14, 2008 #
@ Josh - Great points, and certainly hard work will take us many good places : ) Thanks for sharing such a good perspective.
@ Milena - Short answer would be yes, for me personally. Yes I want to be a new leader. Yes I want to stay at home and be a mommy. But the mommy part that I feel is very rare. My mother says this will change when my biological clock kicks in. We’ll see ; )
@ Mark - thank you. I appreciate the kind words and encouragement!
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — May 14, 2008 #
The sensationalism in this post really undermines the point that you are trying to make.
As for research, you can’t just quote any research and because research is magical have it back you up. Think about how many ways a lawyer can twist facts and then apply that to your argument.
Here’s the problem with the whole thing: Every man in the world is expected to enter the work force at some point but we still live in a world where some women never do. Of course as women move towards the workforce in droves and claim back their rightful 50% of the top jobs it will look like men are getting pushed out and women are taking over when in reality they’re just working their way back to equilibrium from a previously male-dominated world. Getting to equilibrium is a much easier task (even though its been really hard) than taking over the other half of the top jobs.
Comment by Brad M — May 14, 2008 #
Generalizations like these are why women are not taken seriously. Good thing someone invented blogs so this irrational piece of misinformation (i.e. this “research” that “proves” that women are “better”) can get published. Cite a few more magazines to “prove” your point next time so I can laugh longer and harder on your “research” skills.
Comment by Jim — May 16, 2008 #
Your observations are perceptive, if a bit theatrically stated. I’d argue that neither gender has a lock on the skills and temperments needed on a global basis. Don’t judge men on their strength or women on their child-bearing potential. Judge each according to the environment in which their skills are applied.
Comment by bill reith — May 16, 2008 #
As an unmarried man, I think I should just hang myself because unmarried men are aren’t even men, we’re just heavy drinking mental midgets who will accomplish nothing without women. What would we ever do without women? I don’t know-probably do whatever we want, when we want, and whomever we want to do it with. Did you ever think that married men in the study are like that because perhaps they’ve been castrated (figuratively) by their female partners?
I’m not afraid of the advancement of women, just completely annoyed by cherrypicking self-righteous elitists.
Comment by Ross — May 16, 2008 #
Some good points, but too many generalizations, and some missing factors. The shift from modernism to postmodernism is part of this. The fast changing culture is also. The Cluetrain Manifesto does a good job of pointing out the transition from mass communication from the top to conversation on all levels. I will agree that the cultural shift does fit, in many ways, with how women communicate and work.
That said, among males, of which I am one, there are plenty that act strong and authoritarian, but the number of leaders, those who take a stand, have conviction, make decisions decisively, inspire confidence in others. Male leaders are lacking, and that is tragic.
“Male children…feel comfortable with rules, boundaries, and procedures.” Really? If we are going to generalize, men are more often the adventure-seekers, women the ones who desire security.
Also, extended adolescence goes for both sexes, as does fear of commitment.
Comment by Seth — May 17, 2008 #
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Rebecca, you have a knack for getting me worked up in your posts, adamently disagreeing you, and wanting to call to tell you how wrong you are after reading the first 2/3rds of your posts. And then you pull the rug out from under me with the last 1/3rd and I’m in complete agreement.
Ladies, if you don’t know whether you’re talking to a man or a child, ask what they think about marriage and kids. You will know in five seconds whether you have a grown-up on your hands or a glorified high-schooler. For whatever reason, more than a few women are willing to have sex on demand, live together (with all the related domestic duties attached thereto), have their higher earning power pilfered by a man, and then actually wonder why they’re not yet married! True feminism says no to that setup; if you’re in a dating relationship ladies, you’re not doing any favors if you let him have the milk for free; demand that he pay for the cow with an engagement ring and a wedding date. You’re worth it, and if he won’t pay it, he’s a child anyway.
Comment by Lyons — May 27, 2008 #
Rebbecca,
Interesting. I have to say, I am a little disappointed. I have always thought that the Y Generation would combine the best of what has gone before - taking the optimism and we can change the world with a true partnership between men and women. It sounds from your article that women are going to take over the business and leave men behind in the dust. I believe that men and women bring out the best in each other. I am a strong leader, CEO because of the support I get from my husband. Throughout our careers, we have “taken turns” on whose career would be moving ahead. By doing this, we have both been able to have successful careers, a successful marriage and raised two wonderful sons who are becoming incredible men. My hope is that they will be able to find women who are true life partners.
Comment by Christine — June 3, 2008 #
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Women will lead Generation Y – what will men do?
Lemme guess DRIVE THE INFORMATION AGE like we have been doing since it started. A lot’ve guys are dropping out of Tertiary education to start their own businessness. Saying alpha males is on the decline is another false statement I’ve heard about generation Y.
Comment by Matt — June 28, 2008 #
Rebbecca,
First I am a GenX male, let’s say close to the middle of 30s. I was in University was just when the second have of the second wave of feminism kicked off (post Thomas/Hill trial) My school had it’s own scandal before I got there and got a head start as a feminist PC experiment.
My premise is that many (not all) GenY men have been subjected to the excesses of “Feminism Gone Wild”(many lawyers too) in treating maleness or boys as the enemy both cultural and in schools as well as curriculum changes that I was only subjected to for four years for let’s say an extra decade.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/100299/4_year_old_accused_of_sexual_harassment.html
For some reason I don’t think they were taught or allowed to actually become full men as the system told them that was bad, so the became like “Peter Pan” as you say.
http://www.amazon.com/War-Against-Boys-Misguided-Feminism/dp/0684849569
Strangely besides some of the societal and workplace PC crap gone too far that annoys me, but doesn’t change me…I found observed this phenomenon myself by accident…as well as an underlying feminist backlash from these GenY men with strong misogynist and sexist tones.
I was dragged onto Facebook by my sister and friends to stay in touch and document my life apparently. Being very political I got excited about the US Presidential Primary race and joined groups to discuss it and other unrelated issues.
Then I started seeing the shoveling of what I call “Hillary Hate” from these mostly Obama supporter men and regardless of your opinion of her…as I pealed back the layers it really seemed like she was just a symbol to them of all the constraints and negative crap that from their standpoint feels like oppression of their gender coming out rampant at the acceptable target of Hillary.
Similarly I noticed that these GenY men seemed to act far more childish then their age would suggest. Not all of course, but it did seem like far too many taunts, rants and tirades were coming from them and they had/have hair-trigger emotions. There was always a few exceptions, but it was only made more stark in comparison to the GenY women.
The GenY women of all ages seemed to be much older than their age would imply. Far more interested in a conversation or debate over a rant. I even mistook a high school girl on a board as a College Debater trying to bait me, because here school name was really close. I had many good discussions on the boards with these GenY women. (well and lots of others too;)
I think I found that not only were they respectful (vs. some really annoying GenY male trolls while we were trying to determine the fate of the free world), but I got the distinct impression that men their age didn’t treat them with respect or let them actually talk, let alone listen as often as they would have liked.
So beyond the Feminist second wave (mostly Gender Feminism) that ended up lifting up young women and pushing down young men in GenY, perhaps there was two other influences as well.
1) Testosterone levels have been dropping like a rock in men/boys for the last 20-years.
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/newscience/reproduction/2006/2006-1210travisonetal.html
This might delay puberty and/or suppress some normal male development…generally bad for men.
2) Related to 1) The age of Puberty in Women has been getting younger:
http://www.livescience.com/health/070904_bad_puberty.html
Most likely cause of both in my opinion is chemicals and hormones in our food and water supply.
Maybe the GenY men are being like “Peter Pan” in their twenties because they felt repressed as men in the youth, maybe it’s hormones or chemicals or maybe they avoid responsibility in a world that said no matter what happens it is always going to be their fault.
Comment by James — June 30, 2008 #
HAHAHAHAHA! Why do you think such a thing? We’ll continue to explore better, play sports better, be smarter AND make more money then you girls! There’s nothing you can do about it either!
Comment by We're here to stay so deal with it! — July 16, 2008 #
Its been quite refreshing the last 6 weeks…that is, without Ms. Thorman spewing her obnoxious, immature, and misguided garbage over the Internet. This post is a prime example of the worthless (and sexist) opinions expressed on Modite.com.
Comment by Michael Nello — July 17, 2008 #
[…] Hercules moved away. I don’t feel left behind by Hercules, but by my own life which seems to have somehow escaped me. I am beginning to feel engulfed by this when my friend Maria Antonia comes over. […]
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