Werewolves used to be scary, feared, horrible creatures. They had no control of when they turned and whom they killed or what they killed. They were feared and hunted down and were often associated with vampires. There was actually a story I read about how the first werewolf and the first vampire were brothers. Most of the werewolves that have been written about in the past have been male. The same book also stated that the meaning of the word meant "grown male human" and "wolf." It was something that males could relate to I guess. The strength, the speed, that "inner wolf" that is associated with men can be released through the werewolf.
Recently werewolves have become less of a threat. One example is through the TV show Teen Wolf. Werewolves were usually thought of not being able to control their actions. When there was a full moon they automatically turned and went crazy and began to murder. But in this TV show it shows that by controlling your emotions - anger in particular - and coming to terms with your past, you can gain control of the "wolf." They now try and make the werewolf desirable. Not only in Teen Wolf but also in Bitten, Vampire Diaries among others. Before, the werewolf used to be thought of as a disease. Something that messed with your mind and that the devil was taking control but now, you can control yourself and instead of going out and causing havoc, werewolves are helping out society and becoming protectors.
Another thing is that women are also starting to join the werewolves. Before they just used to be guys but now, such as in Teen Wolf, there are also female werewolves. Some even more powerful than the males. Which according to this society now, is actually true as women are rising and becoming more intelligent and getting higher places in society.
Werewolves have definitely changed since the first times they started to appear.
That is an interesting point you make. There used to be mostly male werewolves. It seems like the stereotypes of the past are indeed disappearing. Werewolves portray a creature with typically male characteristics. Males can be considered more beast-like than women, which can lead us to the hypothesis that some stories of werewolves might just be about crazed men. As werewolves depict beastly men, witches depict ghastly women. Women that were accused of witchcraft were not in fact witches, they just fit the stereotype. Likewise, men that were accused of being werewolves fit the description of a werewolf, be it insanity or rage. These stereotypes have disappeared both due to the advancement of science and the blurring of the lines between genders. Science has led us to doubt the existence of magic altogether. There is simply a lack of evidence to prove otherwise. Men can now fit the description of witches (which did actually happen a few times in the past) and women can fit the description of werewolves. This is likely the cause of the emergence of female werewolves. Some women can be considered more masculine now as some men can be considered more feminine. As you have stated, this also reflects in the status of women in society as they are able to move up higher in the workplace and receive a better education.
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