Gender roles: Men or women - who's really the breadwinner?
Society has
dictated for a very long time how we as women and men should act, behave, and
live.
On Monday afternoon, Stacey & JSbu asked KZN listeners: ‘Would you change cities and quit your job for a partner?’ The response was divided. There was, however, a KZN listener who shared an interesting perspective:
Nomte shared that she felt that it would be easier for women to pack up their belongings and move for their man than it would be the other way around, as women would be more controlling if they had the responsibility to financially take care of their partner.
Her thoughts sparked a conversation that has become a reality in the world we live in. The societal expectations that men are breadwinners and they have the responsibility to provide are no more. In fact, we are seeing more and more women who are leading their households in every respect.
Traditionally speaking, the idea of women being the breadwinner is still taboo, which leads to the skepticism of whether or not men would be able to handle their spouse 'bringing home the bacon', so to speak, and being the primary caregiver for the children.
According to a new study covered in the New York Times, 77% of Americans support fathers not working, but only when it makes sense to stay home. Co-author of the research paper and sociologist Kathleen Gerson said that people are getting away from social norms regarding gender roles in a family.
Stacey & JSbu were interested in knowing from KZN, even if a man doesn’t want to be a stay-at-home dad, would he have a problem with his wife being the breadwinner (as in he still works but his wife makes more money)? How does this affect his attitude and how does his attitude, in turn, impact the marriage?
Stacey shared a personal anecdote regarding her romantic relationship with her partner on the show. The presenter, formerly based in Johannesburg, moved to Durban earlier this year and her boyfriend joined her in South Africa’s playground. He did so without any guarantee of new work, which meant that he was jobless for a while and had to rely on Stacey to carry the financial burden. How did this affect their relationship?
Listen to their story and what KZN had to share with regards to the topic below:
Listen to the podcast to hear what KZN had to say.