This is actually a thread I have wanted to make for a while, but now itās the weekly theme it got back to my mind and I decided to just go for it.
I never really personally experienced a whole lot of negatives from gender roles and had no reason to think about it. Both my parents worked as I was growing up but I also had a lot of time with both of them. It felt very equal and fair. It only was during my study that I actually started to think about this matter more. I read about how for example in many countries the women are responsible for the hard physical work on the fields and the man does the household. This was interesting to me, because the more stereotypical gender roles in European countries is the men work and the women take care of the household. So then I started thinking, in how far are gender roles actually relevant to todayās society? Very relevant, but then, is it actually an issue those gender norms exist, like is it a bad thing?
I kinda came to the conclusion that gender roles are a social construct. I believe it very much also has economic reasoning. In a family often they will find the best utility, the division that in total has the most beneficial outcome. Now it becomes problematic for me when there is a clash between the interests of an individual and the common utility. Imagine a situation where someone would be a stay at home parent against their will because that financially is the best solution for the family or simply because itās what their partner expects from them. Like personally if I would ever have a family, I would never want to sacrifice my work for it. I would rather compromise and have both me and my partner work a day less instead of one of us stopping with working completely.
Iām just interested to hear everyoneās opinions on this. How are the gender roles in families where you live? What do you think of them? Just discuss anything related to the topic!
My mom used to be a stay at home mom when we were very little, but now that weāre older she works. And my parents both do household work rather equally.
I definitely donāt think that gender roles should play into how people do the work in any household. Itās not fair on one person to have to do all the work of the household, and I donāt think that anyone should be forced into doing stuff just based on their gender.
Both of my parents work full-time as insurance brokers. My dad tends to do most of the cooking, but my mom can cook stuff if heās not home. My mom does all the laundry and dishes though.
I honestly am a bit torn about gender roles in my future. Iām studying to be an Ornotholigist, and I want to be a working woman, but at the same time I want to be a traditional mother and donāt want to have my kids raised in daycare.
In general, though, I think people shouldnāt strongly adhere to gender roles if they donāt want to. Weāre not in the '50s anymore, people. We especially need to stop judging stay-at-home or single fathers. Itās not ābabysittingā to raise you own kids as a father!
My mother believes that men donāt have to do anything in the house because they are men. And praises them for doing the bare minimum like bringing their dishes to the kitchen after their done eating. She also is always like: make sure you get a women that will clean everything up after you.
Then she likes to hate on other men for never doing anything like wth? Your basically raising them to believe that a woman needs to do everything for them? How can she not see that problem?
My mum was a SAHM. My dad was the sole breadwinner and then did any āoutdoorā jobs like gardening. They always did the dishes together every night lol. One would wash and one would dry but apart from that, my mum did the majority of cleaning and cooking. So yeah, fairly ātraditionalā I guess? But despite dad being the breadwinner, it was mum who was in charge of finances like paying the bills and stuff because dad just didnāt care.
Personally, Iām somewhat ātraditionalā. If I had kids Iād want to be the one at home. Iām not married, but I tend to do most of the cleaning while my partner does the gardening and the fixing-stuff. Due to Covid, Iām the only one working so heās been helping a bit more with the cleaning. We both cook. Heās actually much better and he actually enjoys it (to me cooking is just a necessary step between me and food) so he does it more often lol.
Gender roles shouldnāt exist
Like, in my family rn it doesnāt exist because we have no men in the house
But in general itās not something I believe in
Iām pretty sure my Dad still thinks there are gender roles here he expects my Mum to do all the housework while he works except she also has a job and itās not really fair to expect her to do so much extra but hey ho my Dad likes gender roles.
ha ha haaa
If I had kids Iād want to be the one at home. Iām not married, but I tend to do most of the cleaning while my partner does the gardening and the fixing-stuff. Due to Covid, Iām the only one working so heās been helping a bit more with the cleaning. We both cook. Heās actually much better and he actually enjoys it (to me cooking is just a necessary step between me and food) so he does it more often lol.