Working with our hands

I've read two interesting articles in the New York Times, and I'm wondering if there is a link between them.

The first, based on a research paper called "Paradox of Declining Female Happiness", summarises the case that women's happiness has been declining since 1960s across the globe in developed countries. Apparently it doesn't matter whether it is a working class or wealthy woman, whether in America or in continental Europe, women's average happiness has gone from being slightly above men's in 1960 to several points below men's today. (Note: I have only read the NY Times article, not the paper itself)

The second article is called "The case for working with your hands" and is a fascinating look at manual work. Written by a man with a PhD who has been repairing motorcycles since he was unable to find work after finishing his post-doctorate studies, it looks at the intellect used during manual work and the ethics involved in it. He also discusses happiness, in the guise of job satisfaction, when he talks about middle managers and office work he did after completing his MA. He talks about the ethics of being so far removed from the consequences, success, failure, and risks of your work when in an office. He discusses the pride and problem-solving skills of working with your hands.

Could it be that the two are linked? As women have succeeded at university, made their way up the corporate ladder, and found careers in an office, have we lost the satisfaction of seeing work completed? Dressmaking, quilting, cooking, preserving are all skills that have fallen by the wayside as women have taken up new jobs--they can't afford to continue time-consuming tasks. Chores are still done at home, but a variety of gadgets and services make it faster and easier. I can't imagine that you have the same enjoyment of baking if you are heating up a premade meal or picking up hemmed trousers from the dry cleaner. This could be extended to "working class" women as well--rather than starting and finishing a piece of work, the person behind the till at Waitrose or washing salad leaves in a factory are only cogs in a machine.

Reskilling is something that I think is important for society, especially with peak oil looming and my desire for a lower-energy society. 'Make do and mend' are words I long to live by (although my sewing, electrical and carpentry skills don't always allow for it--yet). Is it more than this? Is reskilling and the taking up of manual labour (by which I don't mean being one step in an assembly line) a woman's issue?