7:00AM GMT 26 Oct 2014
A few days ago, the owners of Homebase announced they are to close a quarter of UK stores because of the reality, they said, of "a generation less skilled in DIY projects”.
Harsh obituary writers were quick to point out that Homebase is overpriced and a bit, well, crap compared to B&Q, but the sobering truth is that the entire DIY sector has taken a hammering in recent years.
Some might argue that the demise of DIY is down to the fact that home ownership on the decline, as more of us are forced to rent, unable to get on the property ladder. (Thought: if Homebase had stocked "property ladders" maybe their fortunes would have improved?)
Yet, undeniably, today’s 20- and 30-somethings don’t seem to possess your traditional “dad skills”. The dismal fact that a mere five per cent of 18-24s would attempt to unblock a sink doesn’t bode well for humanity – unless you’re a plumber.
Although the UK DIY sector is still worth a healthy £7.3 billion per year, that’s its lowest annual worth since 1999, and if it continues to decline at the current rate of 13 per cent per annum, there will be no DIY sector at all by 2040.
By then, Britain will have slowly drowned under the collective ocean of blocked bogs and leaky radiators.
Which is bad enough, before you begin to ask whether the decline in DIY is actually indicative of a deeper malaise in masculinity.
DIY used to make us feel manly. We’d chuck on a tool belt, press our power drill’s trigger – perhaps while even growling – and feel the testosterone course through our veins.
The trouble is, being a man – in the old-fashioned sense – is deeply unfashionable, naff almost, these days.
At some point this century, bombarded by an agonizingly right-on, feminist, PC doctrine through the liberal media, many men decided it was time to stop being men and embrace their inner sister.
Metropolitan, largely office-working men launched a mass PR campaign to win the hearts and minds of women – and their peers. They publicly decried wolf whistling and Page 3 of The Sun.
Men were clamouring over themselves to be seen as anything but sexist.
But as we lost our rough edges and took on more of what had traditionally been regarded as female roles, no one really stopped to question whether equality for women came with a cost for masculinity. If everything overtly “masculine” is dismissed as sexist, what’s left of men is, arguably, sexless.
You see this behavioural androgyny everywhere, from the increasingly corporate and sterile football terraces to the Croc-wearing househusband on the school run.
In an age where we’re expected to Hoover, iron, and change nappies, old-fashioned pursuits like DIY have become quaint, self-indulgent and almost shameful.
The result is that many modern men are more like our mothers than our fathers, while the opposite is true for women, who are increasingly wearing the trousers.
Women decry us for not being able to wire a plug like our dads, but can – or would – they cook a cracking apple crumble like their mums?
No, they’d rather watch some bugger else do it on the Great British Bake Off, then go to M&S – just like we’d rather watch Grand Designs, then pay a Polish geezer to do our wallpapering.
Manual labour is increasingly seen as something other people do for us. While 43 per cent of 18-25s would attempt a DIY task, 41 per cent would hire around their own deficiencies – and call in the navvies.
Another depressing fact is that Lloyd’s Bank estimate that some 3.3 million bodged DIY tasks need to be put right by a paid professional, at an average cost of over three grand each time.
A French electrician I once got in told me, “I love British DIYers: 75 per cent of my work is finishing jobs you guys started.” But at least I tried in the first place.
It’s unfashionable to admit, but some men are better at being men when they have traditional roles that they understand. And working with our hands gives us a sense of worth that we can never get from filing our tax return.
Answer the following questions:
1. What is DIY?
2. According to this article, define feminism.
3. From what you read, how do you believe the author feels about feminism?
4. How much did Lloyd's Bank estimate that botched DIY jobs cost on average?
5. What is the author's opinion on the current state of "masculinity"? Why does he use statistics to back up his opinion?
6. What is your opinion? Do you agree that today's men (including teenagers) are more akin to their mothers than their fathers, as the article claims? Why or why not? Back up your opinion with evidence.
Kat Phillips
ReplyDelete1. do it yourself
2. the girly side of things not as manly
3. he does not care for them because its taking the man out of the jobs
4. three grand
5.that it is lacking in the world and to show that he isn't being mean he is just stating his opinion
6. i think that people do need to man up and do their own jobs because it makes you appreciate your work even more and makes you work harder to finish it
Ke-Anna' Rich: 1. Doing professional projects by yourself.
ReplyDelete2. Not being entirely manly or feminine
3. The author feels that both women and men should go back to traditional
roles.
4. 3.3 million dollars(euros?)
5. The author thinks that masculinity isn't the same as it was, because
men are taking on more feminine roles. He uses statistics to show how
this is affecting the outside world.
6. I do think that men are closer with their mothers than there fathers,
however, i believe that most kids and adults are. Mothers are usually
there more than the fathers and they usually do most of the raising.
There is also the fact that more likely than not the mother is/was the
only one raising the kid.
Shalyn Dale
ReplyDelete1) DIY = Do It Yourself
2) According to this article, being a feminist is men embracing their inner sister.
3) I don't think he has a problem with it, I just don't think he likes for men to act feminine.
4) 3.3M
5) He feels like it is dying out. I guess he uses statistics to prove that men just aren't what they used to be anymore, which is really sad.
6) Unfortunately, I do agree with the author of this article. I agree due to the fact that I have a "brother" and he acts more and more like a female as each day goes by. He gets aggravated easily, he goes through pms and things of that sort. I feel like the age of being a gentleman and having respect for females has gone away, even though many of the females now-a-days don't give guys much to respect and mess it up for girls like my friends and I who carry ourselves correctly, its too late. Boys are getting lazier and lazier and expecting us females to do their job.
Carter Billings 3rd 1) Its a project that you "do it yourself". You don't hire someone to do it you do it yourself. 2) The article defines feminism as the right to do what you want and not be criticized for it. Such as changing your role in the family or whet you do for the family. 3) I believe that the author feels like feminism is a controversial topic. If you support feminism then are you losing your masculinity in the process, I think is what he is asking. 4) Over $3,000 each time. 5) The author feels that the current state of masculinity is pretty low. He uses statistics to show us really how low it is. For example, he gives us the statistic that by 2040 the DIY sector will be no more. 6) I think that todays men are split down the middle. You have your guys that love to work on stuff and like being outside, doing things that a man typically does. Then you have your guys like to stay inside and would rather pay a plumber than to fix the sink. I think that we turn out like this by the way we are raised, if we are raised living off the land then that's what we are going to do. If we are raised to step back and let others take over that's what I think we will do. This can be seen clearly in a school. You have your kids who wear boots and talk about the truck that they fixed the engine on all by themselves, they are like this mainly because that's what they were raised like. On the other side we have the kids who talk about the things they saw on a TV. It is a line with some people in the middle but you have to look at the background to see why they are like they are.
ReplyDeleteEmily Keller
ReplyDelete1) it means do-it-yourself
2) men deciding to "embrace their inner sister"
3) he thinks its a joke
4) 3.3 million
5) he thinks me have lost their masculinity for feminism
6)i think in today's society men don't focus on being their parents, they focus on being individuals or trying to prove a point
khushi patel
ReplyDelete1. do it yourself
2.they support mens rights in the article and feminism is about women rights.
3.he is supporting men rights more them women in the article. The author doesn't support feminism
4.3.3 million
5. the authors opinion is that how men are always seen and that women aren't questioned
6.yes i agree that today's men are akin to their mothers than their fathers. Because many men that we see in our everyday lives also mostly act like their moms.
Lorenzo B. Winston:
ReplyDelete1.DIY is an initialism for do-it-yourself, or in military cases, it means for a person to gain responsibility so the person can be able to do things themselves and be prepared for the future.
2.According to this article, feminism is when a lady act like a 100% female or what we say nowadays, girly-girl, by not doing hard labor but stay at home all day cleaning, cooking, and taking care of their children.
3.I think that the author feels that feminism isn’t even feminism anymore. The author feels that feminism is found more in men than in women and that men are acting more like women and that it seems as if their mothers were their role models instead of their fathers or any man. The author feels that if the world has flip-flopped and he is disgusted by the fact of it.
4. Lloyd's Bank estimated that botched DIY jobs cost at an average of three grand each time a DIY task is bodged.
5.The author feels that the current state of masculinity is different now and it needs to be the same as it. In his opinion, today’s men are too soft to do anything for themselves and to gain responsibility and the men think that everything has to be done for them. He uses his statistics to back up his opinion to prove to others why he think that his opinion is most likely a fact and for others to analyze and understand his point of view and to let others agree with his opinion.
6.In my opinion, I don’t think that today’s men are akin to their mothers’ than their fathers’. If they are, it would probably be because their fathers’ were never in their lives and they didn’t have a male figure in their lives. I would say that sometimes would see men acting like a female or having feminine ways like being scared of small things and have mood swing but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they looked up to their mothers’ more than their fathers’. In my opinion, I see women doing hard labor like a man should and the men just sit on the couch doing absolutely NOTHING, but that doesn’t mean they’re more akin to their mother’s.
James Smelley
ReplyDelete1. "Do-it-yourself."
2. Supporting women's rights and women's ability to do things like DIY just as good as men.
3. The author feels that at some points feminism is unnecessary and has only made men feel sexist and has stopped men from the stereotypes like DIY.
4. 3.3 million.
5. He feels that "masculinity" has decreased due to females trying to be feminist because feminism makes men feel sexist.
6. I think it depends on the person and their cultural background. For instance, a boy from the south may be more akin to his father cuz they might want to do something stereotypically southern, and with males, it typically has to do with other males.
Ya' know (lol)
ReplyDeleteI- Do it yourself
II- The belief that women can "DIY" just as well as men can
III- That feminism is taken too far
IV- 3.3 mil, yo.
V- He feels like masculinity has become more rare because it makes men feel bad
VI- I think it all depends on situations that people are in. The evidence? Look at any family ever and u can see
Sydney Emmons 3rd pd.
ReplyDelete1. "Do It Yourself" projects that you can attempt to make crafts yourself.
2. It means that women's rights should be the same as men's and both genders shall be equal.
3. The author sounds like he is a bit annoyed at feminism, and he thinks men are fine the way they are.
4. $7.3 billion
5. He believes that women don't have to be masculine to be equal to men. He backs it up with statistics to persuade more people to agree with his opinion.
6. Honestly, I don't see why it matters if men are more close to their mothers or fathers. But, I think guys are more close to their fathers because of similar interests with sports and things like that. But I don't see the big deal about it.
Abbey Kate Gregory:
ReplyDelete1. DIY is ''Do It Yourself". Like taking on a project instead of paying somebody else to do it.
2. According to the article, feminism is men taking on the roles of women, equalizing themselves and even switching traditional roles between the two.
3.The author disagrees with feminism because he thinks men should be the dominant sex and men and women should take on more traditional roles.
4.3,000 each time
5. The author's opinion on the current state of masculinity is that there is none, basically. He uses statistics to back this up because I am sure a lot of men reading the article would have disagreed without them, but with the statistics you can actually see who it is affecting the people overall.
6.Yes. Sadly, 50 years ago I am sure that it was completely shameful, even to those people, to be gay. Its like the "new trend "all the boys can act like girls and all the girls can act like boys. Men and women were made different with different qualities for a reason, and its because nobody can survive that way!
Josie Parham
ReplyDelete1- Do it Yourself
2- When equality for women comes with a cost of masculinity and men are having to give up their manliness to take in the more female tasks and be come much less masculine.
3- I think the author sees it as something stupid or not important because in the article he throws it around like a joke.
4- 3.3 million.
5- That men are taking on the more motherly tasks and the women are taking charge. Also that the women are being more manly and the men are being more motherly and soft and not at all masculine.
6- I don't think that guys are necessarily more like their mothers but I do agree that the men aren't being allowed to be more masculine without calling them sexist. I think that women should stop using that excuse of feminism and let men be men and take their sons to do manly things and take a little charge. I mean I see a lot on T.V. how men are afraid and always go to their wife who is the head of the family and yes I do think that men should respect women but i think men should be head of the household and do the real dirty work and make things easier on their wife's. I do think that there is a problem today with many girls being mistreated and taken for granted and being sold as prostitutes and that is a huge problem because women deserve respect. Now I'm also not saying that they should underestimate their wife's I just think that men should be able to be masculine and not have to do the house chores without being called sexist.
Lynsey Simpson:
ReplyDelete1. Do It Yourself
2. men downgrading themselves to show that they aren't sexist and not showing their masculinity.
3. He is anti-feminist, because all he does is downgrade women and talk about how men shouldn't lower their masculinity for us women.
4. 3.3 million
5. He doesn't like it, basically said at the rate we're going their will be no such thing as masculinity in years to come. He uses statistics to try and show his point, but we all know that statistics from one source cant always be reliable.
6. No, because there are plenty of football players that are very masculine and favor their fathers much more than their mothers. Of course there are some boys that more favor their mothers, like my cousin, but overall i think that letting women vote and letting us play sports like boys doesn't emasculate them in any way, because they still have their own sport, we just duplicated it. Boys that i know are still cocky and masculine and haven't been taken down from their "hierarchy" over us girls, and let us all live equally.
MacKenzie Jones
ReplyDelete1.) DIY stand for Do It Yourself which is basically doing a project of some sort your self. Going out and buying materials needed to make it into your own thing and from scratch.
2.) Feminism is equality for all sexes/genders.
3.) I believe the author feels that feminism isn't really used in its actual meaning these days.
4.) 3.3 million
5.) His opinion is that feminism isn't lived up to its actual meaning these days (so its not equal) but rather that women and men have switched roles in certain things so therefore men have lost their true "masculinity". He uses statics of the profits from DIY stores to support his opinion by stating that since men have basically lost their masculinity and ability of home improvement & etc. He thinks this is the reason profits have gone down.
6.) Okay well I have mixed feelings on this to be honest. I for one support equality for genders in every way so I like to look at it from both point of views. But I don't really think I feel that men are more similar to their mothers rather than fathers I mean it all truly depends on the person. I see where he's coming from with this opinion and stand point but I don't think that I would say some of the things he said. Like when he said men change nappies and do things that women would be expected to do, I feel they should do a portion and women should do a portion. Same for the DIY situation, women need an active role in that to. I just don't feel that "equality for women came with a cost for masculinity", because THEY chose to lose all their masculinity. Because if equality for women came with a cost for masculinity then wouldn't equality for men have also came with a cost for femininity? It did even say that women today are more likely to pick up a hammer and do the dirty work rather than a man. I'm not saying this is 100% wrong I just don't agree with it from all stand points. Like I said it truly all depends on the person, I don't think its really loss of masculinity it possibly just laziness...? but why else would they be willing too pay someone else to fix it if the woman can? Personally I wouldn't judge a man based on weather he's willing to do DIY projects or not, like I think that's an absurd reason to put them down but they should have some active roll in the house hold even if its cleaning or whatever. But I'm just torn about this particular situation, because he does kind of have evidence. If women are to blame for loss of masculinity and there's 100% proof I'll be one to not fight against it and to take the blame. I'd want to do something about it, but I'm going to need more than he provided. I'm a hard person to convince so I just want more reasoning.
Troy Banks
ReplyDelete1. Do-It-Yourself
2. A lacking of masculinity in men, no matter if it is accompanied with homosexuality.
3. I feel that the author is alarmed at the increasing rate of femininity in men, and that he feels that genders are swapping places, so to speak.
4. Over three thousand dollars (or pounds, I'm unsure)
5. He believes that the rate of masculinity among men is going down. I think he uses statistics to add credibility to his argument, and to try and show that his article isn't biased.
6. I believe that there is a rise of metro-sexual and homosexual men, and it isn't because there is a rise of feminine traits in men, it is because the men who are gay aren't being forced to suppress it anymore. This is only due to the fact that society has become vastly more tolerant of feminine men. More and more states join the group of those who have raised their bans on gay marriage, and more and more men are coming out as being gay. Gay men and women don't have to deal with nearly as much adversity as they used to, considering if we go back a some hundred years you would see homosexuals being martyred on the streets for "crimes" such as heretic, but only those who were brave enough to come out as being gay. There is obviously a movement in progress.
Leigh Davis
ReplyDelete1. DIY is Do It Yourself
2. Feminism is like when you're a man instead of being manly and things like that you embrace your inner female side.
3. I think the author feels that feminism needs to decrease because if it doesn't our future will crash even more than it's supposed to. He doesn't think it's horrible but he doesn't necessarily agree with it.
4.$ 3.3 million
5. He doesn't think there's enough masculinity right now and it's decreasing. He uses stats to try to get the point across and make you realize what kind of problem this is.
6. I do agree that today's boys and men have somewhat become accustomed to being more feminine now, but there is also a bunch of men who are very masculent and love to get dirty and be men. Like in the jobs that men are doing now, a bunch of women are crossing over to doing typical "man" jobs, but at the same time some men still love to do "man" things.
Kayla Fincher
ReplyDelete1. a art project that you do yourself
2. women and men are switching roles in households
3. its taking away Manley hood because women are taking the mens roles
4.3.3 million
5. the author thinks that masculinity is being taken away and they are trying to persuade the reader into thinking the way they think
6.i think that men are more like their mothers in a way because the mothers are taking care of the children usually.
Grace Singley
ReplyDelete1. Do it yourself
2. In this article, they are describing feminism as boys being more feminists by doing stuff that girls or moms do.
3. I believe the author feels that men are doing more stuff that women would do and vise- versa.
4. Around 3 thousand dollars
5. The author feels that men are less masculine and women are more, kinda like a shift in gender. He uses statistics to prove his point.
6. In my opinion, I kinda agree that men in today's society are more like their moms than their dads. For example, my dad is not as masculine as my grandfather is; my grandfather could make anything and fix anything, my dad on the other hand can do a lot of fixing-up but not as much as my grandfather.
MaKenzie Taylor
ReplyDelete1. DIY means Do-It-Yourself.
2. Feminism is the PC doctrine through the liberal media, according to the article.
3. I think that the author views feminism in a negative, but truthful way. He blames feminism for the disintegration of real men, in the old fashioned sense.
4. Lloyd's Bank estimated that botched DIY jobs cost over $3000 each time.
5. The author feels as if men have been stripped of their masculinity due to society's push for equality for women. He uses statistics to support his opinion because it shows the decline of DIY projects which means that men are not as handy as they once were.
6. I agree with the author's view. Men have been stripped of their masculinity. Today's men mostly associate themselves with their mothers rather than their fathers. I say this because I see that more men are staying home with the children while the women are now out working. The roles are reversed.
Olivia LeComte
ReplyDelete1. DIY is Do it yourself.
2. According to this article feminism is nothing more than a bandwagon trend bent on reversing gender rolls
3. I believe the author, though choosing his words very carefully, is not to fond of the idea of feminism. although the article does show he might be a little misinformed.
4. over three grand.
5. Anything "masculine" is deemed as sexist. He uses numbers to show that he has some claim to a very broad statement that he is making.
6. I think that (in the south) boys are trying harder than ever to be masculine. They are denying anything faintly considered feminine. you can see this because even though being a feminist just means wanting women to be equal, they still fight against it every step of the way. But, I think that everyone needs to stop worrying about gender rolls and just be who they are. If we taught our children to be themselves and be accepting, we wouldn't still be having this conversation.
1. DIY means Do It Yourself.
ReplyDelete2. Feminism is the political ans social equality of the sexes, but of course this article is too biased for most people to tell that.
3. The author definitely feels threatened by feminism and it's a bit pathetic.
4. They cost 3.3 million dollars.
5.The authors opinion is that masculinity is declining. He uses mostly unrelated statistics because he is grasping at straws.
6. I think teenagers are more akin to whoever they feel like they should be. There is no blanket statement that applies to everybody and thinking that is mind deadening. The lessening of social and societal pressure on them to be "manly" is probably what this author is trying to show, but he is too panicked to face the fact that people are becoming less masculine by choice. I believe that if a male wanted to be masculine, then he most certainly would. The dumbest thing this author discussed how masculinity by itself was somehow a sexist construct. That one line proved his ignorance, because it goes against the very principle beliefs of feminism. Feminism is about the political and social equality of the sexes, so if you wanted to be masculine nobody would care as long as you aren't sexist. What a novel concept, right? An equal rights movement group actually being for equality and not the demonized movement it is depicted as by the media. And guess what? That outdated comparison to mothers and fathers is irrelevant now. If the author would take the time to actually educate himself on feminism I'm sure he would feel liberated from the gender box and various stereotypes too. Or he could just leave fixing the leaky sink to us "delicate women" while he mourns over his lost masculinity, it's his call.
Abbye Blocker
ReplyDelete1. Do It Yourself
2. Acting more like a lady and not acting very masculine.
3. The author feels as is that men are turning into women and that there is not enough masculinity anymore.
4. 3.3 million
5. He says that most men would rather call someone to do the project than to attempt it them selves.
6. I believe than today's men and teenagers are still taking after their fathers because I don't know one teenaged guy who likes to clean and do laundry. They still like to work with their hands and play manly sports, but a small percentage can still take towards their mother.
Alex Turner 3 period
ReplyDelete1) DIY = Do It Yourself
2) the role of each other sex is doing the opposite
3) the author feels that boys are doing the average boy thing while girls are doing the average boy thing
4) 3.3Million
5) I think it depends on the situation that happens.
Alex Turner 3 period
ReplyDelete1) DIY = Do It Yourself
2) the role of each other sex is doing the opposite
3) the author feels that boys are doing the average boy thing while girls are doing the average boy thing
4) 3.3Million
5) I think it depends on the situation that happens.
6) I agree, bc back then men could fix everything but now men don't do there own work they call others to do it instead