--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When women gain access to higher…" description: "\"When women gain access to higher education and then suddenly start doing better at it than the men, that can really throw the prevailing social order o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/hanna-rosin-8587_balance_when-women-gain-access-to-higher-educati_42705.jpg" --- # When women gain access to higher education and then… ![“When women gain access to higher education and then suddenly start doing better at it than the men, that can really throw the prevailing social order out of balance. That's exactly what's happened in South Korea, which is a highly patriarchal society. They started educating women, and then they…” quote by Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/hanna-rosin-8587_balance_when-women-gain-access-to-higher-educati_42705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/hanna-rosin-8587_balance_when-women-gain-access-to-higher-educati_42705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03b/hanna-rosin-8587_balance_when-women-gain-access-to-higher-educati_42705.jpg) > “When women gain access to higher education and then suddenly start doing better at it than the men, that can really throw the prevailing social order out of balance. That's exactly what's happened in South Korea, which is a highly patriarchal society. They started educating women, and then they were no longer the women that society wants them to be. That caused a real cultural crisis.” [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Educating women disrupts entrenched gender hierarchies, leading to societal tension when they outperform men in traditionally male-dominated contexts. **In simple terms:** Education shifts gender power dynamics. Key Takeaway Progressive education can destabilize patriarchal norms. Themes gender equality education cultural change patriarchy social disruption Mood reflective critical hopeful Type analytical sociopolitical When to use this quote - women entering higher education - men feeling threatened by women's success - societies with strong patriarchal traditions Key Concepts gender roles social order education policy Practical Applications - policy reforms to support gender equity - public discourse on gender and education Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance tradition with gender equity? - What mechanisms help integrate educated women without cultural crisis? A Different Perspective Some argue that rapid shifts can cause backlash, but inclusive policies can mitigate conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Higher Ed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-ed/) [Higher education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-education/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Patriarchal society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchal-society/) [Social order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-order/) [South korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-korea/) ## Related quotes > [“So she's been to college, too. I should have known. That's what we get then," he said nastily, "for educating women. They get all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/so-she-s-been-to-college-too-i-should-have-known-that-s-what-we-get/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [By educating women to use all their brains, men will not only be just, but will also ensure the future of a new social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenio-maria-de-hostos/by-educating-women-to-use-all-their-brains-men-will-not-only-be-just/) [Eugenio Maria de Hostos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugenio-maria-de-hostos/) > [“Many men believe in the saying that educating women is like allowing the nose of the camel into the tent: eventually the beast will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/many-men-believe-in-the-saying-that-educating-women-is-like-allowing/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [All patriarchal societies are either preparing for war, at war, or recovering from war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/all-patriarchal-societies-are-either-preparing-for-war-at-war-or/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“I am a scientist who studies the human mind, including the sexual differences in mental faculties, and I am telling you, ten female thinkers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-am-a-scientist-who-studies-the-human-mind-including-the-sexual/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Even now, for women to be contemplating the act of ending their life is considered horrific because they are the giver of life. 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Its time seems to have nearly run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerda-lerner/the-system-of-patriarchy-is-a-historic-construct-it-has-a-beginning/) [Gerda Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerda-lerner/) > [Being part of a patriarchal society, it kind of helped me figure out what I was all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-ratajkowski/being-part-of-a-patriarchal-society-it-kind-of-helped-me-figure-out/) [Emily Ratajkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-ratajkowski/) > [In a patriarchal society like ours, women have to fight hard for a seat at the table. Boys are privileged over girls from birth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shabana-azmi/in-a-patriarchal-society-like-ours-women-have-to-fight-hard-for-a/) [Shabana Azmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shabana-azmi/) > [Want to talk third wave feminism, you could cite Ariel Levy and the idea that women have internalized male oppression. Going to spring break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/want-to-talk-third-wave-feminism-you-could-cite-ariel-levy-and-the/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Hanna Rosin > [One way the Tea Party has benefited female candidates - and the conservative movement generally - is by consciously steering clear of social issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/one-way-the-tea-party-has-benefited-female-candidates-and-the/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [I could do a franchise for the end of everything. 'The End of Dogs,' 'The End of Cats.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/i-could-do-a-franchise-for-the-end-of-everything-the-end-of-dogs-the/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [To apply for a gifted program, children as young as 4 are required to sit through hour-long verbal exams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/to-apply-for-a-gifted-program-children-as-young-as-4-are-required-to/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [As we get used to women in power, we are likely to discover that they behave much like powerful men - vain, entitled, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/as-we-get-used-to-women-in-power-we-are-likely-to-discover-that-they/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [I grew up with a pretty tough mom. She was a self-appointed neighborhood watchdog, and if she saw that any of the local boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/i-grew-up-with-a-pretty-tough-mom-she-was-a-self-appointed/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [The modern economy is becoming a place where women hold the cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/the-modern-economy-is-becoming-a-place-where-women-hold-the-cards/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [We can no more create the perfect environment for our children than we can create perfect children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/we-can-no-more-create-the-perfect-environment-for-our-children-than/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [We've heard that the hookup culture is destroying us. We've heard that it's saving us. We've heard that it's racist. We've agonized over which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/we-ve-heard-that-the-hookup-culture-is-destroying-us-we-ve-heard-that/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [Studies show that recipients of Section 8 vouchers have tended to choose moderately poor neighborhoods that were already on the decline, not low-poverty neighborhoods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/studies-show-that-recipients-of-section-8-vouchers-have-tended-to/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [In the US in recent years, around a third of all open management positions have gone to women. My research over the last three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/in-the-us-in-recent-years-around-a-third-of-all-open-management/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [Women had a rights movement where they fought for changes. Men... don't band together in quite that way. It happens not in such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/women-had-a-rights-movement-where-they-fought-for-changes-men-don-t/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [Maybe there's something about the outsiderness of being Jewish that makes for a fiery feminist type.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/maybe-there-s-something-about-the-outsiderness-of-being-jewish-that/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [Because women have been marginalised, they're more likely to behave like immigrants and continue to push themselves forward in order to avoid falling through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/because-women-have-been-marginalised-they-re-more-likely-to-behave/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [The general image of a man in an American sitcom is like a complete moron. You'd think the industry was run by a feminist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/the-general-image-of-a-man-in-an-american-sitcom-is-like-a-complete/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [The global economy is becoming a place where women are more successful than men, and these economic changes are starting to rapidly affect our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/the-global-economy-is-becoming-a-place-where-women-are-more/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) [Explore all 79 Hanna Rosin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. 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I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. 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Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When women gain access to higher education and then suddenly start doing better at it than the men, that can really throw the prevailing social order out of balance. That's exactly what's happened in South Korea, which is a highly patriarchal society. They started educating women, and then they were no longer the women that society wants them to be. 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