Changing Roles in the Household - Term Paper Example

 Changing Roles in the Household: Women as Co-breadwinners and men as Co-caregivers Introduction The culture of household roles has changed and is constantly changing over the years in different parts of the world. In past decades, it was a social stigma when women had jobs other than what is expected of her at home, and men valued headship so much to take all the responsibility in earning for the family. The tradition of household responsibilities solely passed on the wives and mothers is breaking apart, as women are determined to have their places in the workplace; and husbands and fathers realize the need to be involved at home besides bringing home the bacon. The family as the basic structure in society has been modified into a more modernized culture, starting with these said role changes in the household. The issue of gender equality has been pointed out for more than a lot of times, both literally and in exaggeration, as a huge contributing factor for a shift in this said way of life. In the progress of the feminist movement in supporting women to achieve their dreams, more and more opportunities are opened in the workplace for them. At the same time, society has decided to deviate from the traditional gender roles, encouraging men to be fathers and husbands rather than to being breadwinners alone. Also, the economic crisis and recession have not escaped as causes for more families to prefer having dual-earners. The income of men as heads of the household is sometimes not enough to sustain the needs of the family, evoking women to work in addition to performing household roles expected of them. With both parents earning for a living, there is a higher tendency for the family not to be financially trapped. The inevitable change plaguing society has created a whirlwind of both criticisms and acceptance, but today’s generation seems to dwell more on practical roles rather than ideal notions. This paper compiles several clippings and articles from online versions of trusted magazines and journals, providing evidences that certainly, the household roles upheld by men and women decades ago are evolving in other acceptable ways. Although these changes do not necessarily occur in an instant, there is gradual progress in various places regardless of societal class. Body In many countries and cultures, women are expected to be housewives and homemakers, as they wait for their husbands to provide for the needs, and even wants, of the family. For decades, this has been the acceptable social system, especially in conservative countries. It is then not a wonder that when change in this arrangement seemed inevitable, especially in the rise of women’s rights and feminism, it stirred society and attracted so much attention. In Germany, for instance, “despite [its] vaunted modernity, a traditional perception of motherhood still lingers” (Bennhold “In Germany” 1). Caring for children meant staying at home and looking out for their needs. When the educational system in the country changed, where schools adopted whole day classes rather than ending at lunch time--allowing mothers to leave their children in school and pursue their careers--women received criticisms in exchange of trying to reach their ambitions and conform to needed economic and financial responsibilities. However, as the trend continues the German tradition gradually vanishes, and acceptance of working mothers progress (Bennhold “In Germany”). In 2007, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of the United States implemented “guidelines prohibiting discrimination against workers with caregiver responsibilities,” in response to the continual role of women as the primary caregivers and the increase of men getting involved in the said role (Steinberger). Because of the rise of dilemmas between work and family, the EEOC has plotted several points in accordance to the anti-discrimination law, including: refusal to grant men leave to care for a newborn child; refusal to grant a man a part-time position; and hostile work environments caused by stereotypes of female workers, pregnant women or male caregivers, among others (Steinberger). When circumstances such as those mentioned, as well the rest provided in the gender-based discrimination guidelines, occur, employees are given the right to file a complaint in local EEOC offices and fight for their rights. There is an obvious strengthening by the authorities towards the involvement of both parents in the care giving role. In the light of strengthening the father figure, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released a publication featuring stories of ten different people including Duncan Fisher, co-founder of United Kingdom’s Fatherhood Institute. The said organization supports the intensification of the father-child relationship and empowers fathers to carry out both the breadwinner and caregiver roles. In the article, Fisher presents that in a survey conducted by Fatherhood Institute, EHRC, Mumsnet.com and Dad.info, “Forty-eight per cent of the men who responded to the survey...want to spend more time with their children, but they can’t because British law has got it wrong...” (qtd. in Gold and Dhanda 10). He compares the nine months of paid maternity leave to the two weeks of the paternity, emphasizing that the government holds women solely responsible for child rearing and men for breadwinning (Gold and Dhanda). Fisher expresses his disappointment as fathers are nothing but “icing on the cake” when it comes to caring for their children (qtd. in Gold and Dhanda), and presents several recommendations which could help balance the role of both mothers and fathers in raising their kids, including lower working hours for fathers in the case of having newborns, flexible hospital visiting hours, and the right for mothers to request the hospital for their husbands to stay overnight with them after delivery (Gold and Dhanda). Television has also supported the alteration of the father role. Goudreau’s article in Forbes “ponders the evolution of the patres familias on television” (1). While citing several TV shows, he traces the father figure from being the “ideal dad” in the 1950s to early 1960s, to the involvement of women in work and decision-making, to “the rise of the idiot dad” in the late 1980s and ‘90s (Goudreau 2). In the last characterization mentioned, women instead were the ones responsible and sensible enough to keep the house in order. In recent TV shows, however, father figures “are beginning to find a balance” (Goudreau 2). There is now a depiction of realistic “stay-at-home dads” (McDermott, qtd. in Goudreau 2) as there is inflation in the employment of mothers. Furthermore, celebrity dad McDermott contends that through this recent TV father character, it “takes the pressure off” (qtd. in Goudreau 2) of being fathers placed by society on their shoulders in the real world as people are given a chance to see the difficulty they are going through. One famous personality “finding the right balance between family life and work” is golf celebrity Tiger Woods (Evans 1). In the Reuters article, Woods lay his routine of workouts and lifting to a breakfast with his wife and daughter, and back to walking when her daughter Sam takes a nap. He sees the importance of taking part in child-raising and fatherhood, and expresses the feeling that he “can’t imagine missing anything” (qtd. in Evans 1). The traditional parental roles of the mother and father have indeed evolved as compared to the previous years and decades, despite social class. Fathers have seen the need to be fathers in its real essence, not merely as providers of material and financial support. At the same time, mothers have acknowledged this shift and cooperate in making adjustments in family and career. Families and Work Institute (FWI) have conducted several surveys with regard to the emerging changing roles of men and women. In 2008, the first report from the National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) reveals that men have experienced a significant rise in work-life conflict among men compared to that of women, even if fathers in dual-earner couples have given more time to their children. The aspirations of women to pursue their careers have also increased, and their wage has contributed much to the family income. Both men and women perceive that the effect of career to motherhood does not necessarily give a negative result, and “working women can be good mothers” when placed in juxtaposition to non-working mothers (FWI). In today’s generation, lesser couples still adhere with the traditional gender roles, as there are adjustments to be made in financial and economic aspects, not forgetting the change in social perspectives of feminism and masculinity. The study also gathered that fathers nowadays spend more time with their children compared to fathers years ago, and they feel the need to be responsible for their children as well. The number of hours that a mother spends at home is still higher than that of the fathers, but the increase in the number of hours is not as significant as of that gathered with the latter. As more women occupy the workplace and embrace careers, the gap of both men and women in terms of parental and breadwinning roles narrow (FWI). In connection, the Council on Contemporary Families’ Conference at the University of Illinois in 2009, experts have concluded that family roles have become more similar as men and women continually search for a work-home balance (Jayson). According to California psychologist Coleman, the recession could bring in two effects: men deciding to be “much more involved in housework and parenting” or “try to express their masculinity by doing even less” (qtd. in Jayson). Because of conventionalized gender roles, there is increased confusion on what women and men are supposed to do and what they are allowed to carry out, without compromising femininity or masculinity. In addition, the Vachon couple, who were panelists on gender convergence in families and intimate relationships session, strengthened understanding and lessened confusion by defining “equally shared parenting” in four aspects: child-raising; breadwinning; housework; and recreation and rejuvenation (qtd. in Jayson). The efforts of Americans in achieving equity and harmony in their homes without completely giving up their careers has improved over the years and both experts and parents themselves venture in finding ways that could work for the American family in response to their specific needs. Sweden is one country that adapts tremendous change in household roles, especially in caregiving. The “profound social change” is brought about by laws “reserving at least two months of the generously paid, 13-month parental leave exclusively for fathers” (Bennhold “In Sweden” 1). European affairs minister Birgitta Ohlsson describes the trend to be “[It’s] a new kind of manly...more wholesome” (qtd. in Bennhold “In Sweden” 1) as men could both take part in career and family. Fathers are not obliged to take the leave, but Westerberg states that the government’s efforts in providing a “way to achieve equality in society” is through “getting fathers to share the parental leave” (qtd. in Bennhold “In Sweden” 2) and noncompliance would mean losing one month of subsidies, thereby increasing the number of fathers who took leaves. One issue about this change haunting employers is the freedom of parents to choose how they want to spend the paid 390 days of leave, as they can do it “monthly, weekly, daily and even hourly” (Bennhold “In Sweden” 2). It was up to both parents to arrange the division of their parental leave, and there seems to be commitment more than just mere obligation from both parents. Because of mandated laws and parental duties, companies have chosen to adapt to the needs of their employees, in this case work-life balance instead of higher paychecks. Sweden became a model to other countries in involving women in the workforce through “daddy leave,” with Portugal having one week mandatory leave, Iceland with three months, and Germany with “two out of 14 months of paid leave” (Bennhold “In Sweden”). An article by Koh cites Hiroshima Prefecture governor Hidehiko Yuzaki as the possible “new pioneer in the paternal movement,” as he planned to assist in the caregiving role and household chores for a month when his third child is born, thus immediately attracting the Japanese media. Statistics in Japan have shown that the number of fathers who take the paternity leave is meager, and the country is in continual effort to alter the stereotyping that women are expected to do the housework and take care of the kids, and the men provide for the family’s needs (Koh). The conservative culture tends to bring up tradition several times, but joined efforts of the government and members of the society regardless of gender with more “modernized” perceptions struggle to achieve change and bring new meaning to the Japanese family. Despite these changes, there are still many reasons pointing out factors contributing to the inefficiency of this arrangement. Belkin contends that men and women are juggling the “feel” of work-life balance albeit given the chances of equal parental and domestic roles. Williams presents that women perceive the change in the workplace in favor to them, “but home hasn’t,” and men have the dilemma in the other way around: help expectations at home rise, without a decline in work expectations (qtd. in Belkin). In the United States, California is among the two states that implement paid parental leave for both parents, but the number of new mothers who took the leave was so much more than those of the fathers (Belkin). In this article, the biological factor is mentioned, in a case like breastfeeding, wherein it necessitates the mother to stay longer with her child as compared to the father. Again, Sweden is cited as an example of a nation that wheeled the behavior of its fathers into getting involved in the homes, leading members of society to question if the same family benefits or shift in the system is going to happen in their communities. Conclusion As cited articles have proposed, the changing roles of men and women in the household have gone far, and will be going further as time comes. Conservative cultures have questioned the change, but ironically, for some reasons the government and its nation’s people support the trend, and long to maximize more of it. Through gender-based anti-discrimination guidelines and mandatory parental leave, authorities have vowed their encouragement in giving the optimum benefits the family can gain as the basic social structure. Even the television industry has exposed the realistic situation of stay-at-home dads juggling the responsibilities once attributed to their wives, and this role alteration affects not only “ordinary” citizens, but the burden clings to famous celebrities as well. In addition to changing roles, there are also changing perceptions among both genders, as revealed by several studies. Both men and women accept the current swing, and move along with it. The United States expects to see more of these modifications, as Japan has possibly seen an example through their governor, and Sweden has rooted the model for others to follow. There is still dissatisfaction among men and women even in the presence of these reconstructions. Other factors are taken into consideration, and both are learning how to adjust to the given circumstances. Nevertheless, the hope to be given equality even in sharing domestic responsibilities is not lost. As 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, England and literary figure says, “In a progressive country change is constant; change is inevitable” (“Benjamin”). Works Cited Belkin, Lisa. “Calling Mr. Mom?” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. "Benjamin Disraeli." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2010. 10 Nov. 2010. . Bennhold, Katrin. “In Germany, a Tradition Falls, and Women Rise.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 17 Jan. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. . Bennhold, Katrin. “In Sweden, Men Can Have It All.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 09 June 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. . Evans, Simon. “Tiger Woods Finds New Challenges as a Dad.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 26 Mar. 2008. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. . Families and Work Institute. “Changing Gender Roles Increase Men’s Work-Life Conflict.” Marketing Charts. Watershed Publishing, 03 April 2009. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. . Gold, Tanya, and Suki Dhanda. “One Year, Ten Stories.” Equality Human Rights. Equality and Human Rights Commission, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. . Goudreau, Jenna. “The Changing Roles of TV Dads.” Forbes. Forbes Digital, 15 June 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. . Jayson, Sharon. “Family Life, Roles Changing as Couples Seek Balance.” USA Today. Ganett Co. Inc., 19 April 2009. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. . Koh, Yoree. “Japan’s Next Big Thing: Stay-at-Home Dads?” The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal Digital Network, 19 Oct. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. . Steinberger, Jeffrey. “New Discrimination Guidelines.” Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 29 June 2007. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. . Read More