This paper will explore the question of whether women should ask men out on dates. The discussion will take the position that, even in today's modern world, where women have equal rights in the workplace, as a general rule, women should not ask men out on dates.
Today, many women earn just as much as their male counterparts. Also, many Americans, especially younger ones, do not think it is at all strange or improper for a women to ask a man she is romantically interested in, out on a date. There are numerous articles that have been written on the subject which appear in popular women's magazines, and quite a few successful marriages have evolved from situations where the women asked the man out for the first date.
One article, "Will You Go Out With Me," was written by a woman named Laura Ullman. This article, which appeared in Newsweek, suggested that young women can and should ask men out on dates. The article, written by Ms. Ullman when she was a college student, mentioned several reasons why this type of dating situation is acceptable. First, she said that many college students are more comfortable with informal dates, for outdoor activities, then for formal dinner dates. Second, the article suggests that when a woman asks a man out it helps build a healthy friendship prior to dating. Third, Ullman states that casual dating (which can occur when a woman asks a man out) improves people's social lives.
However, what Ms. Ullman's article fails to note it that all three goals can just as easily be attained when a man asks a woman out. Thus, men too can ask for casual daytime dates, can ask a woman out and behave a little more like a friend than a suitor until he gets to know the woman better, and can improve his social life by asking female friends out for dates. Moreover, a recent New York Times Bestseller, The Rules, by authors Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, views the situation totally differently. These two...