The End of Men

In her 2012 book, “The End of Men,” Hanna Rosin described a modern American dynamic between archetypes that she called “Plastic Woman” and “Cardboard Man.” Twelve years later these comic book characters that represented American women who made miraculous social progress in the 20th century and American men who stalled out still rings true. If men aren’t breadwinners, and they’re not caregivers, either – what are they for besides donating sperm?

How we work provides evidence for the ascendancy of the plastic woman. There are many professions that have gone from all-male to mostly female, and almost none that have gone the other way. Men gravitate towards blue jobs – traditionally masculine physical jobs in construction, utility work, the trades or some kind of skilled manufacturing. Men could move more quickly into roles now open to them – social worker, nurse, teacher, full-time father – but they hesitate because of the perception that these jobs are not sufficiently manly. 

Despite the rise in female power most corporate CEOs are men. In addition, women in tech jobs often feel uncomfortable in a male dominated profession and struggle to attain leadership positions. The question, “Is it the glass ceiling that is holding women back or a choice women make not to compete for high pressure corporate jobs?”  My sense is that despite cracks in the glass ceiling it still exists in corporate America.  However, I believe many women, especially those with children, do not want to dedicate their entire lives to climbing the corporate ladder and look for occupations that lead to a better work/life balance. In addition, women continue to avoid blue jobs despite their high earning potential. When was the last time you dealt with a female plumber, electrician, HVAC tech or automobile mechanic?  Apparently, the female XX chromosome disposes women to helping professions while the male XY chromosome leads to choosing physical/mechanical careers.

Social class also seems to be playing a role in employment decisions.  My observation is that young men whose fathers or close male relatives are in the trades – especially if their father owns a business – are content with pursuing a career in the trades and avoiding college. Noteworthy is the data on college dropouts. In public universities, 66.2% of women graduate compared to 60.2% of men. In private nonprofit colleges, 71.9% more women graduate than 64.6% of men. This data is further skewed by the fact that in 2023, women made up 55% of undergraduate students and 59% of graduate students in the United States. The gender gap in college enrollment has widened since 2011, with fewer young men pursuing college. What is keeping many of these young men from training for available good paying blue job when they reject entering college or completing a college degree? 

In a modern society we cannot continue to see so many men failing to thrive. Non college young men who do not enter the trades are left with low paying service or unskilled jobs and gravitate to toxic masculinity to fill the void of hopelessness. Older men who have lost manufacturing jobs due to automation and globalization often turn to drugs, depression and suicide. I Implore our education system and the media to pay considerably more attention to redefining masculinity so that young men and older men feel that the “End of Men” has not arrived. We do not have to neutralize masculinity in order to achieve gender equality.