My son-n-law made a remark about this subject during our last visit. After I made a concerned remark about one of the games my grandsons were playing, he said that he feels his two boys are learning a different way to look at the world - that boys seem to be more feminine. The way he made it sound was that it started in our generation, and that books began to be introduced into the school systems that made boys want to be less masculine. I told him when I was in school, it was still a man's world, and that there were no 'books' telling me I was equal to, or better than, a man, or vice versa. I also told him, besides the aggressiveness of some women like Gloria S., our generation was more about 'free love.' Maybe he considers me younger than I am... because society did make a great leap while my DH and I were rearing our girls. However, I fell in love with a man who was a natural at being involved with family, no matter if it was the house, the girls, the social....
One other thought comes to mind. There was the beginning of the 'easy divorce,' which put women in a place of authority unlike all others. With divorce, mothers have the most direct influence on children, which in turn gives the children (future adults) a clear view of what women will and can do. From there, I think both females and males have been empowered to do as they so desire... no more having to live subjugated (female) or appear tough stuff (male), as far as society is concerned. Now, there are still pockets in the country where men expect men to be men, women to be women, as they understand it.