FLAIR relationship
The neo-traditional marriage
Over the past decade the classical gender roles which see men as breadwinner and women as homemakers have been challenged. Women have taken far more responsibilities in their professions, embracing the mantra of career women even if this came at the expense of their private lives. Indeed women worked even in the 1950s and 1960s but back then, with the exception of some trailblazers, women respected an unspoken code which prioritized family at the expense of personal ambitions.
The shift in gender roles has brought with it challenges and outcomes widely debated, and while most agree that there are significant benefits associated with modern marriage, some wonder if gender-specific roles aren’ t today altogether outdated and discourteous.
In our home, my husband is the main breadwinner but that doesn’ t imply that I’ m satisfied with being placed in the homemaker category. My career still remains a top priority and I don’ t see myself settling into a“ housewife” position any time soon( or ever); nevertheless, this doesn’ t imply that I’ m excused from the traditional domestic duties.
As most women know, the fact that we’ ve been empowered to have a career and pursue our passions doesn’ t imply dismissing our domestic duties. Women are still expected to take care of household responsibilities and the child’ s education. Unfortunately, the unspoken rule that sees women as caretakers, cleaners, mothers, chefs or psychologists to their husbands is still very well in place. Polit-
44 Society ical correctness is rarely applied when it comes to our endless duties, and the equal sharing of tasks is more of a fantasy. Additionally, we have to endure the emotional weight of the relationship.
Traditionally, women were bearing the emotional weight of the relationship and this hasn’ t changed much over the years. It is still expected that we open the dialogue in uncomfortable situations, solve emotional issues, understand the unspoken needs of our partner and assume the entire emotional labor as our own obligation.
All these endless tasks are required to be pursued with enthusiasm and energy, as modern women don’ t enjoy the luxury of meltdowns. Yes, working women still do housework while looking composed and glamorous, as society expects us to be the walking image of modern womanhood. The increased number of duties have brought a different alteration, which can be interpreted as a return to more traditional values. The developed world is faced with the challenge of losing well educated, highly-skilled women to traditional roles.
Well-bred, college educated women are more likely to wed powerful male partners, who are partly attracted to the personal and professional
Being a fulltime working woman can lead to feelings of guilt and stress because of divided attention between work and family. The key is to focus on a plan, get organized, and find the right balance between profession and parenthood, Adina- Laura Achim writes
success that these women have; nonetheless, once married, some of these women scale down their ambitions and retreat to the homemaker role. The“ power couple” is replaced with something which reminds us of the 1950s traditional model, where the female is barely a support to male ambitions.
The details of this arrangement are different from the 1950s model as the woman is educated and professionally established. Unlike the baby boomers generation when women settled into a traditional role due to cultural norms and skill shortage, these young women