Gender Roles

I took these photos because one of my male friends did something that went against stereotypical gender roles. One day my roommate made breakfast for us. After we were finished, my male friend offered to do the dishes. This went against stereotypical gender norms because women are usually seen as the ones responsible for housework and cleaning whereas society usually sees men as the breadwinners. Breadwinners are the ones responsible for working and earning the income for their families. The roles that society assigns men and women are not a dichotomy. Men can do the housework, cooking and cleaning. Women can also be the breadwinners and earn the money to help the family survive. In one of my family friend’s household, the husband takes care of his daughter, cooks and cleans the house while his wife goes to work. In addition, just because one does the housework, doesn’t mean that they can’t also work. I believe household responsibilities should be equally divided among the family and partners. That way there may be less nagging if something doesn’t get done or there may be more quality time to spend together. If each member does a part in housework, the job will get done faster.

I was surprised when my friend offered to do the dishes. Usually, my male friends just sit and talk while the girls get up to do the dishes. They usually don’t even offer to help. They just sit and watch us do the work because it is our duty. The same thing happens to me at family gatherings. My grandma usually tells the girls to do the dishes after we are done eating, while the men just sit around and talk. This goes back to the American Dream ideal where the women do the housework and the men earn the money. I thought that the men in my family should also be asked to do the dishes. Despite our different sexes, we are the same. Since men and women are virtually the same, both sexes should have equal rights and responsibilities. Thus, men should also be responsible for dishes.