Gender roles provide stability and order in society. For example, in societies with traditional gender roles there are arranged marriages. Arranged marriages provide stability and order, because it takes the stress off women and men. It also eliminates the fear of rejection from either side. It keeps order because the woman will stay in the house, take care of the kids while the men will go out and make a living for the family supporting them with money. Additionally, women work too hard in non- traditional role societies.
In non-traditional role societies, women work too hard with the combined jobs of house and the workload outside the house. Men and woman have called a cease-fire on the fight between gender roles that took place during much of 20th century. However, now the problem is stress and the lack of time spent with their loved ones and children. In non-traditional role societies woman go out and work a job to support the family. However after work they must go home and take care of the kids. A new national survey found that after a generation of sharing the work place, most men and woman believe that the strains of this relatively new work place have made having relationships, marriages, raising children and in general making life more difficult (Morin, Richard, and Megan Rosenfeld. Washington Post. 22 Mar. 1998. 07 Apr. 2002 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpsrv/national/longterm/gender/gender1.htm>.).
In another survey, a majority of working men and women said they feel guilty about leaving their family for others to take care of them. They also wished that they could devote more time to their families and themselves (The Family: At Home is a Heartless World. Vol. 1. N.p.: Harper Collins, 1995.). Surveys say that some people have resentment, nostalgia and fatigue due to their workload. In most countries woman work longer hours than men, and they also work most of the unpaid work. For example, some of the unpaid work is done in the household, and in taking care of the children (Anderson, Porter. CNN. 1998. 08 Apr. 2002 <http://www.cnn.com>.). Maternity leaves have shortened and in the United States the amount of working mothers with children under three years of age has increased twenty three percent in the last twenty-five years. In 1998, the 53.6% of working mothers had children under one years of age (Anderson, Porter. CNN. 1998. 08 Apr. 2002 <http://www.cnn.com>.). Therefore, in non-traditional gender role societies women work too hard and don’t have enough time for their children and most of all for themselves.
Women are naturally more nurturing than men. Women do many tasks better than men and men do tasks better than women. For example, women are better nurturers than men although men can learn how to do this as well. According to many sociologists, women are more in touch with their feelings; they make ethical decisions, while men can be more abstract (The Family: At Home is a Heartless World. Vol. 1. N.p.: Harper Collins, 1995.). In the same survey, it states that men are more aggressive; because in history men have been the hunters and women have been nurturers. One other example, by many sociologists is that men develop millions of sperm during their life while women only produce about four hundred eggs during theirs. Therefore, men are forced to be predatory whereas woman can step back and select a quality partner (Gender Studies University of Gdansk. 02 Feb. 1991. University of Gdansk. 07 Apr. 2002 <http://paula.univ.gda.pl/~ifis/sub/art2/html>.). Women have a better nurturing ability than men.
In conclusion, traditional gender roles are beneficial to society. It keeps stability and order in society, and in non- traditional gender role societies woman are over worked by the stress of their job combined with household work. Lastly woman are better nurturers than men therefore they should stay home with the children. Traditional gender roles are beneficial to society.
Work Cited
1) Anderson, Porter. CNN. 1998. 08 Apr. 2002 <http://www.cnn.com>.
2) Gender Studies University of Gdansk. 02 Feb. 1991. University of Gdansk. 07 Apr. 2002 <http://paula.univ.gda.pl/~ifis/sub/art2/html>.
3) Morin, Richard, and Megan Rosenfeld. Washington Post. 22 Mar. 1998. 07 Apr. 2002 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/gender/gender1.htm>.
4) Role of Woman in Islam. 10 Apr. 2002 <http://www.jamaat.org>.
5) The Family: At Home is a Heartless World. Vol. 1. N.p.: Harper Collins, 1995.
