Since the beginning of time, man has had dominion over woman. Men were educated and worked, while women were left behind to take care of children and clean.  In a mainly patriarchal society and world, men and women took their places.  But in today’s world, as we have become modernized, do gender roles still apply to parents and their children?

A study conducted by the Families and Work institute found that in 1970-1971, 94 percent of men earned a professional degree, while only 6 percent of women did.  In 2004-2005, 50 percent of both men and women did.  “Both my parents have a job and do the housework together,” sophomore Michelle Park said.  “For Koreans, traditionally the women do all the housework, cooking, cleaning, etc. and the men bring the money.  But my family has become more Americanized.”  Data shows that in 2007, women were paid 82 percent of the hourly pay of men in hourly jobs, contrasting only 58 percent in 1979.

As women have been increasingly educated and finding jobs that pay nearly the same amount they do to men, duties at home have been balanced out as well. Sophomore Mairead Kennedy said “[My father] takes just as much as my mom.  They both drive us to school, help my younger siblings with homework, cook, and everything.  They take turns on who does which chore each day.”  In 2008, the time that fathers have spent with their children under 13 on workdays had increased to 4.3 from 2 hours since 1977.  The amount of men who say they cook the same amount or more than their spouse has increased from 34 percent in 1992 to 56 percent in 2008. The gradual elimination of gender roles in America leads to the matter of why it is happening. My family was all forced to go to school to get a better education.  [It was] the main reason we came to the U.S.  When it comes to housework, my siblings and I do not know much, instead we are more leaned towards studying.  There is more sense of equality toward sisters regarding school,” sophomore Errol Arcienga said.

“Sometimes men have more power and women are inferior like my grandparents,” sophomore Patricia Banzuelo said.  The gender roles of Banzuelo’s grandparents are characteristic of old world culture, but they do not reflect her beliefs and present life.  “I think [gender roles] are bad because you don’t hear the voice of the woman.  I want to live a life where there are no gender roles; where everything is balanced out.  I have sisters and everything is balanced out between us.”

Modern men and women seem to both take on more responsibilities like jobs and housework so their children can go to school.  Many families from other countries have immigrated to the U.S. for better lives and it looks like they leave their gender roles behind in their nations.  “My brothers and I aren’t affected much,” Park said. “We don’t really get chores at all.”  Kids are left with less to do with their parents sharing their responsibilities equally.

Taking after the new age of parents, most teenagers carry out their tasks equally and are equal in each other’s eyes.  “Gender roles are not present in my life; most guys treat me like they would anybody else,” Kennedy said,

Contrasting to most teens today, junior Amina Khanun takes after her parents and culture in her beliefs about gender roles.  “I think that men should work, while women should stay home and respect his decisions.  My father works, while my mother stays at home,” she said. Khanun’s beliefs are not unlike that of her Middle Eastern and Islamic culture.  “I also have two brothers that work, but I don’t.  I think my life will be the same way.  I will stay at home while my husband works.”

Khanun’s family and beliefs are rare cases in AHS and the world where many parents both work, share their chores and are equal. The common gender roles of more dominant men that work and inferior women that cook and clean are quickly dying out in this rapidly changing world.

“I believe that gender roles are stupid honestly,” Park said.  “It depends on who the person is, maybe the guy likes to cook and the girl would rather make money outside the house.  It all depends.”  It sounds like gender roles are old news at AHS.