Louis Landman

In the three decades since World War II there has been a persistent and growing drive toward equality, the eradication of unreasonable privileges, and toward the God-given right for every human being to achieve his potential. This has taken place in the political arena as well as in social, educational, and economic areas. It is, therefore, not surprising that this trend has reached into the sexual area and into men's relationship with women. The biologic and fundamental differences between men and women have been used and exploited through the ages by society, culture, and religion for a plethora of reasons. These differences have been exaggerated and distorted.

In Karen Horney's terms, an idealized image of the female and male has been built up by a neurotic society. It is altogether reasonable and proper that the idealized image be worked through and that the real self be achieved in the course of treatment. In an effort to eliminate artificial differences between the sexes, it would appear that the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, and there is now an attempt to deny any differences. This trend is marked in the theory and practice of unisex, which aims at depolarizing and bleaching out differences. This had disquieting implications. It is necessary to recognize and respect differences; it is one of the criteria of emotional health. To deny these differences brings on the gray atmosphere of 1984 The ambiguity of sexual roles can be as disturbing and as far from the center of what is healthy and desirable as rigid, arbitrary adherence to illogical differences.

It is understood that a male-dominated society has put women in an onerous, unfair situation, and that there have been inequities, injustices, and unfairness. With changes in the economic, social, and technological forces that determine the structure of our society, it has become possible to bring about long overdue changes in the relationship between men and women. But I believe these changes shou