Women's Work

Women’s Work

Traditional gender roles in this society seem to have created occupational differences for men and women.  It is learned, with the help of media, that men are expected to get a job and make money to support and care for their families.  Whereas, women are to stay at home, watch the children and tend to the household responsibilities.

 Numerous TV shows depict this traditional lifestyle, such as Father Knows Best and I Remember Mama.  Before the First World War, it was very uncommon for women to hold position in the workforce.  As explained in “Class Dismissed”, women in the workforce tend to be working class at a job with no possibility of promotion.  These are women working jobs for the money, not as a career.  Recently however, many have strayed from the traditional gender roles .We are seeing more women in the workforce holding high power careers.  But with more women at work, who’s watching the kids?  The men.  One example of this was clearly visible in a TV reality show called Modern Dads.

This reality show follows the lives of 4 stay at home dads.  They take care of the children and tend to the household chores while the highly successful wives are off at work all day.  This show depicts a role reversal of traditional gender roles within a family.  I watched one episode in which the dads were trying to set up a poker night.  In it, the men seemed scared to ask their wives if they could go out and play poker with the guys.  It appeared that because the men perform the domestic duties and make no income they are not seen as the head of the household.  Therefore, the power in the family is shifted to the wife.  With more shows like Modern Dads in mainstream media, traditional gender roles and stereotypes in the family may be replaced with more equal household partnerships.