Are men being neutered by society?

• Position: YOUR LIFE

In the NBC drama "Parenthood," character Joel Graham represents a growing number of American men: the stay-at-home dad whose go-getter wife brings home the bacon. On the show, Graham usually is content building furniture in the backyard and hosting play dates for his young daughter. Every now and then, his lawyer wife Julia makes a unilateral decision that leaves him angry and doubting himself.

It is a natural reaction, says Jim Wysong, author of The Neutering of the American Male. "Most men are wired to be in charge: its part of their DNA. They come into the world with a tendency toward certain masculine characteristics--for instance, a preference for building blocks over building relationships.

Over the past century, gender roles have blurred, leading to some women developing more masculine qualities by necessity--think of World War II when they had to take the men's place in factories--and some men developing stronger feminine qualities, like sensitivity and compassion. The man's feminine characteristics overdevelop so his psychological needs can be met by the masculine woman in his life, be it his mother or his wife.

While everyone has masculine and feminine qualities, problems occur when a person loses balance and is living opposite his or her core, Wysong indicates. The incongruence leads to stress, distress, and dissatisfaction--and, increasingly, thanks to the economic tailspin, some very confused men and women.

In 2010, there were 154,000 "house dads," a number that has been climbing steadily since 2007, according to the Census Bureau. What began as a small trend of choice, as wives outdistanced their husbands in earnings, has become one of economic necessity in many families. The construction industry--dominated by men--as been one of the hardest hit in the economic downturn.

How can these men tell if their emotional distress stems from psychological neutering? Wysong offers some telltale...