In a groundbreaking study by Penn State and Ohio University (The Myth of Men’s Stable, Continuous Labor Force Attachment: Multitrajectories of U.S. Baby Boomer Men’s Employment by Adrianne Frech, Jane Lankes, Sarah Damaske, and Adrienne Ohler), researchers have unveiled the complex nature of American men’s workforce participation. Contrary to the long-held view of steady employment, only 41% of baby boomer men followed a consistent work trajectory. This finding challenges traditional notions of the male breadwinner role and its impact on men’s health, social status, and economic stability. Context The study published in Socius critically reassesses the ‘lockstep progression’ of men’s employment, traditionally seen
Nobody is saying that women are inadequately equipped for those roles, they are observing that women don’t choose those roles, even when barriers are removed. It’s not a coincidence that everyone is clamoring to bring equity into the C suite and boost women enrolling in STEM programs, but nobody is trying to bring equity to mining jobs, janitorial services, garbage collectors, etc.
I’ve met plenty of women employed in trades and manual work for whom the misogyny and likelihood of assault from their male counterparts was and still is absolutely a barrier to their equal participation.