Why Women Are Weary of the Emotional Labor of ‘Mankeeping’

As male social circles shrink, female partners say they have to meet more social and emotional needs.

An illustration of a person standing tall, holding a watering can over a plant with men growing from it.

Much of the time, Mr. Lioi said, his straight male clients tell him that they rarely open up to anyone but their girlfriends or wives. Their partners have become their unofficial therapists, he said, “doing all the emotional labor.”

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An earlier version of this article misstated the time that had passed between two survey results on the social lives of Americans. It was three decades, not two.


Catherine Pearson is a Times reporter who writes about families and relationships.

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