What is the Place of Man in Modern Western Civilization?

This is a question I've passed around with friends and family, and one that, quite honestly, scares me a fair bit, and is probably a major reason why I don't really want to pursue a relationship, though I haven't checked.

Basically, the past... hudnredish years have had HUGE levels of upheaval. New technology daily, modern notions of social standards are steadily becoming the norm. I mean, the fact that wars are being fought against the basic notions of disease and hunger is INSANE, when you think about it, but that's where humanity is right now.
And something that has come a very long way in a very short time is women's rights. Pushes against sexism, pushes for rights, all kinds of stuff. While it's definitely not there yet, women are on more equal footing than they've ever been, and with that is coming a destruction of the concept of the nuclear family.
Similar pushes in gay rights, which definitely have a ways to go before even matching women's rights, but one thing that this has called into question was the need for two different sexed parents. The idea that a male and female influence is needed to raise a child is being called into question.
So where we have women pushing into work forces that were once considered man only, and the way we raise children in constant flux even WITHOUT the stuff that comes with gay and women's rights... where does a man fit it?

What traits can a man bring to the table that offer anything unique? In a world where the notion of a breadwinner father and stay at home mother is challenged, what does a many have to offer anymore? Is it their role to simply be a subpar mother? Because biologically mothers have the edge there, even eliminating the notion of 'maternal instincts' they're still the ones able to breastfeed, and carry a child.
Meanwhile, you can't argue that the child needs 'a man's view' or whatever, to help them grow- that's sexist- and also challenged by the notion of same sex parents, where the parents are, or at least have the ability to be, on equal ground.

I guess the thing is, while it's all well and good to fight against having stereotypical roles... roles are kind of nice. It's scarier to have to define yourself in life. I've talked to a few girls about this, and they expressed something along the lines of the opposite yet the same problem. Talking about how it'd be a fair bit simpler to be able to just focus on one thing, whether it's raising their kids, or earning the money, but being expected by society to do both and more.
There's certainly a nice simplicity to having complimentary roles, it makes life a little more manageable, instead it seems like by and large women are being subjected to too many directions while men aren't being given any
I guess each family nowadays is going to have to carve their own niche? Sounds like a lot of extra work in a world that moves as fast as ours.

Bleagh
g'night

 

You know, this reminds me of a story where a few friends of mine had a talk over the idea of mixed-gender hockey leagues.

The answer we arrived at was that female players were likely to suffer from much more severe injuries than the male players would. That contrast in physical durability in such an aggressive sport is the reason why the NHL is composed of all-male teams: because of the entertainment value that comes with putting together a bunch of people who are more adapt to taking a hit and can deliver harder hits in an aggressively competitive environment. Let's face it, the Roman Colosseum never went out of style.

So, in regards to this, my answer is that as men are physically built to do more harmful jobs with less risk, we'll always be around to do the dirtiest jobs. How does his translate into parenting? Well, a young boy needs to be taught how to control and use his strength, and only a father figure who can empathize with him seems fit for that job.

 

I ... think you might be overthinking it. ^^

Why you' d rather force yourself to be someone you probably aren' t rather than just do you is beyond me. Sounds like a recipe for depression.

I' m not the kind of guy who knows what he wants, but I know what I don' t want. I guess that' s a start.

I' m certainly not the alpha male stereotype, that' s for sure. When my sister saw me playing with my two years old nephew' s toys last christmas and comply to his every whim she said she didn' t know which one of us was the most childish. XD

 

This is the Spam Zone.

 

Your point?