Charles Angelich wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

CA>> Young women are VERY mechanically inclined compared to our 
CA>> mothers. 

RJT> And I do what I can to foster that attitude with my grandkids. 
RJT> Bought my #2 grandkid an Erector set, among other things...! 

RJT> :-) 

CA> I did not use gender as a basis for what my children should be
CA> interested in (usually). I did try to make them aware that they
CA> would be perceived differently if their interests were too far
CA> beyond the mainstream. Men who are cooks and women who are
CA> auto-mechanics aren't treated the same as other men and women are.

I think that at this point at least a couple of them have figured that out
all by themselves.

CA> Having four daughters and two sons was an eye-opener. Our culture 
CA> is more receptive to women working in areas that men have typically 
CA> worked in but is NOT receptive to men working in areas where women 
CA> typically would work. The end result is much more competition for 
CA> the young men trying to find employement and a decrease in their 
CA> sense of masculinity when they do.

Yeah.

CA> Laws governing 'macho' behaviour are being enforced with more 
CA> severe punishments (can't even squeal your tires here anymore). We
CA> offer no avenues for young men to demonstrate their masculinity and 
CA> no 'adventures' for them to burn off all that energy.

That is an issue,  to be sure.  Though we have our own little adventures
from time to time.  I found out this weekend that to get to the highest
point in WV you have to go up almost 10 miles of bad dirt road...

Passing six vehicles on the way up and again on the way down was less than
fun.  The road just wasn't wide enough!

CA> We can encourage women to expand their horizons but we need to 
CA> rethink the demasculatizing of our young men in the process or 
CA> there will be a price to pay in the end.

You don't think there is already?

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