Earlier this year, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. Most managers are now women too. And for every two men who get a college degree this year, three women will do the same. For years, women’s progress has been cast as a struggle for equality. But what if equality isn’t the end point? What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women?
In the ’90s, when Ericsson looked into the numbers for the two dozen or so clinics that use his process, he discovered, to his surprise, that couples were requesting more girls than boys, a gap that has persisted, even though Ericsson advertises the method as more effective for producing boys. In some clinics, Ericsson has said, the ratio is now as high as 2 to 1. Polling data on American sex preference is sparse, and does not show a clear preference for girls. But the picture from the doctor’s office unambiguously does. A newer method for sperm selection, called MicroSort, is currently completing Food and Drug Administration clinical trials. The girl requests for that method run at about 75 percent.
Even more unsettling for Ericsson, it has become clear that in choosing the sex of the next generation, he is no longer the boss. “It’s the women who are driving all the decisions,” he says—a change the MicroSort spokespeople I met with also mentioned. At first, Ericsson says, women who called his clinics would apologize and shyly explain that they already had two boys. “Now they just call and [say] outright, ‘I want a girl.’ These mothers look at their lives and think their daughters will have a bright future their mother and grandmother didn’t have, brighter than their sons, even, so why wouldn’t you choose a girl?”
I always thought it was odd when women were referred to as a minority.
Also , weren’t women the bulk of the labor force
in the middle of WWII? Most of the able bodied men were overseas.
P.S. Can some one who understands economics PLEASE tell me why for most of US history,
one man working 40 hours could pay for his
food/housing/transportation/health care/taxes/
utilitys etc , AND his wife AND 2 to 3 kids.
Now the spouse has to work , the kids need
part time jobs, the dog has to be rented out
to a medical testing lab….
What has _fundamentally_ changed?
Is it people who think most other people make
around $150 per hour?
Rosey–when any groups numbers in a given acivity are less than 50%, they are properly referred to as a minority. So, what activity are your thinking of?
Regarding our declining standard of living, economics gets difficult very quickly but basically that would be supply and demand and a slow destruction of the USA middle class by foreign competition AND life style choices.
If women would only stay at home cooking and cleaning, sewing their own clothes, working from sun up to sun down, then many more males could provide the cash needed for those now more limited cash needs. But women choose not to be slaves to hearth and instead flood the market place with double the employee’s that would otherwise be available.
A nice interactive multi-factorial social weave of issues.
#31:
“why for most of US history, one man working 40 hours could pay for…”
People weren’t living beyond their means as much back then.
Try telling anyone under the age of 40 that they should put a 30% cash down payment on a new house.
They’ll laugh in your face.
It’s all part of destroying the United States. You can draw an almost direct line between our decline as a power and the rise of women within our workforce and political establishment. Women are mean, little minded things that usually can’t get along with anyone. In general no three women can work together or get along with trying to totally destroying the third.
Look at Hellary at State, Poloonsie in Congress, or at that older waste at State under King George Bumsit. While each admin is a traitor to the people of the United States they also have shown just how stupid our upper elite are, not just can be.
When women rule the world there will be peace, it’s be Rest In Peace for everyone.
Whatever…………………………………
Traaxx
“What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women?”
Then the Muslims will probably cite that as one of the reasons they did away with it.
Can’t quite put my finger on it Traaxx, but for some odd reason I get the feeling women aren’t exactly flocking to you.
My wife tells me women have always ruled the world.
Uncle Dave, I’m thinking a Michael Scott style walk of shame.
# 15 bobbo, new age caring guy from the year 3525 said, on June 12th, 2010 at 8:43 am Lynn–isn’t that “idea” completely irrelevant to this thread?
Correct me otherwise.
Bobbo, sorry to be late in responding. The article said “Ericsson says, women who called his clinics…[say] outright, ‘I want a girl.’”
So, to break it down for you, the article says that the women are requesting to select sperm leading to female children. My “idea”, as you quaintly term it, is that I have more often heard women express a desire for male children. So, as I said, this is “a change” based on my personal observations.
OK? Hope this was not preying on your mind all night.
Lynn–fair enough. So, the more generally interesting question is which do you value most: your personal experience or some published article?
IOW–what do you think the truth is right about now? Left to their own druthers, would women rather give birth to and raise more girls than boys?
Note to those who care. It is interesting what would happen after a few years of say 75% girls being born. The population would change. Would boy babies become more valuable, or would their lack of value be confirmed?
Is this playing God in favor of mother’s preferences a worthy experiment?
Yes, lots of interesting things follow from what may be facts. One rule of history: societies fail when they become so civilized they choose or become unable to fight for their survival.
I see a pendulum swinging back and forth, signifying nothing.
bobbo, all those girls would marry Chinese boys since the opposite is true there. They’d have all the money anyways.
qb–I’ve heard the chineses boys have trouble getting the few girls now because they seek a subervient help mate. I don’t know how many rich, successful, and independent American women looking to raise a clutch of more girls would really be seeking a male–authoritarian or otherwise. Isn’t that the whole point of the OP?
Not what Chinese Males might want, but rather what American Women want?
So much for humor.
personally I wouldn’t want to take over a world that continues cycles of abuse and corruption. As a woman I want to create a new one! One in which people are valued and ‘seen’. Where there is no money and we live closer to the earth without abusing it!!!
The men can have the world they created!!! I don’t want it thanks.
PS. I have five daughters and one grand-daughter!!!
Gaiamethod? That is precious. Yes, thats the world I would rather live in too. I wonder what the carrying capacity of the earth is at that desired intensity?
Look the only reason women are where they are is because men are allowing it. Take a look at under developed countries and see what roles the women play. If men wanted to take everything they wanted from women we would do it simple as that. Who in the hell is going to protect you anyway? Yourselves? I’m all for equal rights and women getting fantastic high paying jobs, but shut the hell up with it already. Women should already know that like I said if we wanted your job we could take it by force and put your ass back in the kitchen.
You know this could all be avoided if we would treat eachother as equals. No one is better than any other. Then you have the two primary sides I saw. On one side we have the steriotypical male. Only cares about sex, stupid, and disrespectful. On the other side we have females that could accidently set a domino effect that could lead to the end of all humanity. So on anyside you lose. Me, all I want to do is live and let live. Equals are equals after all.
Men can have the world that “they created.” men and women worked together to create this world. Men may have controlled the resopurces but women were raising the kids. Who is responsible for them?
You sound as if men created a bad world. Are you forgetting all the contributions men have made? All the sacrafices we have made for our families? if you can blame the “bad world” on men its only because we have been in control most of the time. if you control everything then you are responsible for everything. It comes with the job. Are women ready to take responsibility for this world now that they are gaining power? I don’t think so. Women oinly want to be equal when there is an advantage in being equal. They want the rights and priviledges and options of being equal but not the resposibility. 9-11 was the perfect example. We were attacked and our country was in trouble and MEN went to the recruiting stations to help out. Where were the women? Whats wrong with women going to the nearest recruitment station and saying, “my country is in trouble what can I do to help?” When you have babies you can not afford you blame men and play the helpless female card and get food stamps and subsidized houseing. We divorced dads get jail. there are more women voters than men…lets see you do something with that.