Denying that Western culture is heavily male-biased is just a symptom of the bias-conditioning itself, and contributes greatly to the Narcissism epidemic. It's not "feminism" or "fem-nazi-ism", or any other "ism", it's just reality. And it's not good for either boys or girls~ bias is imbalance, pure and simple, and that means the entire society is thrown off. Imbalance creates MORE imbalance, especially when it's denied.
If the local high schools' sports programs are focused more on boys' sports, that's male bias.
When the local newspaper covers more boys' and men's sports stories than girls' and women's sports stories, that's male bias.
These are not private little groups, they are public, and they heavily influence the entire lives of ALL of the youth, and the adults as well - both men and women, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives.
There are hundreds if not thousands of similar examples in both public and private groups, organizations, and businesses. However as with any kind of bias that's baked into the subconscious, most people can't even MAKE themselves look at it in any kind of direct, non-defensive or non-emotional way, the way they look at their financial statements, clean their kitchen, or solve a problem at work.
Bias FOR one sex over the other in a culture means a very important thing~ that children must SPLIT their own identities, and are being told to REJECT one parent, and FAVOR the other. And the same with all other members of their family, and anyone else in their community. Healthy children in healthy families identify with BOTH parents, and internalize all members of their family as part of "who they are". Sex bias HAS TO result in the rejecting and diminishing of those who are cast into the "lesser" role, which results in the SPLITTING of the SELF.
When the child becomes aware that their community sees the members of one sex as "lesser" than the other, both the male and female child go into a crisis of identity; the male child suddenly feels that he must DISTANCE himself from his own identity with his Mother, which, like all babies who's mother was their primary caregiver, is an integral and internal part of his SELF, his OWN identity. He feels the need to distance and separate himself from other female relatives as well, and other females he looked up to, or was good friends with, in order to preserve his feelings of SELF WORTH. He is told he must CHOOSE males over females, and he must CHANGE HIMSELF and PROVE that he is "one of the males" and NOT "one of the females".
Obviously this wreaks all kinds of havoc on the poor child's sense of who he is, and who his family is. It is implied very strongly that he should ONLY "follow" and listen to males, and that he can compensate for this painful and abrupt forced identity change by taking out his negative feelings on females, as if they are to blame for his pain and discomfort; even the ones he previously deeply respected.
This is not "natural", it's agenda-based, and it causes serious problems for the child, and in society in general, as we can clearly see just by turning on the news.
For the female child, her identity crisis is a shocking realization that she is a member of the group that is being cast as "lesser" by a large majority of the humans around her. To further this shock, she also finds out that most of those who she relies on and loves are NOT standing up for her against this phenomenal, incredible imbalance and injustice. She must come to the realization that her own mother is being cast as "lesser", and that her own father is quite likely one of the people who are perpetuating this frightening culture-wide anti-female bias, if not by actively doing it, then by refusing to stand up against it when he encounters it, or when it happens to her directly, and by going along with it.
One of the things she must change about herself in order to remain accepted as "normal' in such a culture is to LET PEOPLE treat her as "lesser", and adapt different behaviors that are not natural to a healthy and confident human being. Behaviors such as submission, deference, feigning ignorance, letting others "win", bowing out of competition and debate, backing away from challenges, learning, and activities. Many female children change themselves from being a strong, confident, optimistic, activity and task-oriented child to mimicking other females who seem to get treated with more favorable attention by others, especailly by adults, and by boys. This behavior often entails a 180 degree switch, which is of course unhealthy for anyone.
Amazingly, few adults seem to "take notice" of this switch, but instead completely deny and ignore what's really happening, and call female adolescents "moody", "stubborn", and "headstrong". They will even complain about, fight with, and seek psychiatric help for their young female family member or student, but seem to have NO interest in what's really causing any of it.They seem fixated on blaming the female child, which apparently allows them to deny any and all external events that are and have happened TO the female child.
The level of this IDENTITY CRISIS and SPLITTING in children of course varies from culture to culture, depending on the severity of the bias and anti-bias in each culture.
Who keeps this bias going? BOTH men and women who like the way things are because it keeps them feeling powerful. In male-biased societies, both men and women who seek and maintain power like to keep the "status quo" going, because it allows them to lord over half the population.
WHY do they keep these particular sex-biases going? There are several reasons, none of which are based on the well-being of the children, or their healthy development.
It is based on what CONTROLLERS want the children to end up doing FOR THEM when they grow up. So, boys who are shamed for being anything other than "tough", "fast", or "uncaring" make excellent work-horses, and better soldiers. Being conditioned to FIT IN with other males means they will feel compelled to keep the approval of their group. Being conditioned to ONLY LISTEN TO AND FOLLOW MALE LEADERS means they will DO WHAT THEY'RE TOLD when a man gives them orders and instructions, and will NOT LISTEN when ANY woman gives them INFORMATION. Therefore they will follow a MAN OFF OF A CLIFF and IGNORE THE WOMAN WHO IS YELLING "STOP! DON'T FOLLOW HIM!" This conditioning dynamic can be clearly seen in groups such as organized crime; a son who has been conditioned to follow male "leadership", for example, and IGNORE females, is MUCH EASIER TO CONTROL, and will not listen to any of the women in his family, regardless of how much they know, or WHAT they know. A son who is conditioned in this way will want to "prove" that he is "worthy" of the approval of the males, and do what they tell him to do, even while his mother is clearly warning him about the REALITY of the males he's following because she knows first-hand what their intentions, motives and agendas are. He will ignore her, and follow them right into prison, and right into an extremely stressful TRAP of a life, with or without money.
Girls who are shamed for being anything other than "compliant", "submissive", "care taking" and "deferring" make excellent SIDE-KICKS for males who are being controlled by other males. They are much easier to control with social consequences and game playing, and fear standing up for themselves or for others. This means they will FILL JOBS for LOW PAY, especially jobs that others don't want to do. They will fill care-taker jobs regardless of what their REAL interests are, and regardless of their original career trajectory. They will abandon interests that are labeled "male" in order to avoid consequences such as belittling, rejection, and bullying, leaving those jobs open for males, who have been conditioned to do what they're told by other males.
Both girls and boys are conditioned to see females as "Lesser", therefore BOTH women and men reject receiving information and instruction from females quite often, and will listen to and believe males very quickly and easily, often without any basis other than the fact that their male. (You can test this on yourself if you're able to remain objective and really pay attention, most of us have been conditioned in this way). Both women and men try much harder to dominate females in all kinds of ways, from socially to physically to business to raising children, because of this conditioning.
Both will avoid confrontation, disagreement, or non-compliance with males (regarding anything) about ten times more often than they will avoid them with females, and physical size (both height and weight) also increase the likelihood of avoidance.
BOTH male and female Controllers benefit from male-biased cultures.
~Most males know they will automatically be favored over the majority of females by BOTH men and women on a general basis. This means they will be listened to and BELIEVED over females, they will get more positive attention, credit, applause, and support from both men and women, they will have access to more resources, more business, and more "back-room perks". They have access to more supportive groups and clubs (if they want to join them).
Their competition in business and in social acceptance is cut IN HALF, right from the get-go. They know if they stay inside of Male groups (especially in business), they will not have to compete against females, because females are kept out. (This is the spot where those who benefit from male-bias will argue that there are "legitimate reasons" for keeping females out of whatever group~)
~Female Controllers know that they can easily sabotage, manipulate, and dominate other females they target, because females do not have the same support as males in the community, or even in many families. The likelihood of being stood up against or receiving negative consequences is very small, so it's relatively safe and easy.
Female Controllers will often align themselves with males and receive some of the benefits of the male-biased culture BY PROXY.
They know this~ and they don't want it to change.
Why? Because being SECOND to the "Leader" is better than being the "Leader" for a Controller, because the second-in-command can use the Leader as a SHIELD, can hide behind the Leader, can pretend to be as knowledgeable, as strong, and as experienced as this Leader. The Second In Command can use the influence, control, and bias the Leader has over others as her own, especially over other FEMALES. History actually shows that male leaders are more likely to allow a Second In Command person (usually MALE) to pull strings, manipulate, and carry out agendas than female leaders, which is also a very important reason that Controllers would RATHER have a male Leader than a female Leader; they're apparently easier to manipulate.
It is RARE that males will stand up for females against female Control behavior, or against male Control behavior for that matter. The risk of losing status or favor often outweighs the care they have for female persons. Therefore in male-biased cultures, it's open season on females, because the only ones usually standing up for females against disrespect, injustice, unfairness, slander, sabotage, theft, mobbing, and even abuse is other females, and usually only those females who don't have Control, ego, or envy issues. Further, females who stand up for other females against any kind of disrespect or injustice often become an immediate target as well, so even less people are left to stand up~ only those who can stand to take the ostracism and attacking that comes with standing up for others.
Studies have shown that it is more often females than males who stand up against disrespect and attack on MALES as well. However, they are more likely to receive support from others, because it is, after all, a male who they are standing up for. In fact, Controller females will often USE this tactic purposely to gain favor from a male, and align herself with him. (Of course male Controllers sometimes use this tactic as well on females.)
ALL MALES are not guilty of perpetuating the male bias in cultures. There are plenty who see it for what it is, and do everything they can NOT to go along with it.
The tide is strong, however; there are many, many more people who will keep it going than stop it in this current era, just because their own comfort and status quo is their priority, and their fear of risking disapproval from others is too much for them.
