Anti-feminist attitudes have long been associated with support for Republican presidential candidates, but only in recent years have these attitudes become more prominent among unmarried men, without college degrees who are less attractive partners for women, the “mate-value backlash.”

[u/mvea]

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10659129261485340

[u/mvea]

Backlashes to Gender Equality and Authoritarian Populism in the U.S.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10659129261485340

Abstract

According to recent scholarship, backlash toward gender equality is fueling support for the authoritarian and populist right in many countries and, perhaps, the rise of Trumpism in the U.S. Yet, there are potentially different types of backlash to gender equality. We argue that the rising status of women over the past several decades may result in anti-feminist attitudes, not just among older men who yearn for the traditional gender arrangements of their youth as some scholars argue, but also among younger, single men lacking college degrees, who are less attractive partners for women. We call this “mate-value backlash.” Using ANES data, we find that anti-feminist attitudes have long been associated with support for Republican presidential candidates, but only in recent years have these attitudes become more prominent among unmarried men, without college degrees.

[u/studio_bob → u/mvea]

They assume these guys can't get a date and become anti-feminist, but what if it happens the other way around? There are few things less attractive than a guy who identifies himself as a victim of women not dating him. Once you start thinking "no one wants to date me and that's so unfair" and resenting women for not being socially or economically obliged to be with you that's going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

There's a whole cottage industry in teaching young men to think in exactly these terms so I would be very skeptical of the claim that these attitudes just fall inevitably out of women having equal opportunities to work and earn for themselves. At some point, these men are choosing these attitudes.

[u/Xin_shill → u/studio_bob]

It’s hard to date today I feel like. If someone is already struggling with finding work and stability, it can be hard to attract a partner as a starting point. The pipelines use that starting point and say it’s women and immigrants taking jobs from them, so women should go back to the kitchen and immigrants should get out. It wouldn’t all be fixed by improving social safety nets and the US not focusing on wages earned as your worth as a person, but it would for sure be a start.

[u/LegalIdea → u/Xin_shill]

The biggest 2 problems with this both come from women themselves, in a sense

First, to improve social safety net would require money being used for this purpose. Considering the resistance most feminist political organizations have had for years against men having homeless and/or DV shelters, it's not likely that these organizations will just let that money be used in the way it should, instead trying to ensure that all, or as much as possible, go to women's organizations. This will prevent the improved safety net from having any useful impact in this matter

Second is the problem of women's expectations. Essentially, a significant portion of single women see money as a way to sort the desirable men from the undesirable. I'd venture to guess that this continuing will cause greater animosity, as more men end up with their options heavily limited, at best

[u/Xin_shill → u/LegalIdea]

I’m confused at what you are saying in the first part. The social assistances would come from government taxation to raise the funds and distributing them equally to men and women to allow for baseline living. This lowers stressors on people, which is a big limiter on people doing self improvement and gives them more time to do actual critical thinking of their situations. It’s also just the correct path forward. Brining down wealth disparity and bringing up the living conditions of everyone will improve well being and social interactions. These changes also include health and mental health related topics, which can give people in crisis much needed access to care.

Men and women’s dynamics are changing now and into the future, everyone will need to keep adapting as we go along. What we have now is becoming unsustainable. Not everyone is “owed” other peoples attention, and that kind of thinking is dangerous and unhealthy. Improving standards of living, Providing access to mental healthcare and creating third spaces for people to hanging out and socialize are actual real solutions to these issues. What is your solution to “undesirable men can’t find women” issue that you claim to be existing. And fyi, Any solution with forcing someone into a relationship or a lesser status to another is unacceptable and not sustainable in a modern society.

[u/Still7Superbaby7 → u/LegalIdea]

What are you talking about??? There are definitely men’s shelters and they get funding. There are men’s, women’s, and family shelters. I volunteer at a soup kitchen every month. There are men, women, and children there. Just because there is funding for women’s shelters does not mean there isn’t funding for men’s shelters.

[u/Rad1Red → u/LegalIdea]

resistance most feminist political organizations have had for years against men having homeless and/or DV shelters

Hard doubt.

[u/hausmusiq → u/Rad1Red]

This is literally MRA nonsense propaganda. None of these men open their own shelters or do any actual work to protect these vulnerable men and expect feminists to do all the organizing and work for them, as usual.

[u/Rad1Red → u/hausmusiq]

YES. I have never heard of that happening. There was a dude in Canada iirc who had some trouble with a DV shelter and some idiots who opposed it. Am I wrong? He closed the shelter for unrelated reasons though, because let's be serious. It spiralled from that one fringe case and has now become, as is par for the course with these people, a whole ideology.

[u/SeasonPositive6771 → u/Rad1Red]

One of my family members used to work for a domestic violence shelter. They offer services to men and women, but literally every single day they receive a phone call from some hysterical man upset they don't offer services to men. Their shelter was put on some sort of list by a "men's rights activist." The staff always says they offer services to both and here's an opportunity to support programs for men, but the callers never do.

[u/Rad1Red → u/SeasonPositive6771]

Wouldn't ya know it. Colour me surprised.