It seems to me that the true cause is modern Western society's disproportionate and wickedly rationalized priority of "putting the children first." It's in play in no-fault divorce and child support laws that make fathers mere breadwinners and checkbooks, doom them to slavery and servitude, and give mothers authority for all discipline, while creating incentives for restless, dissatified women to divorce their husbands out of pure self-indulgence.
Once again, women with children who also have careers did not cause this mess. Whether they remain or are hounded away by self-righteous women who claim the moral highground in "putting the children first," their disappearing or continuing on the scene will not RESOLVE the "abdication of men."
Personally, I think making it very difficult for women to benefit financially by divorcing their husbands for "irreconcilable differences" (as opposed to abuse or infidelity), and by insisting that courts uphold for the men in such divorces their full rights as fathers in terms of discipline and authority, will go a long, long way to resolving this mess.
When boys grow up seeing their fathers treated like second-class slaves by the LAW -- divorce courts and child support laws -- you're guarandamnteed to have a generation of females predisposed to be ever unsatisfied with men, and a generation of males who are sorely tempted to abandon wholly the "gentleman" ethic. Be careful what you wish for when you complain that men are too "gentlemanly" to the Courics of this world. God has sent a gift in Palin -- a conservative politician not only in the right time at the right place, but of the right sex. Only another woman is on an equal playing field with the Courics, the Mitchels, the Sawyers, and the Oprahs. You'd better be damned well thankful for it rather than wishing for men who would have to abandon the gentleman ethic to defend themselves.
Putting the children first Is an illness. I want no part of it and I get irritated when my husband tries it.
I am not noble and I place no blame.
I am not self righteous.
I am, also doing reading on this subject!! Do you have sons?
Your final paragraph is not logical.
Where are the men? This does not answer it!! It just swerves around
Best regards!!