An Irreparable Divide Between Men and Women? Pt. 1

 I would like to quickly make a personal disclaimer concerning the title and topic of this entry: first, I recently was exposed to the new noun "womxn" which among many other purposes, serves to bypass the inherent sexism of the word "women" (wo-men, fe-male; get it?). I really like this word as I have always felt... feministic disgust? from the second half of "women". However, as I am criticizing society as seen from the traditional, patriarchal viewpoint, I will continue the use of "women" at this time. 

Second, I do not believe any divide in humankind should be or is necessarily irreparable. But given the mindsets of the men I work with and the stories and perspectives I will be sharing below, it seemed like a good question to throw out into the universe. Will there always be a considerable fighting force of traditionalist patriarchal figures who refuse to consider the world from any other angle, and refute female-led arguments in favor of a natural equality among humans of all identities? 

I could honestly write about seven more paragraphs just preparing the reader for my opinions and viewpoints concerning gender norms and societal roles/expectations within the binary gender issuance. But I would really just like to get down to brass tacks: the way a group of conservative men behave and talk during breaks on construction sites.

Spoiler alert: the answer is exactly what you would anticipate. Their words and beliefs are so predictable, I was amazed that somehow I felt an area in my brain awaken in response. I am going to lump together two separate subjects that have a surprisingly obvious connection: marriage and prostitution.

All of the men I work with are either married or engaged. This seemed odd to me from the beginning as I would consider them all to be subpar specimens. But beyond that, not a single one of them displays personality traits conducive to monogamy or child rearing. They all despise spending time with their children and complain about their wives who expect them to participate in said children's' development. More to the point... the way they speak about their wives puzzles me. They expect these women to take care of the children, cook all the meals, do all the shopping, complete all the chores (laundry, house cleaning etc.) and complain when their wives don't have a full time job. Better yet, they still have these housewife-y expectations of the women and complain MORE when she does have a job and needs them to watch the kids or, Gaia forbid, do their own laundry. How many times have I heard multiple men whine that they had to wear such and such garment today because their wives failed to do laundry the night before? Countless times. How many men groused about the food their wives prepared and packed in their lunch boxes, inevitably throwing it out? All of them. I realize that my explanation and understanding of their marital relationships is paltry at best. Even the intimate relationships of our closest friends and family cannot be understood by an outside party. However, this does not exempt them from being criticized for the things they repeatedly say in public spaces to professional coworkers. Additionally, it is a clear indication of how they  view the social roles to be played within their homes; AKA strictly divided along gender lines. These descriptions are but tidbits. I only seek to paint a picture of their world through their own words. My next diatribe will expand further on the subject of matrimony among construction workers - why I believe such men choose to tie the knot (beyond the obvious explanation that they want someone to keep house for them).