Examining Gender Roles Through an Econimic Lens

When undertaking an analysis of gender roles in society, there are many different, yet intersecting, avenues that can be traveled. One such avenue is one of economic impetus, that is to say examining gender roles in a given society or culture through the lens of the economic realities that are present in said society or culture.

When pursuing an analysis of this nature, three questions must be asked and answered.

The first involves an examination of how economic circumstances influence and are influenced by other societal factors such as cultural or religious ideologies. For example, the lack of surplus food in some societies such as desert Arab groups in Niger has helped to shape what is seen as an ideal body image culturally, a prime example of economic circumstances influencing cultural ideals. Looking to the 17th century, it can be seen that cultural expectations of Dutch women to remain in the home and not to work severely limited economic opportunities for women outside the household, an instance of cultural ideals dictating economic realities.

The second line of questioning, which can be considered tangential to the first, regards how economic factors influence gender roles at different times and in different classes within a given society. While said society may have a certain set of cultural ideals, these ideals change over time and are adhered to at different levels by different socioeconomic classes. Once it has been generally determined how economic realities interact with existing ideals, it is important to examine how these economic forces influence different groups who are living under these ideals at different times.

The third and final facet of this examination deals with which economic mechanisms and forces a...

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... relative to their female counterparts, more and more men have begun to occupy household roles. This shift away from being the breadwinner has seen increases in reports of depression in males as they struggle to adapt to a more domestic, stay at home, role.

While this is far from a widespread phenomenon, it is an increasing one. According to the US Census Bureau 3.5% of stay at home parents are fathers. While this number seems relatively low, it has doubled in the past decade. (NPR) This number may actually underestimate the number of males who have taken on a primary caregiver role, as it doesn’t take into account fathers who work part time but are still primary caregivers responsible for household work. This upward trend in male involvement in household production also occurs at a time when more women out earn their husbands than ever before, almost 28%. (NPR)