Are we witnessing the feminization of America? And if so, is that a good or bad thing, or is it, like so many quiet but ineluctable trends, a combination of the two?
Perceptions of feminization come from some unexpected quarters. The (mostly) free market economist Tyler Cowen sees it as a long-term trend, going back to the suffragist movement a century ago and women's inclination to prefer the perils of peace to the risks of war. "You might argue that I had the best of both worlds," he reflects as he nears 60, "namely to grow up in the 'tougher' society, but live most of my life in the more feminized society."
As an academic, he lives in an increasingly feminized environment. "A Generation of American Men Give Up on College" is a front-page Wall Street Journal story this week.
In postwar America, men outnumbered women on campus, with many veterans taking advantage of the GI Bill of Rights. In the post-Vietnam decades, that trend reversed. In the past five years, as higher education enrollments declined by 1.5 million students, men accounted for 71% of the drop. The sexual assault kangaroo courts set up by the Obama administration's "guidance" probably contributed to this decline.
In the 2020-21 school year, 59% of college students, and 61% in private four-year schools, were women. And women are more likely to graduate as well, with 65% of women matriculating in 2012 getting a degree within six years, as compared to 59% of the smaller number of men.
It seems we're headed toward a society where women outnumber men by 2 to 1 in higher education, by an even greater proportion among college graduates and even more among holders of postgraduate degrees.
But as contemporary feminists point out, that doesn't necessarily mean that women are running things. Historically, college graduates have made much more money than nongraduates, but that gap seems to be narrowing. Men still dominate the ranks of billionaires, CEOs, and, by narrowing margins, major politicians.
It seems male and female graduates seek out different career paths. Half of law and medical students these days are women, but women choose less demanding and competitive specialties. Women are hugely dominant in veterinarian, social work and education schools. Professionally, they are large majorities in caring professions such as nursing and in what one might call the "Karen" professions -- corporate human resources departments and university diversity, equity and inclusion bureaucracies.
In effect, biology keeps trumping feminism. Despite the claims of biological men who believe they are women, only biological women can give birth and nurse babies. As Charles Murray notes in his 2020 book "Human Diversity," even women with very high IQs and unlimited career prospects often stay home to care for their infants and young children.
Nor are political causes associated with feminists gaining strength. While American opinion has shifted massively on same-sex marriage, it has remained static on abortion. Most voters favor substantial limitations on abortion.
Abortions per capita peaked way back in 1980, and the actual number of abortions has been declining since 1990, even as the nation's population has risen 33%.
As conservative radio talk show host Erick Erickson points out, Democrats' reconciliation package is geared toward feminist ideas of what women want: subsidized day care and preschool, paid family leave, more money for public schools and free community college. It recalls "The Life of Julia," the 2012 Barack Obama ad showing a female cartoon character going to preschool, getting free birth control and low-interest student loans, and ultimately receiving Medicare and Social Security without any spouse or partner except government.
But "the trendline research that's out there right now, across the board," Erickson writes, "shows moms aren't going back to work." That may be one reason why many jobs have gone unfilled, even in states which cut off the Biden Democrats' supplemental $300 unemployment subsidies. Mothers seem to be turning to home-schooling as enrollments in public schools, shuttered last year by teacher unions, are not rebounding.
Erickson speculates that "particularly in married households, (women) can survive on one income or can do something from home. Many have started Etsy shops or gotten into crafts and can sell stuff online and supplement the family income." And they can save the money they used to spend on work clothing or commuting.
I take Erickson's comments as speculation rather than as hard trends. But he raises the possibility that the feminization of America will not produce a society along the lines that either feminists or their cultural critics expect. And that may render some of our caustic arguments increasingly beside the point.
Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.
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26 comments:
Does this idiot get paid for his insane thoughts? Who buys this garbage?
Right now I believe that anyone could walk in and take right over.
It led us to the beta, college educated males voting emotionally instead of along policy in the 2020 election because orange man hurt their wittle feelings with his mean tweets.
What in the name of fuck is this drivel? And it is about 25 years too late anyway with all the they/them stuff now anyway.
I hope KF is getting paid to publish this rubbish. A waste of 1 minute to even read it. This guy would be a good Tinder for D.L. Gardner.
Slow day in the news, Kingfish? Why are you posting this garbage?
In the words of Peter Griffin, "Who the hell cares?"
Here’s another fun fact for you thanks to liberals. Women dominate Marxist groups across America and are some of the most violent extremists ever seen. In states ran by democrats especially in north western areas violent attacks on anyone seen as a threat happen daily.
I enjoy the National Review. Don’t always agree. There’re some pseudo conservatives who haven’t worked in the real world but there are also some true conservatives and a couple of libertarians who ask good questions. Civil discourse has declined so much that articles like this are hard to accept for many.
RMQ
Most women love to chit-chat with a feminine male but that's about it. They're not attracted to them in the long term and don't respect them in the short term.
The real man will never go away no matter how hard the left wants to demonize and diminish their existence. As a matter of fact, the male will come out on top just about every time when challenged.
Bet on it.
The real endangered species is real men that are fathers, heads of households, family providers, and have a moral compass.
Sissy ass pussies suck. (see first several comments)
Most of you puss-heads who pretend/claim to not see it coming are either in on it or have your heads in the sand. We've been facing this incoming train for at least 25 years. Get mommy to take you down to the corner shop for a button-front cap or a pair of suspenders so you can watch the soccer game in style...not play it, mind you, watch it.
Beta males and Alpha females have crept into our midsts for decades. Women run Rotary, women run manufacturing, women run the schools, the trains, the truck lines and the industrial recruitment groups. Boys are encouraged to not play ball, not to get bumped, to avoid carrying pocket knives and to let girls saddle horses. Campfires are out and don't get caught building a treehouse. Nels Olsen sells the groceries and June Cleaver tells the principal to back his ass off Beaver.
Yep, it's been a long time coming. Just look at what China has to say about feminine men appearing on television. Ain't happenin'.
If you read the WSJ article that gave birth to this drivel, you'd realize that the "men" who aren't going to college are squatting in their parents' basements, playing video games, working part time delivering pizzas or cutting grass, and "feel lost". In other words, the FATHERS and mothers of those young men need to kick them out of the house to finish growing up. Don't blame women for "feminization" of men. If such a trend even exists, then men have done it to themselves. The attitude that women are wrong to pursue higher education and good paying jobs and should stay at home, pregnant and barefoot, comes straight from the incels. I guess this garbage is the new conservative "woke" movement.
This is the kind of garbage that lowers IQ points. The comments section to this article is a perfect illustration.
Appointments that is what feminization is doing. Want to get a haircut, make an appointment like it’s a friggin beauty salon. Need anything other than an oil change or tires rotated, make an appointment.
The days of walk-ins are done.
What is the buzzword the betas and the bi-sexuals like to use, toxic masculinity?
Why don’t some of you put your son in some football pads and play football with him. Knock him down a few times so he can get right back up. Just like life.
Maybe bringing the draft back would help. Those yellow foot prints ripped a lot of boys off their mamma's tit. Of course there will always be bone spurs for little boys with silver spoons in their mouths.
"I enjoy the National Review. Don’t always agree. There’re some pseudo conservatives who haven’t worked in the real world but there are also some true conservatives and a couple of libertarians who ask good questions."
I used to. When they were paid off by Google to massage a story, I stopped. I knew it had been corrupted. Duckduckgo it if you don't believe it.
Starting a piece of written work with the word "ineluctable" tells me everything I need to know about this shift+F7 writer.
Garbage.
Well, just look at Gov Tate ! He's doing the circuit talking crap about Dementia Joe....meanwhile IN HIS OWN STATE the very same thing is happening. The ONLY Republican Governor to not stop mandatory vaccine mandates. As lmp wristed as one can get !!
I'm not sure whether you deniers are just 'pitiful' or 'woefully dangerous to our society' in the long run. You pretend, "Not in my house BY GOD!" Those who are willfully ignorant of their surroundings are just as dangerous to us as those who simply pretend to be ignorant.
"Toxic Masculinity", although imaginary, is a real thing, once dreamed up and given wings. Many of our enemies are imaginary. They get ginned up to the point where the weak believe they exist on every corner, under every bed, in every board room and locker room and behind the gasoline engine of every male. If you are not aware of the number of women out there who resent, even detest their own husbands, brothers and male children and the power they perceive males to possess, you need some group meetings.
Toxic masculinity (like many other made up victimhoods) was created to give the kiddos today an actual fight to rebel against.
The sad fact is that many youths have been taught by Hollywood, professors and politicians that they are indeed severely oppressed.
They could not locate any actual oppression in their charmed little lives to justify the angst and rage that they were entitled to and longed to wage war upon...so they created the narrative that bullying, strong males and law enforcement were the real enemies.
That faux-war has made a lot of people more powerful and is far more monetarily lucrative than personal responsibility. So, on it rages.
It is manhood that fosters independence and femininity that embraces dependence, deny it all you want but it is the way of nature. The leftists activists want to replace manhood with government authority and this is part of the plan. It's working.
Honestly, this article just makes me sad.
If there is any feminization of men, it's in articles like this by weak men who are scared to death of their own mediocrity being exposed by women.
“Good men” and “strong men” don’t necessarily go hand in hand. It’s much easier to be a “strong man” and feign bravado than it is to be a “good man.” You can be both, but most people assume that a “strong man” is always a “good man.” Why do so many “strong men” get offended so easily?
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