The modern society focuses on success and self-expression. Today’s world had become more tolerant to different cultures, nationalities, and gender roles shifting. There are many reasons why men and women are changing their social roles more often. It is promoted by changing in economics and structure of society. There is no doubt that one woman can fulfill her ambitions in different fields; she can even become a Prime Minister. Thanks to these significant changes, today’s women are very independent, they have a broad choice of occupations and a great chance to express themselves as they wish. The following essay provides review of current family issues and analysis of changes in traditional family’s way of life.
For a great period of human history, women had devoted themselves to serving their families and keeping home clean and cozy. They had to take care of the family and, at the same time, remain cheerful and attractive for their husbands. The first step towards this situation changing was made by the World War II. Women had to perform duties of the sterner sex and help their country. Thereby, women got the chance to show themselves and since that time they may be considered on par with men. Today a lot of women cope with the male roles and prefer to earn money instead of cooking and cleaning the house. Judging by the increasing number of female executives, it is possible to say that women can manage the leading roles.
One of the main obstacles towards the successful career for a woman is necessity to devote a lot of attention both to the work and family. An ordinary woman can build the career if she derives encouragement from her husband or does not have a family at all. The current trends show that today’s men are more willing to give the control to women and agree to help with the household management. Current model of relationships in family is parity family where a wife and a husband make an economic contribution to the family according to their salary. They are both responsible for the children and involved in domestic work. The spouses are equal in the family income maintenance and in various decisions taking. It is not an inappropriate family model, it can be considered instead as a new evolved family concept.
Modern social roles changing involve the transformation of masculinity-femininity patterns (Lind and Brzuzy 227). In connection with this phenomenon today’s woman stands on the same social step with the man. Thereby, every family can choose its own behavioral model depends on the individual preferences of the family members. Thus, the formation of a new type of father occurs, who is gentle, loving, and taking part in the upbringing of the child from the moment of its birth. He does not only earn money, as it was before, he also spends his free time with children and enjoys it. The traditional patriarchal family becomes a parity one.
It would be great for women to achieve an ideal balance between the career and family commitments, but it is not always possible. Modern society requires from the successful in something person the compliance to its high standards. Today happiness in women’s personal life and motherhood are not a priority for most of them. Professional career demands from women much efforts and time and this can negatively affect on their personal lives.
Works Cited
Lind, Amy, and Stepnanie Brzuzy. Battleground: Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Westport: Greenwood Press, 2008. Print.