identity and culture

In today’s culture, the roles of men and women in the home are gradually changing. The shifting gender roles was due to the evolutionary changes visible in culture, citing economic trends that have significantly altered the manner in which individuals conduct household duties. Traditionally, there was a strong difference between men’s and women’s household responsibilities. However, in today’s urban world, there is a gender change, and domestic tasks such as cooking, bathing, and cleaning are no longer solely the responsibility of women. This essay paper will describe the changing household roles of men and women in the current society in comparison to the traditional way of life.

The Changing Roles in the Household between Male and Female

A significant role that is changing relates to the household breadwinner. Traditionally, men were expected to be the family breadwinners and they grew up strictly knowing that they are to provide the daily bread to their families. On the contrary, women were not expected to work or earn any money. In the modern world, this is not the case. The traditional stereotypes that needed men to be the sole breadwinners are not taken into consideration. The husband and the wives are expected to provide for the family especially when all the couples are working. Furthermore, in the case where the couples are divorced or separated, women have to work extra hard to provide for her family whether employed or unemployed. In a study done by Valentova, he reported that most working couples currently have a shared responsibility in providing for the family (Valentova 10). Education and increased female employment account for this changing household role.

Taking care of the children in the traditional set up was an individual obligation of the women. They were expected to wash the children, their clothes, feed them and makes sure that they are clean and safe. Men would only be involved in disciplinary actions of the children. Women would stay at home with their children. Whilst this has not changed much, men are now beginning to help in taking care of the children. Nowadays, women are not usually at home so often. They could be at work or in grocery shopping. Some of the women have their job working hours at night and their husbands are expected to take care of the children (Dahlström et al., 23). Most families find taking care of the children to be a joint effort and not a responsibility left to the mother alone.

Family head and discipline roles in the family household are also drastically changing. Men were the head of the family and had a crucial role in maintaining the discipline of the children. They had a responsibility of ensuring that children are brought up adhering to the cultural norms and standards expected by everyone in the society. However, changes have occurring. Women have taken the lead of playing the roles of the head of the family and women employment together with education are quoted to be the major reason for the increased female-headed families. As the Fowlkes et al. report, currently, one out of every six families is being headed by a woman (Fowlkes et al. 16). Furthermore, the rapidly increasing trend of single mothers leaves women to play the role of the family head and give discipline to the children. Fowlkes et al. further voiced that, employment alone is not enough to offer an explanation for the increased number of families headed by women. In their journal, they state that “Divorce rates are higher among younger women and may enter the workforce just prior to divorce in anticipation of heading their families” (Fowlkes et al. 17). Many divorces are filed in today’s judiciaries and law courts which increase the number of single families. In the past, there were rare cases of divorces and the probability of marriages breaking was close to zero. Today, most women are likely to file for a divorce if the husband is not employed. This is a devastating ailment affecting the young marriages.

Traditionally, women were expected to perform the role of a housewife, meet and respond to the needs of her husband. Women were expected to pay a close attention to her husband and note the times of eating, sleeping, and other issues. They were also expected to wake up very early in the morning and prepare their husband’s day. This involved preparing breakfast, bathing water, shoes, clothes and everything that a husband may demand. While some of these roles could still be performed by certain wives, many studies have indicated a significant change in the way a woman acts as housewives currently (Dahlström 19). Women no longer wake up early to make preparations for their husbands. Citing the working class ladies, many of them arrive at home very late and tired after a hectic day. As Valentova notes, they will resolve to sleeping and women in the current marriages barely know their husbands and pay little attention to them (Valentova 28). Finding a man in the kitchen preparing a meal is not astonishing.

Management of the family income was only done by men. Women were expected to note down their financial needs and present them to their husbands. In projects that involved huge sums of money such as buying a land and building of houses, only men were involved. Currently, women make the humble managers of the family income. Women today contribute to family income through their employment. In most families, both the income of the husband and wife is tabled and budgeting is done basing on it. Men and women will jointly buy land, build houses and involve in projects that women could not initially participate. Valentova documented that, women make the best managers in finances as they are far more able to make better calculations and budgeting compared to men (Valentova 14).

Besides, there is an increasing trend of men doing the household chores such as cooking, washing, and cleaning. Citing gender equality movement, nowadays there are no longer chores that are purely for men and those that are for women. Gone are the days when you will find a woman in the kitchen every day and a man seated in the living room either watching a television or reading a magazine. Women have significantly pushed for gender equality reversing their household duties. Fowlkes et al. documented that men nowadays pick up food shopping items five times in a month as compared to women who do it six times (Fowlkes et al. 26). They further reported that men clean house four times and women seven times in a month. The study clearly shows that men are progressive taking up the women traditional household chores.

Conclusion

Women do not currently uphold and accept the traditional household roles that were assigned to them. Education and women employment are the leading aspects to these changes. As a result, they have been seen taking the roles that were previously performed by men. On the other hand, men are increasingly getting involved in some of the household chores like taking care of the children and cooking. The increase in a number of single families either by choice or through divorces has also attributed to the changes in household roles among men and women. Women are developing a sense of autonomy and they are no longer abiding and responding to the household patterns the traditional institution.

Works Cited

Dahlström, Edmund et al. The Changing Roles Of Men And Women. 1st ed., Boston, Beacon Press, 2011.

Fowlkes, Martha R. and Patricia Voydanoff. ”Work And Family: Changing Roles Of Men And Women.“. Contemporary Sociology, vol 14, no. 3, 2005, p. 351. SAGE Publications, doi:10.2307/2071333.

Valentova, Marie. ”How Do Traditional Gender Roles Relate To Social Cohesion? Focus On Differences Between Women And Men“. Social Indicators Research, vol 127, no. 1, 2015, pp. 153-178. Springer Nature, doi:10.1007/s11205-015-0961-2.