Gender Roles

Gender Roles Growing up children don’t really understand too much about finances and how their parents work them out. Looking back, I can conclude that my parents had it all figured out and did what worked best for them. Obviously each family and its financial situation is different, but based on a married couple, both employed, with children, financial decision s should be made equally and, if possible, finances should be divided up evenly. Both partners should have say so in how finances are handled. After all that’s what a partnership is about right? When preparing for marriage finances and salaries must be discussed beforehand. I believe that debts should be discussed and background checks should most certainly be done. Before entering
into a partnership with someone you should know what he or she is involved in financially because once you both are married their debts automatically become your debts. Being able to afford the lifestyle that both partners would want could possibly be unrealistic if finances aren’t discussed. Also if one partner feels the need to take financial responsibility for the other and become the breadwinner it should be discussed. In modern times, a majority of partners prefer going out and working, but some people have different views and would prefer that the man become the breadwinner meanwhile the woman stays at home to tend the children and the house. To avoid friction, all of these things should be discussed before going into a marriage. In a partnership with at least one child, decisions about money should be discussed and a mutual agreement should be made based upon each partner's finances.
Recent studies have shown that 72% of both men and women ages 18 to 29 agreed that the best marriage is one in which both husband and wife both work and both take care of the house (Coontz 4). As a child when I needed money for school lunch, my mother and father would take turns giving me money every week. They would take turns paying for school trips, and they would each throw in a certain amount of money each year to take me shopping for clothes, shoes, and other necessities. When it came to household finances, the mortgage was divided in half between both parents, and bills were divided as well; my mother would pay for the phone, cable, and groceries, meanwhile, my father would pay the electric, gas, and water bills. Seeing this model of partnership I learned that men and women are both equals. Even though my father earned more money than my mother, he wasn’t expected to take responsibility for all of the family’s finances on his own. My parents both relied on each other to support our family. The financial arrangements that my parents had set up scarcely affected their relationship. They barely ever fought and if they did it wouldn’t be over money. Based on the structure my parents have given me as an example, I believe that both parents should be held equally responsible for the care of their children and their
household.
If one parent is more financially stable than the other, they should both be held accountable for doing what’s best for the child. In a partnership where one partner has income and the other doesn’t, it shouldn’t matter who earns the money because in a partnership both people should be able to trust one another to spend when necessary towards the child and household’s best interest. Reuben Platter of Hanna Rosin’s article “Who Wears the Pants in This Economy?’ jokes about being the “househusband”; after being laid off from various jobs, Reuben helps out around the house by doing laundry, running the dishwasher and vacuum, buying groceries, and taking care of his daughter. Even though Reuben keeps himself busy with chores, volunteering, and tasks around the house; he also hunts for jobs in his spare time. Reuben would much rather be out in the workforce but unfortunately he hasn’t had much luck. Platter states: “My wheel’s just not rolling right now; I got to find a new wheel or a new way to inflate the old one” (Rosin 4-5). When partners cannot agree, differences should be resolved by putting aside the discrepancy each partner might have and talking about it or perhaps seeking counseling or advice from a loved one, friends in similar situations, or a specialist, and a mutual agreement should be made that will benefit the child or the family as a whole. In regards to joint bank accounts, a couple should be entitled to both a separate and a joint account.
An individual has the right to a bank account for personal savings; at the same time it would be beneficial to the family as a whole for the couple to have a joint account. Joint accounts allow each partner access to the money when it’s needed; it is also convenient in legal matters. A benefit of having a joint bank account is that it can help avoid probate court complications if one of the account holders dies. Instead of having the money going through the probate court as it would in the case of a regular bank account, the balance of the joint account will automatically go to the surviving account holder. That’s why joint accounts are favored by many older people who have children or relatives they can trust completely. The joint account is great for couples to keep track of their finances and assets; meanwhile, separate accounts are great for saving money for a rainy
day. In conclusion, both sexes are equal regardless of who earns most of the money. Since the 1960s the emphasis on gender roles in America has drastically changed (Coontz 1). Before entering into a marriage background checks should be ran and finances and debts should be discussed. When it comes to spending, who earns the money shouldn’t matter; rather the money should be spent in a way that best supports the child or the family as a whole. Financial decisions should be made by both partners based on equality. In regards to children, finances should be shared equally. Having both a joint and a separate bank account can be beneficial to a family. Taking into account that each family’s finances are different, couples must adapt and make decisions that best benefit their families, regardless of who the breadwinner is, financial decisions should benefit the family as a whole and be made by both partners.