About Spain - New Man New - Business?

Some changes are merely look-a-likes. Is that the case with post-machismo in Spain? It could be one of the conclusions of “The New Man New” (in the original title: “los nuevos hombres nuevos” – published by Destino) which is written by Miguel Lorente, the deputy of the cabinet in charge of violence against gender. Lorente uses in his book a similar phrase from “El Gatopardo:” change so that everything will remain the same. “New Man New,” could be read as “New Man New … Macho.” Is it not the case with many changes that only the situation changes, but underneath everything remains the same?

According to the book, post-machismo rises from the fear that the changes of roles lead to a modifications of the status of men. “Post-machismo has brought new myth about women, amongst them the parental alienation syndrome or mandatory shared custody” (1). In the first one parent feels that the other is influencing the child to alienate it from him (or her).

Apparently according to the author, the masculine identity about the role of father and husband crumbles when women do not occupy their essential role as wife and mother.

The book is written to understand and divulge information on the conflict of gender violence and about inequality that is still “alive;” to take control and maintain the established order. According to the author this will remain so as long as equality is still an issue.

Lorente is optimistic about this change, “men have always had their saying and cannot be silent on a subject like this.”

The differences between men and women in Spain are still numerous. Most important of them is the inequality in salary with differences that may add up to 40% for equal roles.

The critic on the internet about the publication of Lorente are a combination of pro’s and con’s. Some do not think that Lorente is an expert on the subject (but a review on his biography, his medical background, professorship and publication on the matter shows he is) and others wonder why there should be a ministry of in-equality: “how is a wolf going to help the sheep.”

But on the other hand one could imagine how change is going to happen without such a ministry. At least the choice for a special minister for equality shows that the problem is serious.

In another review of the book “New Man New” I read about the nuances in the change of the post-machismo. In the new situation it’s the immigrant who gets the blame by the new macho. This is however a universal law; when things go wrong, the outsider gets the blame.

However if you look at the unemployment development (the real problem – not the immigrants), women are the group that are currently easier employed; they are the first who find work. And this has to do where the current (male) culture has created work: most of all in the area of construction; under the same male paradigm: more, more and more.

So the cultural element is broader than the differences between men and woman in Spain in general, but about the diversity in general. Inequality is not limited to the gender discussion but to the economy (and society) as a whole. The part of construction (and tourism) in the Spanish economy is out of proportions. Construction is an activity of male dominance. The service-economy where everybody is talking about has more female characteristics, but much service-oriented business is still underdeveloped. Consultancy business for example is a sector that is underdeveloped for the same reasons; the archetypical macho manager (of which many are still around) knows what to do. End of discussion!

Now what comes first? It will be hard to accept that a society that has been built by men, will be changed by women. But this is not limited to Spain. Even in the US the Macho-politics of Bush are left and changed into a more balanced (softer?) approach of Obama.

But the question remains: how will culture change? Will (the) men envision new possibilities and entrepreneur these into a new (for example service oriented) business or will this recession in Spain lead to a depression amongst men and will the women take the lead and will men follow? Probably a mix of these. The preoccupation of the gender violence and gender inequality will not be solved by the ministry of inequality but by the economics (labor) department who may inform about the envisioned change of demands and supply in the various sectors in the near future. Less supply of construction is one for sure, but where and in what kind of business do we find an increase of demand?

In fact this change is already happening and inequality will be solved when this new business (model) gets implemented more and with it the role of men and women will change gradually.

(1) - Newspaper, “El Publico, 9th of February 2009

About Spain - New Man New - Business?