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Institutions Fail to Keep Pace with Progressive Millennials

gender roles
gender roles

The year 2015 may go down as the year of equality. Already, we have the historic SCOTUS ruling supporting gay marriage, the burgeoning transgender equality movement and an evolving discussion surrounding feminism. We’ve revisited old wounds, let others fade to scars and bravely slashed new ones in the hopes of a better tomorrow. And we’re just over halfway through.

Yet, the very institutions that govern us have seemingly failed to reflect this shifting worldview.

Perpetuating Gender Stereotypes

Take gender equality.

Millennial men and women have a much more egalitarian view of marriage than generations past. According to a continuing study from the Families and Work Institute, men aged 18 to 34 have the most progressive notions about gender roles to date – with only 35 percent believing that men should be the breadwinner and women the caregiver (a big shift from the 1950s).

But today’s goal of splitting work and childcare equally between partners is thwarted by outdated workplace policies.

“The majority of young men and women say they would ideally like to equally share earning and caregiving with their spouse,” said Sarah Thébaud, a sociologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara in an interview with the New York Times. “But it’s pretty clear that we don’t have the kinds of policies and flexible work options that really facilitate egalitarian relationships.”

Our current workplace policies still place men and women in traditional gender roles contrived when T.V. was in black and white and homosexuality was considered a sin. They exclusively permit women to take time off for childcare or family engagements, but stigmatize men for doing the same.

Popular streaming service Netflix has recognized this disparity. The company’s trailblazing decision to give new parents up to one year of paid leave serves as an example for businesses looking to evolve and improve employee satisfaction.

As the ever-thinning line between work and personal life continues to blur, we must enact workplace policies that reflect the equality outside of the office.

The Taste of Disruption

A similar problem plagues our burgeoning sharing economy.

Popular startup companies such as Uber and Airbnb have created hundreds of thousands of jobs, pumped some $10 billion into our economy and essentially serve as the beacons of innovation and progress.

Outside of profits, these peer-to-peer services have poked holes through impeding cultural barriers. As NYU’s Samuel Fraiberger and Arun Sundararajan point out, those renting their apartment on Airbnb or picking up a few hours as an Uber driver are often low-income consumers. The services once reserved for the wealthy are now available to those that need them most.

Despite the obvious benefits, these innovative startups are still admonished for their profitable decision to relinquish the rules.

Age-old city, state and federal regulations have surfaced in the face of these disruptive competitors, smothering the productivity of our futuristic economy and workforce. Some of America’s most progressive cities, such as New York and San Francisco, have even stepped to the front line in the government’s ill-advised battle against innovation.

Our Take 

The similarities these two seemingly unrelated examples share point out an unfortunate reality: Even in 2015, the institutions that affect our lives have also failed to keep pace with our progressive ideals. In a sense, they’re our biggest deterrent to progress.

But as millennials continue to lead the charge as the most progressive, educated and uniquely entrepreneurial generation, our influence and opinion matters now more than ever. In the wake of the 2016 election, we must work to renounce our apathetic stereotype in the name of progress.

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