| Subject: Re: Assignment 5 |
Author:
Tonya Murphy
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Date Posted: 06:28:46 07/06/10 Tue
In reply to:
Dr. magun-Jackson
's message, "Assignment 5" on 11:39:05 07/05/10 Mon
My mom and biological dad divorced when I was only two, so for a few years it was just my mom, brother and me. During that time my mom was everything to us; breadwinner, cook, cleaner, car-fixer, everything. When she and my step-dad married she let herself fill a more traditional role. She continued to work full-time but began doing just the inside, "woman's work" type things around the house such as cooking, cleaning and managing us kids, while my step-dad took care of the outside, the yard, the cars, taking out the trash.
Over the years my parents' balance went back and forth with my mom even trying to be a stay-at-home mom for awhile, but ultimately it always fell into the balance of both of them working, typically with my mom bringing in more income, and splitting the household chores into gender stereotypical assignments.
For my brothers and me it was interesting how our gender roles inside the home were modeled and reinforced by what they assigned us to do. While I never took out the trash or mowed the yard, my brothers were expected to help with the laundry, dishes and cooking. Academics and professional life were a different story however, we were all encouraged to go after whatever we wanted regardless of what kind of barriers might be set in front of us and I ended up having the most aptitude in math and science even going on to graduate from a boarding high school with an emphasis in those areas.
In my own home, my husband and I have a pretty even split of household chores, many of them not along stereotypical gender lines. I mow the yard (but not edge b/c I'm REALLY bad at it!) and take care of the kids (I'm a SAHM), while he does a good bit of the cleaning and some of the cooking. He is, and will likely always be, the primary breadwinner but I am going back to work and will be contributing to our family income. I want our boys to know that anyone, man or woman, can do anything and fill any role, it is up to them to determine what they do and how they do and I would ensure that any daughter we may have would know the same thing and feel the same way.
Men's Tasks:
Yard work
Taking out the trash
Working on the cars
Fixing things around the house
Primary breadwinner
Women's Tasks:
Childcare
Cooking
Cleaning
Family organization and schedule planning
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