Show 407: The End of Men and The Rise of Women

The End of Men and The Rise of Women

Audio here!

Everything that begins must end.  Last month on ETFF, author Tim Wise warned us of the looming demographic shift which will soon make White Americans the minority in the United States.  This month, journalist Hanna Rosin tells us the end is near for another group: men.

In The End of Men and The Rise of Women, Rosin lays out how a shift in dynamics on several fronts have allowed – or in some cases forced – men out of their traditional roles and responsibilities, including moving from roles associated with brawn. Women, on the other hand, are “on the rise” according to Rosin – making measurable gains in various areas and undergoing their own shape shifting: adopting characteristics typically found in “male territory.” This movement is not contained to the United States; Rosin presents evidence that traditional gender roles around the world are blurring and bending.

Rosin writes that though she began the book “thinking that we were heading into a woman’s world” that “would reflect some set of ‘womanly values,’ ” she found that assumption to be a “story we tell ourselves to make the current massive upheavals in gender roles seem tamer and more predictable.”

In this interview, she elaborates on the changes in the middle class, economy, education, relationships, and even violence and how we must continue to adapt as we move into this new world.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *