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Gender Roles in American Households

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Gender Roles in American Households
The social phenomenon of changing gender roles in American households is explored in this paper. Are men and women sharing more equally in assuming household responsibilities? Do women still bear the majority of the responsibility? How do race, age, and cultural influence play a role in the division of labor in the household? I have done research on the change in gender roles among people of different ages, genders, and race. Data was collected to see if there is a difference in change between races, if there is a significant change in roles between generations, and if men and women view the change the same or differently. To gain the data I used surveying and interviewing as my research methodologies. These methods were used as they were the most practical ways to obtain enough information needed to form conclusions. Caucasian, Asian, and African Americans of both genders and diverse ages were surveyed and interviewed. I feel my research will show that with each generation, as more women entered the work force, the households of all races have undergone significant change in which women and men are sharing both work and domestic duties more equitably. That being said, the distribution of domestic chores does contribute to household stratification of gender roles. Both currently and historically race plays a role in that stratification. Gender role research is socially relevant because each individual in a household is impacted by it. Gender roles in the household can be a factor in whether a marriage is happy and successful. They also influence decision making in the family and parent and child relationships. Researchers could use my data to delve deeper into the impact of gender roles in different types of households. Since everyone grows up in some type of household setting, the research could have far reaching implications for most of the population. The first research method I choose to collect data is the survey. Using a survey to collect data allowed me


References: Blee, Kathleen and Ann Tickamyer. 1995. “Racial Differences in Men’s Attitudes about Women’s Gender Roles.” In Journal of Marriage and Family. Vol. 57, pps 21-30 Carter, J. Scott and Mamadi Corra. 2009. “The Interaction of Race and Gender: Changing Gender Role Attitudes, 1974-2006.” In Social Science Quarterly. Vol.90, pps 196-211 Kane, Emily. 2000. “Racial and Ethnic Variations in Gender-Related Attitudes.” In Annual Review of Sociology. Vol. 26, pps 419-436 Lee, Sandra and Stephanie Pituc. 2007. “Asian Women and Work-Family Issues.” In Sloan Work and Family Research Encyclopedia. pps 1-6 Trask, Bahira. 2006. “Traditional Gender Roles.” In Sloan Work and Family Research Encyclopedia. pps 1-5

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