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'He-Cession' Is Death Knell for Male Dominance

Recession has sped end of 'era of male dominance'

By Caroline Miller,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 29, 2009 2:45 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Macho men caused this recession, and they’re going to pay the price: for the first time in history, they’ll cease to be the dominant force in society, writes Reihan Salam in Foreign Policy. Signs of the turning tide can already be seen in the US, as male-dominated industries like construction get hit hardest by the “he-cession,” and stimulus money goes to female-dominated health care and education.

“As women start to gain more of the social, economic, and political power they have long been denied, it will be nothing less than a full-scale revolution the likes of which human civilization has never experienced,” Salam writes. But macho men aren’t going to give up their top-dog status easily, and the shift could be “wrenching, uneven, and possibly very violent”—though most of the battle will be “in hearts and minds.”

'The era of male dominance is coming to an end,' writes Salam.
'The era of male dominance is coming to an end,' writes Salam.   (Shutterstock)
The recession has hammered male-dominated industries, Salam writes.
The recession has hammered male-dominated industries, Salam writes.   (Shutterstock)
The macho male culture is losing its grip on the world, Salam writes.
The macho male culture is losing its grip on the world, Salam writes.   (Shutterstock)
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For years, the world has been witnessing a quiet but monumental shift of power from men to women. Today, the Great Recession has turned what was an evolutionary shift into a revolutionary one. - Reihan Salam

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
fancygapva
Jun 30, 2009 7:49 AM CDT
@ clearsight: Clearly you have been blinded by an overabundance of testosterone. No problem. Estrogen in excess makes people crazy too. I do disagree about the limpness of our President's wrist (or any other part of him, from the obvious chemistry that he and Michele share).
fancygapva
Jun 30, 2009 7:43 AM CDT
Who is to say that our author with a middle-eastern name isn't a woman? If so, I'm afraid she's dreaming. As soon as there is money to build, it will be men building. As for Wall St. I am personally not going to trust them no matter what's beneath their skirts or pants. I've lived through too many times when it seemed that women would be the dominant force in society. I don't see domination by either sex as a really good thing. As Rodney King memorably said as the riots fired up when the cops who beat him (dominated him) were ruled Not Guilty "Why can't we all just get along?"
nathanielfoster
Jun 30, 2009 2:11 AM CDT
Macho men caused this recession? Where is the data behind this statement? I thought it was white collar bankers giving out loans to people who should not have received them and which created a lending freeze which, in turn, slowed spending on a consumer level. How is attacking some kind of gender archetype even pertinent to this situation?

Save the men!
USA Today

'We can only fix it together'
American Prospect

Salam discusses the piece
NPR

 
women • men • culture • recession • revolution • male • alpha male • dominance • women's issues

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