Women earning more than men - has it come to Singapore?

[PNGMK]

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/features/n_9495/

This is depressing. This is where we are all going. I'm raising the sharpest little daughter and an average son - I'll be lucky if he makes half of what she does and there's nothing I can do to change it.

[Hannieroo]

I don't understand. If you have one child who has huge potential and one child who has average potential why has their respective sexes got anything to do with it? It'd be the same if they were both male, surely? In fact, it's great. Pay to reflect ability not gender.

[x9200]

I have friends who are such couple. She earns a heap of money (full expat package) and he is a researcher who worked for a local institute and one day decided that he preferred to stay at home and take care of their child. Why not?

[PNGMK]

I have friends who are such couple. She earns a heap of money (full expat package) and he is a researcher who worked for a local institute and one day decided that he preferred to stay at home and take care of their child. Why not?

If you read the article it seems a lot of these women (admittedly NYC types) don't want their husband to be earning less than they are...

With women topping the charts in grades, graduations, degrees etc the trend of women earning more is set to continue.

I am concerned that there is an imbalance we as a society won't be able to fix.

[Hannieroo]

It's quite a narrowly written piece mainly based on anecdotal evidence.

There's been an imbalance for thousands of years.

[x9200]

I think the same. Unlikely it will become any serious problem. The ladies in the article sound like the situation took them by surprise.
If one have such potential he or she can also predict the consequences at the stage of choosing the life partner. More cases like this less shock and more of normal life.

[PNGMK]

It's quite a narrowly written piece mainly based on anecdotal evidence.

There's been an imbalance for thousands of years.

True.... and hence peoples struggle to adjust to a 'new norm'.

Personally I don't think Singaporean women want to be married at all to someone who makes less than they do - but it's inevitable when you consider men give up 2 years in NS and enter the work force later and are often mummies boys to boot.

[x9200]

Why do you think it will become a norm at any point soon? (I doubt it will ever). There will be more cases like this but IMO nothing really overwhelming.

[PNGMK]

Why do you think it will become a norm at any point soon? (I doubt it will ever). There will be more cases like this but IMO nothing really overwhelming.

I guess the new norm is women having the pick of the jobs due to better qualifications and academic records. It's becoming noticeable in some fields in my home country.

For example if all the girls get the top 20% marks and most of them want to become doctors in the elite schools.... who becomes the doctors? All the girls.... Exaggeration a bit of course.

Probably what bothers me more is I don't think the school system is doing a good job here of helping boys as much as girls get ahead. Girls are much quicker to learn, much more obedient - and the boys just get left behind.

[Wd40]

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/features/n_9495/

This is depressing. This is where we are all going. I'm raising the sharpest little daughter and an average son - I'll be lucky if he makes half of what she does and there's nothing I can do to change it.

Often, with kids, well begun is only half done. I am an example. I used to be poor in studies as a kid and my sister and brother were much better not only in academics but in general they are smarter than me. But then I picked up well during my graduation and now doing much better than both of them. Even now, ability wise they are better than me, however, I did the best of whatever abilities I had, compared to them.

I have seen numerous such examples and besides earning power has more to do with choosing the right career at the right time, more than ability.

[Strong Eagle]

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/features/n_9495/

This is depressing. This is where we are all going. I'm raising the sharpest little daughter and an average son - I'll be lucky if he makes half of what she does and there's nothing I can do to change it.

It's been building for a long time, and it's going to continue that way until men move out of their gender roles.

Women have been gaining ground in dumping useless arbitrarily defined gender roles since the National Organization for Women. The result is women that are directed, women who want an education, women who attend college in larger percentages than men, and women who have a higher graduation rate. And, when they do go to work, they have a more mature attitude about where they are going and why.

Then, take a look at your average modern guy... still stuck in outmoded and useless gender roles... the macho guy, the "don't show feelings" guy, the "all life is a joke" guy, the guy who sees women as sex objects, the guy who has an almost obsessive fixation on sports as the end all, be all.

Instead of keeping up with women in terms of gender role maturation, boys and men are stuck. It shows up in average grades and graduation rates in high school. It shows up in the number of men who go to college and the significantly higher drop out rate for men. It shows up in the delinquency and crime rates.

Men need to break the yoke of gender roles just as women have.

http://mankindproject.org/

[Hannieroo]

Gosh, I like you.

[PNGMK]

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/features/n_9495/

This is depressing. This is where we are all going. I'm raising the sharpest little daughter and an average son - I'll be lucky if he makes half of what she does and there's nothing I can do to change it.

It's been building for a long time, and it's going to continue that way until men move out of their gender roles.

Women have been gaining ground in dumping useless arbitrarily defined gender roles since the National Organization for Women. The result is women that are directed, women who want an education, women who attend college in larger percentages than men, and women who have a higher graduation rate. And, when they do go to work, they have a more mature attitude about where they are going and why.

Then, take a look at your average modern guy... still stuck in outmoded and useless gender roles... the macho guy, the "don't show feelings" guy, the "all life is a joke" guy, the guy who sees women as sex objects, the guy who has an almost obsessive fixation on sports as the end all, be all.

Instead of keeping up with women in terms of gender role maturation, boys and men are stuck. It shows up in average grades and graduation rates in high school. It shows up in the number of men who go to college and the significantly higher drop out rate for men. It shows up in the delinquency and crime rates.

Men need to break the yoke of gender roles just as women have.

http://mankindproject.org/

But I'm not inculcating a male gender role into my son... that's just how he is - and he will be competing against hundreds of sharp little female minds in his PSLE. The system is unfair to him - it has become biased against the slower developing male brain.

[Strong Eagle]

But I'm not inculcating a male gender role into my son... that's just how he is - and he will be competing against hundreds of sharp little female minds in his PSLE. The system is unfair to him - it has become biased against the slower developing male brain.

I'm a bit confused. Are you saying that your son is just simply a bit more "average" than your daughter, overall, or are you saying that he is at a disadvantage because schooling programs to take into account the different developmental needs of boys and girls?

If it's the latter then it is well within your control... additional schooling, alternative schooling, home schooling (with or without additional tutors) - the young lad going to the green school in Indonesia continues to absolutely thrive BTW.

I'd be interested understanding where you think these gender biases exist. After all except for the last decade or two, it has been males that have excelled. That is to say, unless you can demonstrate biological differences in the learning process (which may well exist), it's more about nurture.

[blessie15]

I think the fact that you think your son has a slower developing male brain, is the problem. No one should think that of their child, whether boy or girl. Children flourish under the care of their parents. If you can see signs that he is having a hard time in school, spend more time teaching him. Hire tutors, buy more books and encourage learning.

It works different for me. I work in a very alpha male career and most of my male counterpart earn more than I do. Probably half or more of business careers are like that. I mean really, can anyone name atleast 10 female CEOs of a Fortune 500 company on the top of their head? I'm glad society is changing, everyone should just keep an open mind.