RA#2

Title: “The Death of Macho”

Author: Reihan Salam

Date: 30 October 2012

Topic: Male and Female position in power

Exigence: Supreme male-domination in economic matters caused the great recession. The new, reconstructing economy focuses to rightfully instill more power for women.

Intended Audience: Society

Purpose: To inform public of faults produced by male-domination in economy, and to inform public of shift of power from men to women.

Claim: Because men are largely responsible for faults in the economy, they must ultimately submit to a rise in female power in the global economy and society.

Ethos: In his article “The Death of Macho”, author Reihan Salam described how the Great Recession will impact both gender’s role in the economy and society. From the recession’s catastrophic results, Salam claims that males, in particular, will suffer. According to Salam, men are failing to pursue educational knowledge: “Worse still, men are falling even further behind in acquiring the educational credentials necessary for success in the knowledge-based economies that will rule the post-recession world” (630). Although Salam does not provide concrete facts to support his view of men and their educational goals, his claim implies that men will struggle to adapt to the economy. Consequently, readers of “The Death of Macho” may limit their trust in men’s ability to succeed in the economy.

 Moreover, Salam expressed how the economy’s collapse may be blamed on the behavior of “macho,” which Salam defined as the underlying, aggressive characteristic that drives the male human being. According to Salam, because “macho” has aided in economic failure, women will gain power over men. Salam stated, “The great shift of power from males to females is likely to be dramatically accelerated by the economic crisis, as more people realize that the aggressive, risk-seeking behavior that has enabled men to entrench their power—the cult of macho—has now proven destructive and unsustainable in a globalized world” (630-1). Salam’s disapproving perspective of macho permeates throughout his article, which influences readers to find fault in men.

Furthermore, Salam argued that society intended for men to economically dominate women. For example, Salam stated that the construction industry aids in male domination of the economy: “These handsome construction wages allowed men to maintain an economic edge over women” (632). Also, Salam stated that in order for men to maintain power over women, men deliberately prevented women from entering the economy: “Insulating women from the market by keeping them in the home became a mark of status for men—a goal must fully realized in the postwar nuclear family” (632). Because construction wages make women inferior to men, and because men influence women to stay in a household, society seems to limit women from obtaining power in the economy.

 

Pathos: Salam explained that a woman’s ability to hold power was rarely recognized and often overlooked. Salam stated that because the male dominant power in the economy has caused failure, neglected women will finally have a chance to hold power. For instance, in politics, Iceland named Halla Tomasdottir, the world’s first openly lesbian leader, as their Prime Minister (630). In his article, Salam noted a quote from Tomasdottir that expresses her opinion on the male influence on the recession: “They got us into this situation—and they had a lot of fun doing it” (630). Tomasdittor’s statement implies that the men involved in the economic downturn lacked care for the struggles caused by the recession. Thus, Tomasdittor’s statement may influence readers to perceive men as mischievous and merciless.

 

Logos: In his article, Salam used insight from historian Stephanie Coontz to reveal the government’s efforts on promoting male power: “…According to historian Stephanie Coontz, the Great Depression and the New Deal reinforced traditional gender roles: women were promised economic security in exchange for the state’s entrenchment of male economic power”(632). Coontz’s view suggests that women were treated unfairly. Salam then used a quote from President Barack Obama to express the female’s growing position in the economy: “Women are just as likely to be the primary bread earner, if not more likely, than men are today” (632). By displaying a quote from President Barack Obama, Salam offers assurance that women will no longer be dismissed in the economy.

Personal Response: Salam demonstrated how men may have abused their power, but Salam provides a biased opinion on men. Through his description of “macho,” Salam implies aggression resides only with men, not in females. As mentioned earlier, Salam’s description of macho includes: “…the aggressive, risk-seeking behavior that has enabled men to entrench their power—the cult of macho—has now proven destructive and unsustainable in a globalized world” (630-1). Salam fails to mention that this same aggression can also exist in females, which may unjustly persuade readers that dominant female power is the correct and ultimate response to the recession.