Ellington

Scene: Working husband, John Jones, walks in the door fresh from work, proverbial bacon in hand. Stay-at-home wife, Janet, cooks said bacon and puts what's left in a ROTH IRA for when their precious, unborn children, little Johnny Jr. and Jane, retire. End scene.

For a long time in America, the relationships and hierarchal structure of gainfully employed man and happily domestic woman, such as the ersatz example above, were characteristic of the American dream. But as Americans have come to realize since the 1950s, this dream is rather nebulous.

In the past few decades, more American women have shed the shackles of domestic life and pursued careers of their own. I commend feminist activists and other women leaders who had enough of the status quo, and decided to draw some attention to the inequalities that pervaded their everyday life.

In 2010, the roles of men and women in relationships have changed. It's not uncommon to see the working wife and stay-at-home husband, but that's only part of the change.

Homosexuality is becoming more tolerated, though admittedly at a slower rate than these individuals deserve. While still a hotly debated issue, the fact is, homosexuality is here to stay, and these Americans have a right to their pursuit of happiness like everyone else.

Dudes of all sexual orientations can wear tight jeans (rapper Plies notably does not, however), which were previously reserved for the opposite sex. Dudettes can wear suits, though perhaps not in Fulton, Miss., not a tuxedo, and not to a high school prom. Many leaders in the fashion world consider both of these wardrobe selections in vogue, much to the chagrin of designers longing to make Mississippi a fashion Mecca.

Aside from wardrobes, other shifts in gender roles are apparent in the careers men and women pursue these days. An increasing number of men are taking on positions formerly dominated by women, such as hair stylists or secretaries. Likewise, more women are filling leadership positions, like CEOs and heads of state, than in the past.

Despite all the instances of shifting gender roles, assumed ranks still shape a significant portion of modern society.

The U.S. Department of Labor found that women still only earn about 80 percent of what men earn, all things being equal, in 2008. In another study, the DOL found that women comprised only 31 percent of workers with the highest earnings in 2005. On the other end of the spectrum, women made up a majority of the lowest earnings category.

Traditional gender roles continue to dictate the occupational capacities for men and women. It should come as no surprise that more women work in education and health services than men, and more men work in construction and manufacturing.

Think of it this way: In your K-12 school, how many teachers were women and how many were men? Likewise, how many times have you seen a woman cat-calling guys during her break at a construction site?

I'm guessing few if any of the aforementioned facts surprise the average reader. Having women as teachers and men as factory workers is something many of us grew up with, and maybe consider perfectly normal.

Therein lies my point. Have you ever considered just how deeply ingrained gender roles are in your life? Have you ever questioned the causal effects and repercussions gender roles have on the lives of so many Americans?

Ask the woman who makes 80 percent of what her male counterpart—who performs the same tasks and has the same performance criteria—what she thinks. Within these gender-role norms are anomalies that you may or may not have known about, anomalies that afford advantages and disadvantages.

Ever heard of the glass ceiling? It's a metaphorical cap on the promotion or salary a person can achieve based on his or her gender, ethnicity, orientation, etc. Did you know there was a glass escalator, too?

Sociologists use the term "glass escalator" to describe jobs in which a specific kind of person, like men, experiences quick promotions and easy raises. Some sociologists consider nursing and management as fields in which men ride the glass escalator. All aboard the gravy train, gentlemen!

Besides the overlooked perks that some demographics enjoy and the impediments with which other demographics struggle, a larger idea exists.

In America, women have suffered long and hard and are still fighting for full equality. Women had to fight for years to attain suffrage, and even after centuries of inequality, don't make as much as men do on average.

I am a man, so why am I complaining about the misfortune of others? Shouldn't I thank my lucky stars I'm a white guy and, theoretically, have it easy?

To me, that's a logical fallacy. By virtue of being born, people have an obligation to ensure the betterment (and equality) of their fellow humans. As Americans, we should feel doubly obliged because of the privilege given to us as citizens of a free nation.

I'm not saying we should institute 50/50 woman/man quotas for every conceivable job that exists. I'm saying we should be more cognizant of how we as human beings fit into the bigger picture.

We've come a long way in discarding the importance of gender roles, but we've got a long way to go to achieve a truly level playing field for everybody.

Previous Comments

ID

157970

Comment

I enjoyed your post, but I think there is a line that needs revising, both from a factual and philosophical viewpoint. Referring to the "shackles of domestic work" buys into some of the inherent classism of feminisms second wave and serves to devalue traditional "womens work". Before I go any further - I am not a housewife. Two summers of nannying in college and a live in relationship taught me that I am not cut out for either house or wife. But the work of housewives has been traditionally undervalued and, in fact, the dismissal of "womens work" has carried over into the labor market. As the article point out, pink collar jobs like teaching, care taking, and secretarial work, are less lucrative than other male-centric jobs. Further, the image of the feminist movement as liberating for housewives is ignores the classism of the early movement. Women have ALWAYS worked, paticularly women from low income families and WOC. Staying at home was - and is - a marker of socio economic privilege. This is a small point, but I think it is important. In order to achieve full equality, we must value women's work both inside and outside the home.

Author

Whitney

Date

2010-05-26T15:42:39-06:00

ID

157992

Comment

Whitney, I certainly didn't mean to degrade women who lead more domestic lives. I used the phrase "shackles of domestic work" because of the social pressures for women to stay within the house (granted I was not there; this is only what I've read). I'd even go so far as to say those pressures went beyond social and into commercial. Corporate America certainly pandered to the idea only a woman would work in a household via advertising. I do see your point here, and apologize to any readers who have the opportunity or who have chosen to lead domestic lives. I think too often feminism is considered an ideology that is past its time, and is in turn discarded by too many in the general public. Thanks for the dialogue! -b

Author

byewren

Date

2010-06-01T12:07:33-06:00