A former Women & the News student just sent me this: a David Brooks column discussing a new book titled The End of Men. The column--and the book--offer an interesting contrast to what we've discussed so far in this class. Gender stereotypes may persist, but research suggests that it's women who are more successful these days.
Why do you think women are adapting better to the new economy than men?
I can definitely relate to this article. My father is one of those men who "clings to the old ways" and doesn't adapt easily. My mom actually told me the other day that their bank just introduced new ATMs, (the ones where you can walk up and deposit checks directly into your account), but my dad would not use them until he knew exactly how it worked. My mom thought he didn't want to go up to it and not be prepared or feel like he didn't know what he was doing, so he asked her to call the bank and ask about them. They ended up emailing my parents a ppt that explained how the ATMs worked and my dad studied it until he felt comfortable enough to try it on his own. I commend my dad for at least trying it and not writing off the whole technology change, but it seems like a huge waste of time when you could just walk up and follow the on-screen directions. But to each his own, right?
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