What's A Man To Do?: A Shift in Gender Roles

Gender socialization: the ways society guides children because they're male or female.
Gender: behaviors and attitudes appropriate for males & females; as deemed by society.
Deviance: a violation of societal norms.

"Men bring home the bacon, and women tend to the home." This statement sums up the traditional views of the family dynamic since organized civilization. Men are supposed to be the economic supporter of the family; doing all the work outside of the home and being responsible for the family income. The women are supposed to be the caregivers. Making sure the house is clean, the food is cooked, and the children are tended to; they are also supposed to follow their husband unconditionally. However, we have seen a shift from this "traditional" view in recent years.

With the women's rights movements and the rise of females in the work force, the view of gender roles is beginning to turn upside down. With more women having greater opportunity in the work force and bringing in substantial incomes of their own, where does the responsibility of care giving land? We are beginning to see a new era of men and the perception of their masculinity; the age of the stay at home father. In a study conducted by the US Census bureau in 2007, 17.5% children 0-4 have a full time working mother. Since then, the stat has risen closer to the 20% range. With more women assuming the role of breadwinner, what are the "rough & rugged" men doing?

Another study conducted by MSNBC showed that 4 in 10 women now are the primary breadwinners of the family. As a man, you are raised with certain expectations from birth. American society dictates that you need to be tough, assertive, and be responsible for your family because traditionally, if you had a job then your employment period was life long. A male worker is supposed to be a robot, unencumbered by family responsibilities. With this shift of women "bring home the bacon", how is a man to know his true worth as a person if they don't get a paycheck? Many men have been reluctant to answer this calling to assume the "woman's" roles in the family, but a growing number have. However, what are some of the problems these new men are facing in readjusting their gender roles as care givers?

We do indeed find many types of alienation for stay-at-home-fathers. Taking your child to the play ground can be very segregating. As mothers tend to converse with one another as their kids play, being the only man there can come off as creepy and you could be shunned by the other parents. Also, being a "Mr.Mom" can be an incredible blast to one's ego; other men may see you as less of a man and you may be labeled as being soft or homosexual. Also, men tend to worry about their love life and how their spouse my see them. Gail Lewis, P.h.D., stated in an interview that, "A wife may be initially drawn to a man because he is nurturing and is willing to stay at home. But he can later look weak and inadequate, especially if she spends most of her day with men who are ambitious like her." So what does happen when a man trades the gym for parenting classes? You may turn to a support group. One website called Athomedad.org lists over 148 different support groups surrounding common issues that face stay at home fathers. Researchers pointed out that pursuing hobbies and retaining part-time jobs will help this transition.

Depending upon who you ask, this shift in gender roles can be a godsend to couples. Jeremy Adam Smith, author of the book "The Daddy Shift: How Stay-at-Home-dads, Breadwinning Moms, and Shared Parenting are Transforming the American Family", had this to say in an interview: "Families have to be nimble. They cannot afford to specialize anymore. With this shared parenting, a woman gains a greater degree of personal Independence and the man gets a fuller life and a greater sense of humanity." But we cannot simple readjust an image of masculinity over night that has been so heavily reinforced throughout the centuries. While this social progression may be great for equal human rights, many pit falls are beginning to surface. Men are going to have to start looking in the mirror and ask their selves: "Am I man enough to be a woman?"

Critical Thinking Questions:
1.) With this shift beginning to grow, how will this effect younger generations who are still being fed the traditional gender roles of the family?
2.) Do you think that this trend will in fact eventually become a social norm? Why or why not?
3.) With such an intense impact on a males ego, what behavioral side effects do you for see manifesting within the home?
4.) Is this deviance negative or positive?
5.) Is it even possible to revolutionize gender roles in the family after they have been back by eons of reinforcement?