The Advanced Role of Modern Women Has Not Made Them Happier

[beechnut79]

While women have come along way since the Women's Lib movement of the 1970s, and many more have become advanced professionals--doctors, lawyers, CEOs, etc., these advances have failed to really make them happier as a whole. Enclosed is an article I found on that subject for discussion purposes only. In fact, women's happiness declined while men's level of happiness remained relatively stable, despite the hubbub over an angry white male syndrome, which I believe persists mostly among the formerly unionized blue collar culture, which now seems to have all but disappeared. I can recall when folks from women's organizations picketed the Miss America pageant as a supposed symbol of male chauvinism and oppression. Duh! It takes much more than a pretty face to become Miss America. But bowing to public pressure they have eliminated the swimsuit competition, which I personally think is silly because you can find plenty of young women in swimsuits at any public pool or beach. What might be considered is to whether something like the Miss America pageant is something that has outlived its usefulness. It originally began in 1921 as a way to extend the beach season in Atlantic City. What I am guessing is that it will hang on until the centennial year in 2021 and possibly die shortly thereafter.

As collective humanity, what is our identity? The gospel according to the authors of the 4T book suggests that during a 4T gender roles will once again widen. But I have not seen any real evidence of that to day. Most of us whether male or female, black or white, straight or gay, are not happy with the current state of our country and how we're seen around the world. And, no, this cannot be laid solely at Trump's feet because we have been heading toward less total satisfaction with our lives for nearly a half century now. Would this more or less perpetual malaise reflect this self-image wounding and may it also suggest we've spent too much time fighting about the wrong things? Do you feel that it's time to give up what can't be won and champion what can?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...gender-gap

[pbrower2a]

The best defense of tradition is that it more readily fits human nature than does daring innovation.

I am tempted to believe that women developed unease about their roles when they started to compare themselves to the spectacular successes among themselves. When learned women were largely confined to the professional 'ghettos' of teaching, social work, nursing, scientific research, and secretarial work they had few glaring successes to create envy. Women truly dedicated to a career rarely 'won men'. Now that women can become accountants, engineers, physicians, attorneys, and political leaders they get on their own the inequality that men experience.

But this isn't the whole story. Inequality has been intensifying. Part reflects the monopolization of American industry, and the rise of bureaucratic elites within such industry to protect monopolistic profits whence comes their gravy train. Small business has become less a reality in America as the giant corporations gobble up what used to be small-scale banks, retailers, and fast-food eateries. 'Consolidation' of farms imply that the small family farms are being swallowed up into bigger farms.

We have been moving around more, and we don't get to put down roots. Maybe the miserable hick town in which I live would not be so miserable to me now had I not lived in other places and had instead dedicated myself to developing the subtle relationships that make small-town life meaningful. Eventually the music stops in "musical chairs" and we get stuck where we do not want to be.

Someone always finds a way in which to get our disposable income, some more respected than others. The town in which I live has plenty of fine old Victorian houses, yet people with new money commission the building of dreadful McMansions, edifices without historical justification (elements of medieval castles do not belong in a country that never had them). Who needs multiple roof lines? Who needs a turret? Is there anything less useful than an atrium? These places have incredibly-bland color schemes, and they are more showy than private. Just imagine being a child in one of those -- lots of space, yet utterly lonely.

[tg63]

The final sentence of the article is telling, as it pretty much makes the rest of the article moot ...

Quote:Declining happiness among women may seem depressing. But who ever claimed an expanded consciousness brings satisfaction?

[Hintergrund]

Feminists promised women half of the world, if not more, and happiness to boot. Their promises are worth as much as Bernie Madoff's.