Despite its popularity, the theory of patriarchy leaves much to be desired in explaining gender relations and outcomes. It is not hard to look at society and see how culture exploits women. What is more concealed, and in many ways, more interesting, is considering how culture exploits both men and women. The trade-offs that led to this dual exploitation was ultimately for the good of both groups.
Despite its wide popularity among Americans, the pursuit of autodidactic self-improvement is routinely mocked by critics as futile and foolish. While some self-help books are certainly misguided and perhaps counterproductive, many provide healthy and effective methods of improving willpower and well-being. Far from undermining America, these methods of self-help provide an affordable alternative to the current pill-pushing paradigm.
![[Miss Genevieve Ebbets, youngest daughter of Charley Ebbets, throws first ball at opening of Ebbets Field (baseball)] (LOC)](http://theumlaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/miss_genevieve_ebbets_youngest_daughter_of_charley_ebbets_throws_first_ball_at_opening_of_ebbets_field_baseball_loc-150x100.jpg)
The perennial problem of the male-skewed gender ratio within the libertarian movement may not be as perplexing or as unique as it first appears. To understand why so few women identify as libertarian, we need to understand the social trade-offs that they face when publicly supporting any radical ideology. Fortunately, this is one problem that is probably solving itself.
