Part 8/12:
The dialogue highlights economic shifts since 1973, notably stagnating wages for the majority, forcing women and men into compounded pressures. Dual incomes have become essential but insufficient to maintain previous standards of living.
The conversation warns of a looming demographic crisis: with declining male academic performance and fewer men in university, especially in non-STEM fields, society faces a potential shortage of suitable partners and future fathers. Women, having achieved professional parity, are increasingly delaying or avoiding motherhood, sometimes citing career ambitions, but often influenced by societal pressures and economic realities.