Essay On Traditional Gender Roles

The Traditional Male Role “head of the family” no Longer Exists The relationship between man and woman traditionally was unequal. Man held dominant position in the relationship because of his size, physical, strength, and freedom from childbearing. Man anchored in the professional world outside of the home while women took care of children and household. Dividing tasks between spouses was functional for the family unit. This arrangement was practical in pre-modern times, but in contemporary society, such consideration is not essential. Over time social norms have changed, and women made inroads into male-dominated occupations. It is woman skills, not size or strength, which highly rewarded regarding money and prestige. Since 1980s girls in the US were more likely than boys to attend college and the growth of service economy that prefers skills that can learned at school created demand for female employees. For many men, traditional masculinity does not serve them well in the job market. More and more are pursuing jobs that are considered feminine like nursing or preschool teaching they also more often criticize the restrictive aspects of the traditional male gender role. In recent years

In the United States, about 50 percent of the work force are women, which is an increase from 30 percent in 1969. This trend has offset the traditional role of fathers as the sole breadwinners of the family since the mothers also contribute to the financial needs of the family. In addition, a large number of women are joining the defense or security work force. This equips them with the necessary training to protect themselves and their family on and off the work station. It becomes difficult for a man who is not in a security job to provide physical security to his family. In this case the woman becomes the primary source of security (Baber,