Gender roles in the family: Traditional vs. Modern - Research Paper Example

Marriage is a social bond which not only acts as a base of a traditional family structure but also promotes harmony and love among all members of a family. Husband is the main decision making authority in a traditional family. In the 17th century, women were not supposed to interfere in decision making regarding any important matter (Arrighi). It is because, in a traditional family, husband is the head of the family who takes all decisions regarding various matters in favor of his family members, and wife and the children are supposed to obey all the principles set by the head of the family.

In traditional families, men and women have separate roles and responsibilities regarding various family matters which are of extreme importance in strengthening the foundations of a family. Let’s discuss the role of women in the traditional families. Women, in a traditional family system, play a very important role in not only maintaining the structure of the family but also in education of the children. That education is not only concerned with the academic qualifications of the children but it also plays a key role in social and moral upbringing of the children.

Some of the key roles and responsibilities of women belonging to traditional families include taking care of home, taking care of children, developing and maintaining a bond among relations, and making an appropriate financial budget regarding various expenditures. Traditional family system is based on social and ethical values and it is the responsibility of women to teach the children how to behave socially and ethically in the society. In a traditional family system, the role of men is to earn money but it is the role of women to manage the money earned by men.

Women have to manage various important matters such as education of the children, careful money expenditure and other household