"The End of Men" - How relevant north of the border?
 

A new book written by former Atlantic columnist, Hanna Rosin, called "The End of Men" is getting a lot of press in mainstream media such as the Economist, the NY Times and in our own media outlets such as the Globe and Mail.

http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Men-Rise-Women/dp/1594488045/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348150813&sr=8-1&keywords=end+of+men
The main argument is that as a result of major changes in the economy (i.e. the shift from a manufacturing and industrial economy to a service economy), women are now becoming the dominant players in society. Women have the soft skills to succeed in the new economy (communication, analysis, etc.) and men are having trouble adapting. Also, women are graduating from post-secondary institutions at higher rates than men, seem to be more ambitious than ever before, and have higher-paying jobs. The shift in power to women has resulted in women having to marry down (or not marry at all), an explosion in single parent families, and a generation of men who have no role models and are increasingly become withdrawn.

My personal take is that while the thesis is interesting, it seems to apply only in a "middle class-white persons" world. Young men who belong to ethnic groups in Canada remain motivated and remain high-achievers. In my particular circle of friends and associates, nearly all of my friends did well in school and now have jobs with salaries substantially higher (20-100%) than the Canadian average in their cohort. Yes, women have caught up in terms of education and earning power, but if you look at most major companies and public sector organizations, men are still dominant at the top. Moreover, my experience is that young men still remain more ambitious than women in terms of lobbying for promotions and taking risks.

Anyway, this forum has been a little dead and since this book deals with gender relations, I figure it might be a good topic to discuss.

LOL tell the gov of China to read this book and see what they say.

I've been working in the oil industry for almost a decade now and in my opinion oil pretty well controls the world. I RARELY see women anywhere near any decision making rolls. Could just be an old fashioned industry though.

25 years old is considered old in China.
also, girls in their 35+ zone, they are not allowed to be in speed dating in HK as they are old and no guy would wnat to marry someone in their mid 30s.

lastly, even i have people saying, go marry someone whe you're in ur 40s, you'll get more solid options and marry someone 10 yrs younger.

Canada is different from the US in that there are still sectors of the economy in which men can play a traditional role - like the energy sector (and I'm not talking just about the tar sands, but natural gas and other energy sources.)

I think ethnic women tend to be pretty risk-averse when it comes to their career choices. Many end up in health care or education, which can lead to a relatively safe middle class lifestyle (they probably peak in the low 6-figures), but how many are in the boardroom closing deals? How many are partners in law firms?
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