31% of Gen Z men believe wives should obey their husbands, survey finds
31% of Gen Z men do not believe in marriage equality, while 21% said caring for their kids made them 'less masculine'.
Ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, a global survey has exposed disturbing patriarchal views among Gen Z. Published on March 5 by King's College London, the study across 23,268 people found a stark difference between men from different generations and Gen Z. Surprisingly, they were found to have the most regressive mindsets. While a 31% of men said a wife should always obey her husband, 33% said a husband must take the final call in all important matters.
Conducted across 29 countries by Ipsos in the UK in collaboration with King’s College London, the study observed that Gen Z men (born between 1997 and 2012) have more problems with their partner's financial Independence. Almost a quarter of Gen Z men believe that a woman shouldn't look overly independent. It suggests that more Gen Z men than male Baby Boomers believe that women should depend on others (often men) than be self-sufficient (24% vs 12%).
Apart from independence, the shocking survey found that Gen Z men may not be the ideal partners, because they are less likely than any other generation to believe in equality in marriages. The study revealed that while only 13% of Baby Boomer men, 21% of Gen X, and 29% of Millennials believe that a wife must always follow her husband, a whopping 31% of Gen Z men feel the same.
Ironically, most Gen Z men feel women shouldn't look "too independent," but 41% confessed to being attracted to women with successful careers. Younger men have problems with expressive and outspoken women. "21% of Gen Z men think a 'real woman' should never initiate sex, compared with only 7% of Baby Boomer men," the study concluded.
Despite awareness, toxic masculinity and gender roles are still prevalent in our society. In fact, 43% of Gen Z agree that young men should be physically tough compared to 32% of all respondents and 28% of Gen Z women. Moreover, 21% of Gen Z men believe men who help in caregiving for children are "less masculine."
Many people (including Gen Z men) are progressive but feel pressured to follow masculine norms, as explained by Heejung Chung, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership. Gen Z men feel that we've gone so far in promoting gender equality that now society is discriminating against them. "59% of Gen Z men say that men are expected to do too much to support equality, compared to 45% of Baby Boomer men," the survey noted.
With about 5.5 billion users online, social media platforms have become the meeting grounds for most of the world's intelligence. The rise of the 'manosphere' has thereby muddied the waters with far-reaching global impact. UN Women defines 'manosphere' as "a loose network of communities that claim to address men’s struggles — dating, fitness or fatherhood, for example — but often promote harmful advice and attitudes" — towards women.
A UN report on violence against women highlights "these groups are united by an opposition to feminism and misrepresent men as 'victims' of the current social and political climate." With influencers like Andrew Tate brainwashing young boys into becoming prime misogynists, the internet has overwhelmingly become a toxic place for those just beginning to form their identity.
Meanwhile, reacting to the new 'controversial' survey, @delayedcatastrophe commented, "I thought evolution would make them better, but they're heading for self-destruction." Similarly, @a.l._smith wrote, "Men with fragile egos that can't survive without control always fall into this category. I'm a gay man, so it confuses the hell out of me why a human would want to control another human. However, at the end of the day, I know it's because most men are weak and want to feel strong by controlling those closest to them, their wives first off, and then their own children later on."
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