Male flight theory, or gender flight, describes the sociological phenomenon where men leave, or avoid, occupations,
activities, or fields as they become increasingly dominated by women. This behavior often comes from the devaluation
of feminized work, the loss of male prestige, or social stigma.
This concept is usually something people are skeptic about, because "haven't these things just als been this way?" Which
is why I aim to unpack this.
Despite progress toward gender equality in recent decades, most women and men still work in different occupations. There are a few reasons for this: men have advantages in getting a higher status job; stereotypes guide choices; women do jobs that are more compatible with family life, such as part-time jobs.
However, this doesn't explain the segregation fully. There have been switches in gender-dominant job fields, even though the work has not changed much. For example in the cases of primary school teachers and pharmacists. To explain these inconsistencies, a theory developed by gender studies suggests that men selectively leave certain job fields when the number of women increase.
(I have written more in my personal notes, so in time I will add more to this)