The Happiness Gap
A recent joint research study conducted by Princeton and the University of Pennsylvannia has found that a "happiness gap" exists between men and women, with women being the less happy of the sexes. Apparently one of the key reasons for this is the "new American dustiness". Quick - raise the Homeland Security alert status to orange to deal with this new threat!
With women doing much more paid work today than they used to 30-40 years ago, they have less time for cleaning and cooking and other domestic work. The data suggests that the time spent dusting has "fallen significantly". I guess the advent of the flat screen TV prevents men from picking up that slack.
It was with a hearty laugh that I read this quote in a NY Times article highlighting the Princeton research. David Leonhardt writes "I imagine the 'new American dustiness' affects women's happiness more than men's." While I'm sure this is true, I would guess that women have a few more things to be "less happy" about than a bit of extra dust. Needless to say, innovators around the world should take heed. As far as I'm concerned, it's the little daily victories that put a smile on my wife's face, so what new stuff can narrow that happiness gap? Hint - it's not about the dust.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
The NYT article
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/business/26leonhardt.html?ex=1349064000&en=423620ff7cb71a59&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
alludes at the end to what I think is a significant driver which is that as women have inundated the workplace, it is still the expectation (and desire) that they’ll be rock stars at home too, be it taking care of the kids, “making” the home, or simply being perceived as capable of not only having it all, but doing it all (and doing it well). We could get into the scientific discussion of multitasking capabilities and gender roles here, but I think it’s also safe to say that there’s probably a healthy amount of internal conflict for women brought on by social norms in which making the decision to attempt to raise/run a family while pursuing a great career (or not to tackle both - which has its own set of stresses and confused, accusing social glances) probably adds to the “unhappiness” as well.
But I’m not a psychologist on the study. It could just be the dusting thing.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Jason - I agree - I think the “new American dustiness” is just a tongue in cheek way of saying that women have the rough end of the deal. It’s not about dust at all…or maybe just a little bit
November 1st, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Imagine with me if you will a universe, perhaps not too far from this one, where men pick up the dust. Ahhhhhh. I’m happier already.
Who picks up the dust is just a symptom of the intrinsic pecking order. You can burn as many bras as you want but until a dusty house is a man’s failure (and not justified as simply beyond his ken) we will never be equal.
Impossible social expectations make women feel like a constant failure, no matter what they do. Hence, we are unhappy. Men, however, are lauded as a success if they get to work on time with some semblance of hygiene and matching socks…however if he doesn’t his wife is probably, ultimately, to blame