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?”
This really is good: “What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women?”
No reason to think men and women should equally suited to the regimented life under soul destroying bureaucracies and top down driven management.
Are women better suited to putting up with BS? Yea, verily. Gee, I feel like having a good cry.
When I start a project I put women aged 35-60 into as many key roles as I can. Basically, they get stuff done and require far less management than a guy their age. It’s not an absolute, but in general it’s true.
More pussy and less work for future males. It’s a win-win scenario.
Sounds good for now the work of the men can do by a women is not possible that women Taking Over The World.
How can you tell if your dog or your wife loves you more?
It depends on what you mean by ‘taking over the world’. This is a story about America. The upper echelon of politics, wealth and force in the world (and America) are still overwhelmingly dominated by men.
I wouldn’t bother asking the question until the majority of women see fit to elect a woman as president, I guess that is the most obvious example that ‘women’ are not a single entity and other differences are more important than their shared genitalia.
The point of not discriminating against a sex is that hopefully the best person will rise to the top, if some women are better suited than all men then so be it.
Whats more interesting is the unintended consequences of technology. Everything is interactive. What set of circumstances favors women over men and vice versa? When those circumstances are met, the relationship will of natural consequence change.
when women are freed from the major constraints of child bearing and rearing, whole different potentialities come to the front.
So what will society look like when in essence women don’t need men to achieve the majority of their wants/needs?
I love the whole field of “unintended consequences.” So interesting.
To amplify/clarify/demostrate my point, the literature is already filled with the challenges to successful women. For various reasons, they don’t get married or remarry as often as unsuccessful reasons. They tend not to marry beneath their social status.
Men being dogs not so picky.
With women already in control of the sex game, what happens when they are on top of the political and money/power game as well?
Organized sports and tv can only take us so far.
I am a woman, so I’m getting a kick out of this. Seriously, though, all my life I’ve heard other women say they’d rather raise a family of boys than girls. So this is an interesting change.
Once the technology becomes available for women to carry their own clones, there will be no need for men at all.
OK fine – more women in charge. Just don’t let Sarah Palin or Carly Fiorina take ANY kind of public positions, please. The idea is to preserve the republic folks.
And yet, they still earn less than men AND still have to tackle with less restrooms. Pointy haired bosses with boobs are still pointy haired bosses.
Can we end affirmative action yet?
Yet the universities and the feminists keep insisting that we need special programs for women, that girls are being disadvantaged in schools, etc.
Lynn–isn’t that “idea” completely irrelevant to this thread?
Correct me otherwise.
# 13 RSweeney – Can we end affirmative action yet?
And alimony?
Let’s face it! We’re toast!
lynn, those mother-daughter teen years are so much fun. 😉
“I love the whole field of “unintended consequences.” So interesting.”
Too true. We’re like monkeys pounding on computers with rocks. And we think we can change the balance of Nature.
Thanks Rich. Yes, that is exactly what we are doing: changing the balance of Nature. Thru technology and the relationship between the sexes. Who know for what net/net good or ill? All too objective other than see that change is indeed afoot. And all change brings dislocation and pain. Again who knows for good or ill?
Pragmatically, I can’t imagine a world filled with just males. I can imagine a world filled with just females.
Pro’s and Con’s to every decision made.
#20–that would be subjective.
So you MEN are just figuring this out??? …..this is only just the beginning of our take-over…
giggle!!…and they’re just now figuring this out…giggle!!!
Hey Christina–how directly do you recognize all your progress is based on cheap energy?
Giggle indeed.
This explains why the economy is in the shitter.
I know a lot of these career women. And they’re all miserable by the time they hit 40 with no baby, and no man.
yuk it up, ladies!
You can pay them less!
http://nytimes.com/2010/06/10/world/europe/10iht-sweden.html
I wonder what sex brings about more innovations? Sure I know there are women inverters and such. But as a whole are men more likely to bring about shifts in paradigms or is it equal to both sexes…
Put them both in the trunk of your car, and, four hours later, let them out and find out which one is happy to see you.
I’m not completely sure why but I’m not seeing a nearly equal male/female ratio in classes any more. There are more females than males.
#29:
Because the girls get special treatment while the boys get medicated.