Spring Break
Insight to the modern woman
Gender equality has improved greatly, but it is an ongoing endeavor
Amber Dillon
Issue date: 3/5/04 Section: Lifestyles
Though the thought of ending up alone is enough to drive some women to the local singles bar, they seem to be more worried about missed professional opportunities.
"In the [partnership] scenario, we compete with other women, but in careers we are competing with men, too," Marren said, adding that this is a good trend and competition strengthens people. "It so narrows the scope that the highest achievement would be landing a man with lots of money - not only does [not doing this] free women, it frees men to look at them differently, as equals."
But today, are women pushing past that equal mark to something even more fiercely independent?
In the February issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, writer Ruth G. Davis says there are many ways in which today's social shifts are making men feel obsolete.
Davis says it starts in high school, where girls make better grades than boys.
As a result, women receive 57 percent of all bachelor degrees from American colleges and will soon be awarded more post-graduate and doctoral degrees, too.
Davis says that this trend is making some men feel uncomfortable and frustrated, much like the way most women felt 40 years ago.
According to Davis' research, women are now doing things alone that they used to wait to do with men.
This includes buying real estate and experiencing childbirth.
More than 30 percent of all births are to unwed mothers, she reported.
But Marren said if women are really beginning to believe men and partnership are becoming obsolete, they are not completely grasping the socioeconomic world they are entering.
"Most people are not anchor people - they are not making the kind of income that makes that economically easy," she said, adding that not only is it economically demanding to raise a family solo, but emotionally demanding as well.
"It's becoming more of an imaginable option to go it alone - that may be true for both women and men," Marren said. "But at the same time there are conservative sentiments I hear among my students - they want families [so] that wouldn't be an appealing option to consider."
"In the [partnership] scenario, we compete with other women, but in careers we are competing with men, too," Marren said, adding that this is a good trend and competition strengthens people. "It so narrows the scope that the highest achievement would be landing a man with lots of money - not only does [not doing this] free women, it frees men to look at them differently, as equals."
But today, are women pushing past that equal mark to something even more fiercely independent?
In the February issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, writer Ruth G. Davis says there are many ways in which today's social shifts are making men feel obsolete.
Davis says it starts in high school, where girls make better grades than boys.
As a result, women receive 57 percent of all bachelor degrees from American colleges and will soon be awarded more post-graduate and doctoral degrees, too.
Davis says that this trend is making some men feel uncomfortable and frustrated, much like the way most women felt 40 years ago.
According to Davis' research, women are now doing things alone that they used to wait to do with men.
This includes buying real estate and experiencing childbirth.
More than 30 percent of all births are to unwed mothers, she reported.
But Marren said if women are really beginning to believe men and partnership are becoming obsolete, they are not completely grasping the socioeconomic world they are entering.
"Most people are not anchor people - they are not making the kind of income that makes that economically easy," she said, adding that not only is it economically demanding to raise a family solo, but emotionally demanding as well.
"It's becoming more of an imaginable option to go it alone - that may be true for both women and men," Marren said. "But at the same time there are conservative sentiments I hear among my students - they want families [so] that wouldn't be an appealing option to consider."
