(polls)
The Good Men Project
"Every story is meant to inspire, motivate and center us on the idea of what we're supposed to be as men."
February 5, 2010
February 4, 2010
Although it has becoming more common for a father to be a family’s primary provider of childcare–by his choice or because of a job loss or divorce or any number of other circumstances–most of the respondents to our previous Moral Compass poll would hire a foreign-born woman who is not a U.S. citizen to look after their kids instead of an equally qualified male U.S. citizen. Sixty-five percent of the respondents said they would choose a foreign-born woman.
Is this because, as one respondent suggested, men are stigmatized as sexual predators?
When it comes to childcare, do we have a greater prejudice against men than against foreigners; does sexism prevail over chauvinism?
Maybe it’s nothing so sinister. Maybe the fact that the woman in question was born in a foreign country makes her more appealing: She can expose a child to multiculturism during his or her most formative years.
Or maybe we just naturally view women as nurturers and therefore prefer that they care for our children.
It’s worth nothing that while we may be reluctant to leave our young children in the care of qualified American men, we trust our sons and daughters to powerful and influential male figures only a few short years later, when they go away to college, or even sooner, when they begin playing organized sports and participating in other activities dominated by male mentors.
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December 30, 2009
In a Moral Compass installment last month, we asked whether getting caught in his extramarital affairs was the best thing that ever happened to Tiger Woods. Two statements that artist Jenny Holzer made in a recent interview with the New York Times seem to have particular relevance for our Tiger question: Protect me from what I want; and Abuse of power comes as no surprise.
Few would disagree that Woods made some incredibly bad choices. And despite the immediate consequencesto his personal life and his business empire80 percent of the respondents to our poll said yes, getting caught was good for him. .
Now the question is how will he respond to this crisis? His initial reaction was to issue a vague statement of remorse and then disappear. But what will he do in the coming months and years? Will he agree that getting caught was good for him? Will Tiger eventually tell his story, and if he does, what will he say? 
A number of companies that have sponsored his career and profited from his success have abandoned him. Under what circumstances would they reconsider that strategy? Should they reconsider that strategy?
Assuming Tiger returns to playing golf, everyonegolf fans and casual observers alikewill want to see how he performs. But just as compelling will be his performance off the course.
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