Appointing a universal standard definition that can apply to the family has become convoluted and even controversial. The terminology of the family manifest into three valuable categories: political, economic and legal implications. However, it is important to acknowledge that the meaning of the family varies due to culture and values. The concept of the breadwinner- homemaker model came to flourish throughout traditional families. The traditional family consists of a structure based on a man, woman, and one or more of their biological or adopted children. Most traditional families need both adults married in the eyes of the law and god. Moreover, Americans and many other societies tend to primarily practice endogamy, “in which marriage occurs within one’s own social category or social group: people marry others of the same race, same religion, same social class, and so forth”(Barkan, 2011). Furthermore, endogamy enforces the social status within a marriage as a legacy for their children to follow.
The concept of the breadwinner-homemaker model comes into play when rational choices made by women to exchange household performance and childcare services for a man’s income. Past generations attributed men to be more “efficient “ at earning wages/producing and women more “efficient“ at home production. The ideology of the concept was that both parties gain from the exchange of these resources/products. Wives were in completed dependence on their husband’s wages. Power is key to dependency and can cause the more powerful person to shape the exchange in ways more beneficial to him/herself. When wives earn money on their own, dependence decreases and their husbands’ power decreases. Through the functionalist perspective, we can simplify that the breadwinner-homemaker family can be considered the natural model for the family. Instrumental leaders were the husbands and they provided financial support. Expressive leaders were the wives who provided emotional support. Together they completed a common source of power and understanding of gender roles.
Gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture describe as masculine or feminine. Moreover, gender roles in the simplest sense refer to the ideologies different cultures attribute to the sexes. Gender is socially constructed due to our environment and cultural traditions, beliefs, and values. Gender is not biologically pre-determined as our society had previously believed. Gender, as it exists now, is merely the creation of different categories that were formulated by society to best fit individuals along the social structure. Throughout history, there is clear evidence of how social standards and positions are distributed among individuals due to their sex. Previous generations attributed the biological makeup of women to justify unequal opportunities in education, employment, and politics. For example, women were considered incapable of succeeding at a university unless they were there to search for a husband. Women were considered the weaker sex not only in physical appearance but emotionality as well. However, this comes to show how far along society has come. In today's contemporary society, it is not considered acceptable to require men to be the sole bread makers, and women stay at home taking care of the home and children. Times are changing and it will not be long until the government and cultures catch up with certain movements. Society needs to let go of its old ways in order to welcome a more prospering future and leave behind stereotypes.
The breadwinner-homemaker model developed among the emerging middle-class towards the end of the industrial revolution. Prior to this, in low-income families, a subsistence wage was paid based upon the person worker's output, with all members of the family expected to give to the household upkeep. This indicates that the breadwinner-homemaker model was only acceptable for the middle/rich class. Due to low-income families simply not being able to survive on one income. In today's modern society we can note “that the traditional male breadwinner model, with a full-time working husband and a full-time female caregiver, has been declining across Western societies since its peak in the 1950s and 1960s”(Trappe, 2015). Nonetheless, there are a few beneficial factors to labeling yourself as a unit within marriage. In the United States, “spouses can pass on Medicare, as well as Social Security, disability, veterans and military benefits. They can get health insurance through a spouse’s employer; receive discounted rates for homeowners’, auto and other types of insurance; make medical decisions for each other as well as funeral arrangements; and take family leave to care for an ill spouse, or bereavement leave if a spouse dies”(Larson, 2017).
It is interesting to acknowledge that unmarried couples could not benefit from these resources. Moreover, “After the World War II, there were numerous incentives that encouraged people to embrace male breadwinning and female homemaking, and in 1948 the US income tax code was changed to favor that model” (Larson, 2017). The advantages of having these resources set up this way, in those days, were due to the high demand for everyone to married and for women to remain at home. However, in today's society, the male breadwinner and female homemaker model is no longer the norm.
Millennials revamped the meaning of the family with a more of a modern twist. In today's contemporary society, it is not considered acceptable to require men to be the sole bread makers, and women stay at home taking care of the home and children. Today’s family differs from the traditional model of the family due to “freedom”. Individuals have the choice whether they want to marry someone. However, that still doesn’t set them back from having meaningful romantic relationships with others. Also, in today’s family, individuals define romantic relationships differently than older generations. It is alright and mostly acceptable for couples to be of the opposite sex and race. A major set back from not being willing to tighten the knot is not receiving benefits from the government. It is a well-known fact that “governments looked to marriage licenses as a way to distribute resources to dependents, enacting the Social Security Act of 1935 to give married couples more benefits and the right to pass them on to spouses”(Larson, 2017). It is disturbing to acknowledge that even after a couple has been together for 30 plus years one cannot benefit from the other. During a marriage, “if one spouse becomes ill or incompetent, the other spouse generally has the right to make decisions on the ill spouse's behalf, on issues including health care and finances” (Reuters, 2018). However, with cohabitation, it does not matter for how long the couple has been living together for, “a cohabitant may need to defer to immediate family members when it comes to making decisions for an ill or incompetent unmarried partner, unless a general power of attorney or health care power of attorney give that authority to the cohabitating partner”(Reuters, 2018).
Lastly, another disadvantage would be the division of property after the passing of one of the lovers. Married couples have the legal right to inherit a portion of the deceased spouse's estate. However, when one cohabitant dies, “his or her property will pass to whoever is named in the will or, if there is no will, to family members according to state laws. The surviving partner has no claim to the estate unless he or she was named in the deceased partner's will”(Reuters, 2018).
Another major step forward towards ‘freedom’ is that women are taking a stand for their rights. During 2017 the women’s marches took place all across the world. From all over the globe “millions of men, women, and children marched for different reasons, the overwhelming message was that women’s rights are basic human rights”(Larson, 2017). The feminist theory is based on those who view marriage as a socially constructed institution organized to maintain male dominance. Throughout history, women have been fighting an unending battle for freedom and the right to express themselves through their abilities instead of their gender. Many would advocate the argument that in today’s society and future generations women have made their mark. That these women are warriors for standing up for their beliefs and demanding society to include them in regards to equal pay. This argument can even lead many to say that women have accomplished to dismantle the barriers to gender discrimination in the workplace. However, if we truly look at our surroundings and acknowledge that the majority of female workers are still “heavily concentrated in work traditionally defined as “women’s work” (secretaries, nurses, and teachers)” (Andersen 2015, pg 112). Yes, progress has been made but we are still far away from gender equality in the workplace. It is important to understand and acknowledge that the subject of women and work is not just about money. According to the text, “Where you work, what you do, how you are valued at work, and whether you advance in your job are all matters entangled with gender” (Andersen 2015,112).
It is fascinating to see how society tends to make these assumptions that a woman is at the same level as men. When in reality they are behind in every sense of the word. Throughout past generations, women have been given the illusion that they do have free will. When in truth, free will is just an illusion masked as a choice. Our wills are simply not of our own making. Someone or something will always be behind the decisions and actions of the weak; women were viewed as property. The traditional family model gave a pathway for women to be treated differently in regards to the workplace and social standards. Progress has been made but we are still in need of change and that starts within our homes.
After writing this term paper I have learned that the family is a complicated subject to define. Also, we cannot just simply apply a standard definition that would be universal due to everyone having their own interpretations. The family is a complicated unit that is now being redefined depending on different societies and cultures. What I believe to be the final definition of a ‘normal family’ might not apply to my neighbor. Moreover, I also learned how many social problems came about from using the breadwinner-homemaker model. I decided to focus on marriage, and the benefits these couples had versed those who only shared a house. The breadwinner-homemaker model was a successful method to used when it first came out but that no longer applies to our generation. We no longer follow unnecessary rules. Endogamy couples are a choice to belong to and not a mandatory. I also, learned how gender is truly influenced in our society with attributing gender roles. During past generations, the breadwinner-homemaker model was a useful tool that both genders benefited from. However, people are starting to see how downgrading it was to give all the power to the male. Women are now starting to stand up for themselves and fighting for equality. I decided to touch upon a few social problems that came about due to the breadwinner-homemaker model.