One of the most essential ways men and women differ is in their approach to and understanding of sex. But an increasing number of men believe they are just as likely as women to be subject to discrimination based on their gender. Research continues to show that in most circumstances, women are far more likely than men to experience discrimination. Popular understanding of the nature of gender discrimination has also changed. For example, young men today care less about being viewed as masculine than their fathers and grandfathers do. Notions of masculinity and femininity are changing, and so is the importance Americans place on embodying traditional masculine or feminine types. Women also spend a greater part of their day thinking about God and the amount of suffering in the world.ĭespite these enduring differences, what it means to be a man or woman in American society has evolved.
Women-and young women in particular-express greater feelings of insecurity about how they look and how they feel about themselves than men do. Men and women also differ in how often they report personal insecurities. Men spend more time playing video games and report a greater interest in politics, while women are more likely to pick up a book or meditate. But even as we wrangle over why men and women approach politics, sex and sexuality, and relationships differently, there is evidence that in some places the gender gap is growing larger.Ĭertain differences, such as habits and hobbies, are not difficult to identify. Recent research suggests that Americans remain divided over the sources of gender differences, suggesting that the issue is likely to remain contested. Some of the evident differences are likely culturally prescribed, while sources of others may lie more in distinct biological or physiological traits. While some differences between men and women are readily apparent, the nature of gender differences has been a source of enduring debate. In American society, the debate over the degree to which men and women are different continues to serve as a cultural and political flash point.