The widening gender gap is reshaping American society in profound and troubling ways. Join hosts Marshall Toplansky and Joel Kotkin as they dive deep into this growing divide with Christine Emba, author of "Rethinking Sex: A Provocation," and Aaron Renn, writer of "Life in the Negative World."

Drawing from fresh research including focus groups conducted in Raleigh, North Carolina, our guests reveal a dating landscape filled with mutual misunderstanding and pessimism. Women are becoming more progressive and educationally advanced, while men appear to be falling behind economically and educationally, creating a perfect storm of resentment and confusion about gender roles.

This isn't just an American phenomenon—countries like South Korea are experiencing similar challenges, with political polarization intensifying the divide between genders. Young men trend more conservative while young women move further left, making dating across ideological lines increasingly rare. Is this creating a return to a quasi-feudal structure where only high-status men find partners while many others remain single?

The conversation explores how non-binary identities, the prevalence of single-parent households, and the rise of technologies like pornography and AI are further complicating human connection. These artificial substitutes for relationships serve as "anesthetics" that prevent people from experiencing the discomfort needed to make positive changes in their lives.

Despite these challenges, our guests offer pathways forward. They emphasize treating finding a partner with the same intentionality as career development, the importance of media portraying healthy relationships, and the critical role older adults can play as mentors for younger generations navigating these complex waters without guidance.

Listen now to understand the forces driving men and women apart and what we might do to rebuild the bridges between them. Share your thoughts with us and join this essential conversation about the future of relationships in modern America.

Support Our Work
The Center for Demographics and Policy focuses on research and analysis of global, national, and regional demographic trends and explores policies that might produce favorable demographic results over time. It involves Chapman students in demographic research under the supervision of the Center’s senior staff.

Students work with the Center’s director and engage in research that will serve them well as they look to develop their careers in business, the social sciences, and the arts. Students also have access to our advisory board, which includes distinguished Chapman faculty and major demographic scholars from across the country and the world.

For additional information, please contact Mahnaz Asghari, Associate Director for the Center for Demographics and Policy, at (714) 744-7635 or [email protected].

Follow us on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-feudal-future-podcast/

Tweet thoughts: @joelkotkin, @mtoplansky, #FeudalFuture #BeyondFeudalism

Learn more about Joel's book 'The Coming of Neo-Feudalism': https://amzn.to/3a1VV87

Sign Up For News & Alerts: http://joelkotkin.com/#subscribe

This show is presented by the Chapman Center for Demographics and Policy, which focuses on research and analysis of global, national and regional demographic trends and explores policies that might produce favorable demographic results over time.