A patchwork of trends continues to evolve that shows the seismic, albeit somewhat slow, shift in the influence and "place" of women--but perhaps, more significantly the "place" of men as well.
We've all seen the stories and data that women have long surpassed men in college enrollments, graduations, even post-graduate and advanced degrees. Some would say that a draft would instantly change that paradigm. Maybe not.
And certainly the point of this diary is not to advocate that.
For the month of July/August the New York Times has been running a fascinating series of articles--the New Gender Divide-- on American society's shifting gender roles.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
This series includes articles on:
--Small colleges creating football programs to recruit men
--Men dropping out of the workforce completely when their manufacturing/industrial jobs go away.
--Today's article talks about the growing numbers of men without college degrees in their 30s and 40s who aren't married.
Many of these can't marry because of financial instability. Some don't marry because college educated women don't want to marry "down"
I find this fascinating. I know in my own experience, in the workplace, in just a decade, it seems like everyone in authority--except for the very top--is female. (And the glass ceiling question is a different diary for a different day.)
But mostly I'd like to talk about men--with men and women.
We all have brothers, sons, husbands, friends.
What will happen to a generation of men without a draft that has chosen not to go to college?
What are the implications for those of us who care about civic responsibility? Any, none?