IT'S a man's, man's world. It must be true, James Brown sang it. Well, according to a recent survey commissioned by lad's mag FHM, the Godfather of Soul, along with everyone else, couldn't be more wrong.

The study, carried out by De Vere Media on behalf of the magazine, shows that more than half of British men think they are living in a woman's world, while 81 per cent of the 2,000 men who took part in the survey believed society had tried to feminise men.

Just under half of the participants considered themselves to be a new man', with the same amount, 44 per cent, at least aspiring to be one.

There were some other surprising statistics among the results too. Having been urged by society to become modern men for the past 30 years and share the childcare burden, men in the survey who already have a baby or young children say their partner now wants them to be the main breadwinner or earn enough for her to become be a full-time mother.

"Far from men feeling disenfranchised by the change in their traditional male role, men now want a 50/50 partnership both workwise and familywise," says FHM's Chris Bell.

"Once a family arrives, men no longer want to be the sole breadwinners who are lucky to spend a few minutes with their kids before they fall asleep.

"Instead they see themselves as work sharers and carers - especially with a quarter of men admitting that their female partner earns more than he does. Times are a-changing. Men like the idea of spending more time with their children."

FATHER DOESN'T KNOW BEST "No one's asked blokes what they think for years," Chris says. "We ask women all the time as their roles have changed so massively over time. Men are just expected to get on with it.

"I think this survey proves more than anything that we don't want to be like our fathers. Men have started to get their house in order concerning work/life balance and spending more time with the kids. Only 6 per cent of people in the survey said they wanted to be like the traditional macho male of yesteryear, and that says a lot.

"This change in men's behaviour has come about because it's what we thought women wanted from us, but actually, some of the figures in the survey show that it wasn't at all. They've moved the goalposts once again. No wonder we don't understand women."

FOOTBALL AND FACIALS We all have different ideas of what a new man should be. For some, a new man might be someone who stays at home to look after the children while his partner goes out to work. Others may think a new man is someone who uses moisturiser after shaving, or is comfortable in the kitchen.

If you are unsure, look no further than David Beckham, who came in No 1 on FHM's list of guys other men would like to swap lives with'. For the best part of 15 years, he's been at the very top of professional football, for many the ultimate man's sport. He completed the boyhood dream by marrying a popstar, but at the same time, he became a fashion and grooming icon, as famous for his new haircuts as he is his twisting free kicks. Rarely a day goes by when he's not seen in one newspaper or another with his children, and Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz always seem very much a part of his working and private life. As far as work/life balance goes, he seems to have it sorted.

MAKING IT WORK Of course, not all of us have the Posh and Becks lifestyle, and if one half of a relationship is demanding that the other goes out and earns enough money to provide for the whole family, there is bound to be conflict.

Dr Pam Spurr is a relationship expert and author of Sex, Guys And Chocolate: Your Essential Guide To Lust, Love And Life. She says communication is the answer.

"This shows perfectly where we've come to in society. There are so many choices for us that people feel pressure because they no longer have those defined roles.

"Even 20 years ago there were more defined roles, with men earning more than women and more females staying at home. Men want to stay at home, but so do the women who, historically, have been trying to do it all."

Who would you rather be?

Top 10 guys other men would like to swap lives with

1. David Beckham.

2. Richard Branson.

3. Brad Pitt.

4. Hugh Hefner.

5. Bill Gates.

6. Steven Gerrard.

7. George Clooney.

8. Sultan of Brunei.

9. Roman Abramovich.

10. Jose Mourinho.

Top 10 guys other men would like to look like

1. Brad Pitt.

2. David Beckham.

3. Johnny Depp.

4. George Clooney.

5. Daniel Craig.

6. Jude Law.

7. Orlando Bloom.

8. Ewan McGregor.

9. Jose Mourinho.

10. Hugh Grant.