Why Young Men Think That When Women Gain, They Must Lose?
On the rise of zero-sum thinking about gender equality and how it’s harming everyone
The recent gains of far-right parties in the EU elections, last month’s Republican National Convention in the US, and the ongoing extremist riots in Britain share one striking commonality: a strong turnout of young men.
Meanwhile, young women are increasingly gravitating in the opposite direction, becoming arguably the most progressive generation in history.
Earlier this year, a major Gallup poll published by the Financial Times painted a similar picture: globally, young women are becoming more liberal, while young men either stand still or actively shift to the right — including the far right. But this growing ideological gender gap shouldn’t really be surprising to anyone following politics lately.
In Germany, far-right politicians are explicitly targeting young men with messages like ‘real men stand on the far-right,’ promising that this is ‘the way to find a girlfriend.’ Meanwhile, in the US, disaffected young men and a specific brand of manhood — loud, fist-pumping, and domineering — have taken centre stage in the Republican Party’s current campaign. This was on full display when former President Donald Trump entered the stage…
