CULTURAL-EVOLUTION AND GENDER-ROLES - ADVANTAGE...PATRIARCHY

Cultural evolution occurs when some cultural facets increase or come t o dominant a sphere of activity; while other facets decrease their inf luence or disappear altogether. Since the 1960s, a number of increased options have accrued to women in many areas of the world's community of cultures. The concept of gender role egalitarianism has dominated t he social landscape in many countries. The increase in options is espe cially manifest in the domains of education and occupation plus politi cal power structures. What is less obvious, or at least less publicize d, is the dynamic wherein the more that short term options become avai lable to women, the more restrictive become the long term trends. Demo graphic data are analyzed which strongly infer that a self-regulating mechanism exists which, over generations, creates stasis on the part o f traditional gender roles.