I don't think women are less feminine. But it's hard to tell. I mean, what exactly is the definition of feminine? If it means a personality which is natural to women, I think it will be impossible to stomp out. Women will always be women, simply in different settings, in different cultures, but they will always be women living in and responding to those cultures.
As for men, even if it had been that in every culture they were providers, their life would still have varied tremendously from century to century, culture to culture. I mean, providing by hunting for your hunter-gatherer family, and providing by going to an office are two vastly different experiences.
Presumeably the stay at home expereince of women in different cultures has also been subject to wide variation. So this is a complicated subject. As Christy said...
To add another complication to your arguments Jeff, I would like to point out that the type of industries a country has will also weigh quite heavily into the discussion.
A farmer and his wife will support the nation with food, support other industries like logistics and retail, and have more time for their kids than someone who works in the industrial industry. With a shift away from primary producers, a country then looses money out of it's economy by paying for those goods to be supplied, whilst still having to pay for it's other industries. In fact logistics becomes more expensive given the distances those goods now need to be transported.
The majority of people then move into cities (where there's work) with all the problems that go with it. More people equals higher demand on goods and services, equals higher cost of living, results in a second income being required to support the family. I think this phenomenon could equally be blamed for the loss of values in a family, not just the feminist movement.
Just my two cents worth.
Christy
Many people think that day-cares & other care-givers are not as good for children as a parent is. This is a myth!
As a professional Preschool teacher...I would say that depends. That really really depends.
I do know that some people are really suited for parenthood, others less so. Sometimes it's just a matter of temperament. Some women are amazing with children, some men are amazing with children. Some are not.
As far as parents go, some are terrible, some are wonderful, many are somewhere in between...Same goes for preschools As preschool teacher I've seen that many preschools are actually pretty terrible places. A few are really good. This is something that can only be seen from the inside. It's tough to gauge based only on the tour and advertising spiel the director gave you. The same goes for Preschool Teachers and especially Infant/Toddler caregivers. Many of those I've encountered are pretty nasty and cold when it's just them and the children and coworkers. They're pretty nice when parents are around. (As an Aspie, I managed to be really loved by the children and disliked by some parents).
Of course there are others who are wonderful. It's tough to tell unless you actually work with them.
99% in this line of work are female. However, I've noticed that the few men are pretty much always really really good caretakers. I think the reason is because it is such a female dominated field, some women become Nannies/Infant Caregivers/Preschool teachers for the wrong reasons, but, because it is such a female dominated field, any man who does this must have to really really want to, in other words, must genuinely love children.
Of course, the important thing to a child is to be loved. If he is loved by a biological parent, or by a paid caregiver, either way it's the same.
However, and this is the big bone I have with the child care system, there is one big problem.
Experts, PITC for instance, have repeatedly said that the child must be with the same caregiver from birth to age three, or better yet, til age five.
Instead, the way most Centers do it is...the infant is separated from the parents (this is very traumatic by the way. Trust me). Then eventually (let's assume this is s nice caregiver) the infant begins to bond to the professional caregiver. He/she settles in and becomes pretty happy. As soon as he/she starts to walk, he she gets moved to another room with another teacher. More trauma. Several days of uncontrollable crying and fear. Then he/she eventually becomes comfortable and happy and starts getting attached to the new teacher. Now the child has a birth day. Gets moved to another room, another teacher. Same process over again. This happens over and over.
Some preschools do the thing better, but the situation I described above is the norm.
Personally, I'd rather take care of kids than be in a job that involves adults. Though that's me. When it comes to adults, things don't go so well for me. Kids are more accepting. Babies don't judge you.
icking up toddlers all day, picking up behind them does your back in). It is a job that goes round the clock: small children often don't sleep through the night. It also is dirty, messy, often loud work. Furthermore, it does not pay a dime but can cost a fortune. It leaves a woman dependent upon the magnanimity of her male partner. While some husbands are egalitarian & financially fair towards their say at home wife, these are not the rule. Many women find themselves disenfranchised, infantalized & living off of a meager allowance. 
