Final answer:
The perception that men have it easier can be influenced by changes in family roles, workforce participation, and earning disparities like the motherhood penalty and the fatherhood bonus. While societal attitudes may reflect these economic and social dynamics, specific survey data is needed to quantify the adult population's opinions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question "What percentage of the adult population would say men have it easier?" pertains to social perceptions and attitudes towards gender roles and inequality. This topic spans sociology, gender studies, and may tie into economics due to factors that affect wages and employment patterns. Examining the shifts in family roles, workforce participation, and earnings disparities can offer insights into why certain perceptions about gender advantages may exist.
Data shows a significant trend where men are less likely to live in a household with their own children, as seen through generational comparisons of Millennial men to Gen X and Boomer men. This change in parenting roles might influence views on gender ease. Moreover, due to the motherhood penalty and the fatherhood bonus, women with families are often paid less than their childless counterparts, whereas married men earn more compared to single men. These wage gaps can result from differences in work experience and job continuity, as women frequently bear a larger share of household and parental responsibilities.
Understanding these socio-economic patterns helps explain public opinions on whether men have it easier than women. However, to determine an exact percentage reflecting this opinion, one would need specific survey data that captures public sentiment, which was not provided in the question.