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Gender Roles Without a Doubt Feminism Has Changed Male-Female Relationships. |
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Feminism--theory that men and women should be equal politically, economically, and socially.. Before the feminist movement, most men and women had very different relationships from the men and women of today. At this point in relationships of men and women, the typical man and typical woman could be envisioned on a seesaw. The man was held at the top partially by his ability to win at the money-making game, but mostly by the efforts of "his financially-dependent woman." |
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She manipulated this man by building up his self-esteem and feelings of masculinity. After all, she knew full well which side of her bread was buttered and her mama had taught her how to play this male-female game well. After all, this was her only "source of power." |
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What happens when one person abruptly gets off a seesaw? The other person falls to the ground with a thud. Somewhere during the rise of feminism, many women got off the seesaw. Their men fell to the ground! Some men picked themselves up, dusted off their butts, and got on with life, albeit increasingly a changed life. Some men got angry. The really angry men took this animosity out in
Other men just mumbled and grumbled while a few took off to foreign countries in search of a more traditional (subservient and adoring) wife. Certain forward-thinking men joined the females in theory and some of these even joined in practice. And more than a few men smiled all the way through the sexual revolution. Although women have not yet reached equality in employment or in many relationships, the force of the feminist movement is well known. Years ago Michael Korda wrote in his book Male Chauvinism, "In a mere 25 years, American women have changed the whole nature of society." "Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or
geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, good mother,
good looking, good tempered, well groomed and unaggressive."
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