Philosophy Now Forum

It seems that if women's status has gone up, then men's had gone down.

So some questions would be what do we mean by status? In whose eyes? Would this trend continue or has it gone far enough? (I don't think so - in the US, women make 77 cents on the dollar that men do). Etc.

What do you think?

PhilX

Philosophy Explorer wrote:It seems that if women's status has gone up, then men's had gone down.

I should hope so! Extreme disparity tends to cause extreme discomfort for all concerned. When men had all the power, they had all the responsibility - were dying of stress and high living at 55, while the women they had bossed around went on to 80.

So some questions would be what do we mean by status?

Basically, it's one's place in the pecking-order. How many in your society you have to kiss up to; how many you get to kick down at. Wealth, power, freedom and influence.

whose eyes?

Not so much in the eyes as in the actual transactions. Who gives the orders? Who obeys? Who gets their own way? Who has to give way? What does the beat cop call you - "Hey" "Mac" "Sir" or "Pardon me, Sir"?

Would this trend continue or has it gone far enough? (I don't think so - in the US, women make 77 cents on the dollar that men do). Etc.

About half-way to parity, the backlash began. The backlash is still going strong, and possibly growing stronger, while the progress toward parity pretty much stopped in 1985, or at least slowed to imperceptible. Privilege is never ceded without a fight.