It’d be easy to assume that progress, when it comes to gender equality, is linear, and that it’s welcomed by all.
But a new study has revealed that young millennials, as in those who are currently finishing school, actually align themselves with more traditional gender values.
The research, that was published in Trending Towards Traditionalism? Changes in Youths’ Gender Ideaology, examined over 40 years of data on the attitude of high school leavers towards family, relationships and work.
And what researchers Joanna Pepin and David Cotter found, was that while we might expect each generation to get more progressive, today’s youth (it could be argued) are not.
In fact, many of these young millennials feel as though it’s more beneficial for men to be the main breadwinners, and for women to look after the housekeeping, even if they also work.
In addition to this, half of the final year students studied felt that men should make all the important decisions in the family, a return to a more traditional way of doing things.
Pepin explains that despite their views on home life, millennials do believe in things being equal in the office, and expect to be paid the same as a man for the same work.
As Brit + Co rightly put it, the big question around this study is ‘why?’ but more research will be required to answer this.
Pepin does go some way to explaining this phenomenon herself though. She says that while more money and power for women in the workplace is good for the whole family, men see little benefit to them having more to do around the house.
“What’s the incentive for doing that?” says Pepin.
If it’s men’s behaviour that needs to change, perhaps it’s time we start raising boys and men who understand this.
