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Male feminist Warren Farrell speaks at Princeton University on the potential for reversal of traditional roles on April 10, 2014.

(Spencer Parts)

By Spencer Parts

PRINCETON — The potential for reversal of traditional male-female roles is enormous, and unexpected.

That was the message on gender roles from activist and author Warren Farrell, who spoke to Princeton University students at the American Whig-Cliosophic Society, a literary and debating club, on campus Thursday night. Farrell, considered to be one of the most important male feminists in recent history, suggested that while much progress has been made on the women’s side of the role reversal, less has been done to expand options for men, and men have suffered for it.

“No one has created a sense of purpose for men who are not academically oriented, or career-minded,” Farrell said.

Farrell suggested that an increased focus on fatherhood can fill this void, but that such a focus has to this point been neglected by movements for gender equality.

Farrell served on the board of the National Organization of Women in the ‘70s, but became disenchanted with the approach of some feminists to fatherhood.

His most recent book is Does Feminism Discriminate Against Men?

Gender roles and marriage have been prominent topics of conversation on Princeton’s campus of late. Princeton alumna Susan Patton has come to campus and appeared on national television recently promoting a book which suggests that women should try harder to find husbands while young.

Farrell focused on the fatherhood component of the marriage discussion.

According to Farrell, increased regard for fatherhood as the focus of a man’s life has benefits for men, but also for their children, and especially their sons.

He described differences he has observed in typical parenting styles and the benefits of the presence of a father’s style.

“Guys who take care of children full time, those children do extremely well,” said Farrell.

Farrell considers this change in ideas surrounding male purpose and fatherhood important right now, suggesting that there is a “boy crisis” occurring.

“Millions and millions of boys around the world are having significant problems,” Farrell said.

“Parents and teachers are seeing in our sons a lack of motivation, or what is sometimes called a failure to launch.” Children with this problem typically have trouble becoming independent adults, pursuing their studies or addressing work needs.

Farrell addressed the pay gap between men and women as well, but suggested common statistics are misleading, and distract from the discussion of fatherhood.

“Women’s potential for doing well in the workplace and men’s potential for helping to raise children effectively is minimally examined. And unfortunately our tendency to not examine that is perpetuated by the belief that men earn a dollar for each 77 cents women earn for the same work,” Farrell said.

At the end of the talk, Farrell asked the audience to close their eyes and reflect on the things that brought their fathers’ happiness, and compare those things to their fathers’ occupations.

Some audience members pushed back against the idea that work forced their fathers away from what they love to do.

“I don’t think it’s fair to come to the conclusion that what makes people happy is never or rarely aligned with what they do. My dad really enjoyed talking about his work,” said Marni Morse, a freshman at Princeton.

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