I envisage a working gynarchy emerging in the following way:
- the bottom line is economic. Men are adapting less effectively to new economic realities, and this will make the formal idea of equality irrelevant. Whatever the source of male failure, there is no sign that men can close the gap opened up by the competitive advantage of women. Once the remaining obstacles to female flourishing in the workplace are removed, it will be the norm to see women as the principal earners & the effective producers in society. This may take several generations, but the pattern is set. Within the household, female superiority will simply be accepted.
- This will create many transitional problems, notably the kick-back of men as they see their privilege diminishing. This will take the form of toxic masculinities & new forms of female oppression. This will ultimately however work to further the cause of female supremacy. It will demonstrate beyond doubt the dangerous & anti-social tendency of masculinity, & the apparent addiction of men to these harmful behaviours. Coming at a time when women have increasingly taken economic power, such behaviour will become subject to harsher social disapproval & legal penalties. The notion of men as in need of correction & control, in order to prevent harm to the more valuable section of the community (women) will become irresistible in its force and logic. The idea of ‘equality’ will be seen as a failed experiment that simply allowed male toxicity to perpetuate itself.
- Over time enlightened men will see female control as socially beneficial, and the only way to guarantee female flourishing. Only when a majority of men have been de-toxified (this may in fact never be possible) will the idea of men taking positions of responsibility be viable. As for male economic uncompetitiveness, again this may be a permanent feature of late capitalist society: ironically only a gynarchic post-capitalism might rescue them from the consequences of their economic dependence.
None of this will be easy, and all of it will be contested, but male failure is so deeply entrenched that it seems a plausible outcome.
- the bottom line is economic. Men are adapting less effectively to new economic realities, and this will make the formal idea of equality irrelevant. Whatever the source of male failure, there is no sign that men can close the gap opened up by the competitive advantage of women. Once the remaining obstacles to female flourishing in the workplace are removed, it will be the norm to see women as the principal earners & the effective producers in society. This may take several generations, but the pattern is set. Within the household, female superiority will simply be accepted.
- This will create many transitional problems, notably the kick-back of men as they see their privilege diminishing. This will take the form of toxic masculinities & new forms of female oppression. This will ultimately however work to further the cause of female supremacy. It will demonstrate beyond doubt the dangerous & anti-social tendency of masculinity, & the apparent addiction of men to these harmful behaviours. Coming at a time when women have increasingly taken economic power, such behaviour will become subject to harsher social disapproval & legal penalties. The notion of men as in need of correction & control, in order to prevent harm to the more valuable section of the community (women) will become irresistible in its force and logic. The idea of ‘equality’ will be seen as a failed experiment that simply allowed male toxicity to perpetuate itself.
- Over time enlightened men will see female control as socially beneficial, and the only way to guarantee female flourishing. Only when a majority of men have been de-toxified (this may in fact never be possible) will the idea of men taking positions of responsibility be viable. As for male economic uncompetitiveness, again this may be a permanent feature of late capitalist society: ironically only a gynarchic post-capitalism might rescue them from the consequences of their economic dependence.
None of this will be easy, and all of it will be contested, but male failure is so deeply entrenched that it seems a plausible outcome.
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