Can we have equality AND keep our traditional roles?

Question

Is it possible to have traditional family structures and have women and men lead happy and constructive roles in the family?

Answer 1

It depends on what you are asking.  If you are keeping traditional roles as a requirement, then no.  If men are required to have careers when they want to be homemakers, and women are required to cook and clean when they want careers, then there is no freedom or equality.

If, on the other hand, you're asking if people can have the freedom to do what they want, and some of them will happen to do things that were once traditionally required, then sure.  Either a man or a woman can play sports, have a career, be a homemaker, enjoy sewing, and all those things.

You don't have to do everything specifically in opposition to the traditional roles.  It's the REQUIREMENT of those traditional roles that keeps us from achieving freedom and equality.

Answer 2

yes

Answer 3

Only if that's what individual women and men actually want. I think everyone should create their own roles; putting everyone into a box and forbidding them from getting out is hardly conducive to equality.

Answer 4

Of course. It's done all of the time.

Answer 5

Yes, my hubby and I live that way now. I actually get a lot of slack from my friends who do not want to play the traditional role because their hubbies wish they would do the same, but I'm not doing it because I'm supposed to, I'm doing it because I want to. That is the difference. Not all women are homemaker types who love cooking and you can't force someone who isn't that way to be that way but you can find someone who fits your needs because that is what they want as well.

Answer 6

In my home yes,

my hubby works, I stay home.

In our home I am treated as a partner, one who works hard inside the home making it a nice place to come too. My husband never treats me as a lessor.

I like that I have choices and options, to work, go to school...

if something were to happen to my husband I have a great society to fall back into, one where I can support my family if I have to without discrimination.

Answer 7

I'm addressing your first edit-   I am having trouble trying to figure out how/why me working and having a full career would hinder a woman who chooses to stay home with her children.

Answer 8

Yes, many people make that choice.

The key word being CHOICE.

It is not a choice if it is imposed upon you.  It is not a choice if there are no other alternatives.  

But knowing the alternatives and freely making a decision to act within traditional roles is fine and dandy, and some people are very content with that choice.  Of course, in those relationships, there is a foundation of mutual respect, a rare commodity in modern relationships.

EDIT:   Choice is no illusion. "Having to have 2 incomes" to support a family is the illusion.   If a family cannot live on one income, it is a result of CHOICES they have made, regarding education and job training,  where they choose to live, what foods they choose to eat, how many cars they own and how "new" they have to be, where they buy their clothing, which cell phone and cable TV packages they purchase.... and on and on.      ALL of these are choices.

And, BTW,  my husband does his share of housework, just as I do my share of yard work and car maintenance.

Answer 9

Choice is an illusion when it's man-made; based upon fantasies.  Odd wording one would say.  However it's the way I see things.  Equality is what I base upon that which is naturally bestowed, which sometimes will be 50/50, but in the long run it's not.  At times it'll be a 74/ 26 scenario where I the wife has 74% of the work load on me; kids and all; while he has only 26% of that; were I to work it might become 16/84 with the 84% on my shoulders; making the work loud more than double for me.  Moral of the story it naturally works itself out.  So, I say YES.

Answer 10

I say - yey.

Answer 11

No.  The traditional family is dead.  Today's family is nuclear (everybody in motion).  The only way to have a traditional family is to go where traditions still mean something.  If you think you are going to find a woman to cook, clean, and do laundry - while you go to work and play golf forget it.  Women like that don't exist anymore at least not in the US. Most women work as hard as men do she expects dinner to be ready when she gets home just like you do.  That is the only equality you are going to get.

Answer 12

Yes completely. The whole point of female liberation was so that women could CHOOSE. So it swings both ways, if people are happy being traditional then they should. You can live life however you want, as long as you know it's your choice then you should be happy.

Answer 13

Absolutely.  All humans should have equitable rights and opportunities.  But that doesn't mean that we have to ignore or abandon the notion that some members of the human race are more suitable and capable of certain roles than others.  (And that does not necessarily mean, by the way, that women should be the SAHMs...)  We all need to assess our strengths and weaknesses - play to our strengths and find others who can compensate for our weaknesses.  As a society, then, we will have the best caregivers for children, as well as the best suited running our corporations and government.  Irrespective of gender...

Answer 14

Absolutely. In my opinion, equality does not mean we have be the same, it means we have to assign equal importance to what men or women care about.

For example, it's not that a woman *has* to work outside the home to be equal, it's that the work in the home is considered as important as the work outside the home.

Answer 15

That is the way nature intended. But thanks to feminism, we have the era of the 'Dominant Female'.

Nature knows best.

Answer 16

I am not of the opinion that traditional family structures are unequal.  To say that the role of the husband is to work outside of the home and the role of the wife is to work inside the home does not on it's face say that the role of the wife is any less important than the role of the man.  In fact, many men would argue, it is more important.  That rearing children is harder, more important, and men would not want to do it because of that.

Answer 17

No, I dont think so.

The two are polar opposites.

You cant have equal opportunity if all one s*x is a ALLOWED to do is raise the kids, clean the house, and cook cookies.

it just doesn't work, now a few individuals might be alright with it, but we can not have it for everyone.