Some of these chores include being a caregiver for her children, tending to the garden, making and maintain the family clothing, cook and keeping the house clean. More recently than ever, some Amish women startup businesses but once they give birth, it becomes hard for them to keep up
‘Asses the view that the family has become more and more symmetrical.’ The typical Traditional nuclear family is where the man of the house plays the Instrumental role in the family (which is the person who goes out to work, makes the money and supports his family financially), the women plays the expressive role in the family ( which is the housewife who stays at home, cooks, cleans, looks after the children), these roles are referred to as segregated conjugal roles. Although these roles are still in place today in some families, according to Wilmott and Young’s theory, families were becoming lot more symmetrical. A symmetrical family is a family that share male and female roles. For example a woman will go to work just like the man will a man will take care of the kids and so will the woman. Wilmott and Young studied the symmetrical family in 1974, the study carried out was to see if the traditional roles of the household had changed for example was it only the mother’s job to look after the children and tend to the house whilst the father went out to work.
Their whole lives revolved around taking care of the house, kids and husband. For example when their husband came home from `a hard day of work' their wife would have cold drinks and finger food snacks waiting for them (Scott, p. 225). Women weren't able to go out into the work force because they were given such an unfair wage. Women weren't able to make their own choices in life they only had once path pay to choose from, to become a typical house wife. The role of women is constantly changing throughout history.
Elizabeth Bott conducted a lot of research into conjugal roles and came up with the term ‘joint conjugal role’ which means that the couple share the housework and the childcare. This type of relationship has become much more common since the 1970’s, this suggests that there is more equality between men and women in domestic labour and gender roles. Controversially, Bott discussed segregated conjugal roles, the ‘instrumental role’ played by the man, meaning he provides for the family by going to work whilst the women play the ‘expressive role’ meaning that they cook, clean and look after the
When the man would be off at work, working all day, while the woman was left at home to tend to the house, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the baby etc. But in modern day society, I see more often than not, the women being the bread winners, while the men are home to tend to the house duties. Or, even one of the most controversial,
“Sweet, Sour, and Resentful” In this story, Dumas tells Gourmet magazine how her mother prepares a Persian feast weekly for a great number of people. She tells how her mother is bitter about cooking every week for so many people and in a small place. The family had moved to the states before their friends and family, so they were called on to help adapt when they moved to the area. That’s when the weekly meals started. Dumas stated, “Displaying the hospitality that Iranians so cherish, my father extended a dinner invitation to everyone who called”(321).
She had to make “last night’s supper”(2), iron her family’s clothes, and satisfy her husband’s needs in bed. Not forgetting that she also takes care of two children which is more than a full-time job in its self.
Routines become a helping hand for parents and a way to organize the family home life. Making chore schedules, meal times, and bedtime are a few examples of family routines. Rituals on the other hand are traditions families inherit from their earlier families of origin or that are created in the home. Many times family rituals are passed down from generation to generation and somewhat transform to fit the dynamic of that specific family. Some examples of family rituals can include how holidays and birthdays are celebrated, Sunday dinners, or maybe vacations.
Public patriarchy encompasses the domination in the institutions of the larger society. How does gender in your household affect your home life? “Being a female and a mother, I seem to do the majority of the housework. I take care of the children more than my husband, whether it is getting them to appointments or making appointments. I help them with schoolwork, and I do the majority of the cooking, and cleaning.” It’s hard to undo centuries of women’s and men’s roles in a couple decades.
Additionally men were the main source of income and women were housewives. Meals were cooked at home and more healthy foods were consumed like veggies, whole grains, dairy products, and fruits. Also, families gathered for breakfast and dinner almost every day. Kids were under supervision of parents. Today, American lifestyles have changed.