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A persons identity means more than people initially realize. Who we are, not to mention what we are, affects the way we are treated as human beings. Identity plays a vital role in society, especially in the case of gender. The world is traditionally a patriarchal society, historically, men run the show, receive all the privileges, and enjoy all the benefits; however, Rachel Sylvester, writer for the Sunday Telegraph in England, wrote an article that sheds new light on the subject of male domination. In her 1996 article, Sylvester tries to convince people that women are making a strong ascent to the top of the social ladder, while men are fumbling their way around at the bottom. Sylvester begins the shocking fact that in 1995, there were more reports of discrimination to the EOC (Equal Opportunities Commision) from men than there were from women.
She then mentions that in the United Kingdom men are forming movement groups in retaliation to their discrimination. Is the discrimination of men that widespread? Are women passing men on in the gender race? Statistically, it seems quite possible. Sylvester proves her point first by stating results from a British medical journal which claims that the sperm count in men is falling so fast, that in sixty years, mens reproductive organs will be obsolete. She then concludes mens identities as breadwinners of the family have virtually been destroyed (2) According to Sylvester, men and womens participation in the work force is now equal: womens percentage of employment has increased by thirty-eight percent; mens has fallen by twenty percent.
She then claims that men are no longer in control of marriages: three fourth of all divorces are initiated by women. Also, mens suicide rate is now four times greater than womens. Sylvester claims, there has been a swap, between men and women over paranoia in the way they look. Men are becoming anorexic and checking into plastic surgery clinics in the thousands (2), while women are now learning to be less obsessed with physical appearance. Sylvester's article includes Warren Farrell the only man to have been elected three times to the National Organisation of Women in New York.
Farrell left the group because he feels the womens movement has gone too far and honed victim hood to a fine art (2). Farrell refutes the claim that women are discriminated in the work place in his book, The Myth of Male Power: by stating that the reason men are earning more is because they are putting in more hours on average than women. A man does an average of forty five hours per week compared to a womans thirty six. He also refutes the claim that men abuse their spouse more than women by citing numerous surveys which prove that women admit they beat their husbands, an accusation that is hard to take seriously.
Sylvester includes these interesting points to convince her reader to accept her new theory of new female domination. But, in my opinion, there are other sides to her argument that she failed to mention. many of her points. In response to her statistics on the increase of females in the work force and the decrease of males, it seems to me that it is common sense that if one group increases in numbers, the other group must decrease. As the majority in the workforce in previous years, if more women are working, which i believe they are, the mens percentage would rationally drop. If the male percentage were still rising, then it would not be equal.
Sylvester's claim that seventy five percent of women initiate divorce; this in my opinion, does not define a loss of control in the marriage. In my view, the one who needs to file for a divorce is the one who lost control. As for her suicide conclusions, both men and women attempt suicide. Perhaps the men perform it more efficiently. Rachel Sylvester brings up interesting and valid opinions on the movement toward female domination. She provides evidence and statistical information to support her theory; however, it is still only a theory, and I disagree with it.
I think that some men would agree with Sylvester because many do not recognize the privileges that come from simply being male. People tend to take for granted privileges which have always been there. I believe, however, that women have made gigantic leaps in their gender identity and that the balance of power between men and women is becoming more equalized. On the larger scale, however, until mens centrality in all the most powerful institutions in society is not inevitable, women cannot become the dominant force, at least not in American culture.
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Research essay sample on Men And Women Work Force
