The Cultural Contradictions of Mothering

In "From Rods to Reason" author Sharon Hayes uses the history of childcare to show phases of women responsibility to the home. In the earlier centuries the perspectives on children changed significantly. Earlier societies child rearing was equated only with protecting children until they were able to survive on their own. By the age of seven they shared the burden of providing for their kin as much as their mother did. Once societies began to see children as mentally and emotionally underdeveloped kids rather than small adults, the mother role of nurturing became much more crucial. The mothers presence became more dominant while men started to work outside the home. While women developed as child-rearers, men took on a larger role outside the house. By the mid-1800s men gravitated towards working outside of the home. Men now became the major contributors of the financial stability of the home. This polarized system of men as the providers is known as the breadwinner system. The breadwinner system force men to financially support their family or to be seen as less of an man. This responsibility of the provider became tied with male masculinity just as child-rearing was to femininity and both of responsibilities were mutually exclusive to the gender group. Hays argues the effects of the breadwinner system still has its reminiscence in the today's society.

In my personal opinion, the breadwinner society is still very prevalent in our society. As an American male, I feel like I have to hold the burden of providing for my family in the future. Though, I expect that my wife will also be working (and probably making more money than i will), at the end of the day if we are struggling financially it is seen as my fault. On the other side of the spectrum, women are still viewed as being the nurturer. Such phrases like the "soccer mom" speak to the responsibility women have in the home; however, their burden is even greater now. Since an average family can not survive on one income, women now have to take on their motherly duties and work full time. Even though men should contribute in the home, it is still not a cultural or societal responsibility, leaving women with an uneven amount of work.