Reading Reflection Nine

“Today’s American families bear little resemblance to the cultural ideal that existed just a generation ago.” (Newman 322)

The section that caught my attention in chapter nine was the section titled “The Futures of Gender and the Sexual Dichotomy”. This section examined what will happen in regards to the future and how gender roles that have been the norm for so long are becoming more and more obsolete and it is possible that in the future men and women will share domestic responsibilities and both parents will probably work as well. It went further to explain that both parents splitting household duties, which includes child rearing is beneficial to the child. As good as these changes sound, Newman finishes the section by saying that even with all of these liberating possibilities discrimination on the basis of gender is unlikely to disappear completely. He finishes by saying that it is likely that these changes in the family will not completely affect changes in the workplace and employers are more likely to choose employees who are work oriented over workers who are more family-oriented.

I was glad to see that a sociologist like Newman feels that the sexist family dynamic is changing for the better. I have always felt it was unfair that nowadays women are expected to work and take care of the family, while male roles have changed very little. I agree with him as well when he says that men of my generation are more ready to take on family life and split domestic duties then men of past generations. I wish he had included the future of other cultures gender roles, because I am curious how they may be changing for cultures that are even more male dominant than ours. I hope to see in the future evidence of what Newman says. I would really like to see that when my generation gets married and starts family that the duties and responsibilities are more evenly dispersed. I know I don’t want to have to take care of my kids and work without any help from my husband.