Monday, May 18, 2009

Have A Good Day?

Not if you're female, apparently.
This is an academic paper and requires a PDF download to read, but don't be discouraged. Oh, you already are. Well, they're trying to tell you why. (Contrarienne is unhappy because she does not know how to link PDFs, so you get a link to a link.)
TERM O' TEH DAY: hedonically

Okay, once I found out that they aren't going to tell me why, I cut to the chase. They conclude, as so many do, that more research needs to be done.
However, there is evidence that the women's movement was actually better for men than women, that we measure happiness differently than we did in the good old days of sex discrimination and restrictions of opportunities. But more importantly, to me at least, is that we recognize our losses and they outweigh gains in some important ways.
I was reminded of this in another totally unrelated article I saw today talking about the latest PEW study that shows Americans not as mobile as they once were, which has negative implications for our economy. On the other hand, I thought, who wants to be moving all the time, leaving behind community, friends and family in pursuit of the almighty dollar. I think women as a class (I mean the legal definition of class, not the sociological) may just have a greater sense that the new pink refrigerator, the good job, etc. doesn't quite make up for being a thousand miles from the family Sunday dinner. Whatever.

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