I saw an article today that made me really consider, like really consider, how we see gender roles. Even those of us who scoff and say we oppose them have to wonder. Do we REALLY oppose them? How far would we go? Heres an article for you, its in german so its basically german readers only (translation software really sucks).
http://www.emma.de/ressorts/artikel/kinder-jugendliche/vater-im-rock/
Basically a father discovers his young son who is 5 has a preference for dresses over any piece of clothing. In a fairly religious rural part of Germany this kid obviously didn't make a lot of friends with such a "strange" outfit. Rather than chastise his son or tell him that's how society is the father decided to also start wearing dresses to make him feel normal.
"Yes, I am one of those fathers who is trying to raise his children with gender equality. I'm not one of those pseudo-intellectual daddies that rambles on about studying gender justice, and then, as soon as the child is born, falls back into the comfortable and clichéd gender roles: he realizing himself through work, she taking care of the rest."
It raises a lot of interesting questions.
If this happened to you as parent what would you do, would you allow your young sons to start wearing dresses?
Would you endorse it like this father did?
Is it our "duty" as parents to make sure our child knows what society deems as normal and abnormal?
Even if it should be considered normal is it worth making your son stop just to save him from being a social periah where he lives?
Is forcing a conformity to baseless gender roles a lesser evil than letting your son get used to a choice he doesn't yet understand the consequences of?
Im interested escapist, what would you do? A poll is included. Im personally torn. Id love to think id be as open minded as this father. But social pressure is a strong force. I dont know if id have the guts to do this. Mega props to the father though. What a legend. Someone has an iron will to be there for his son. Gotta admire that.
http://www.emma.de/ressorts/artikel/kinder-jugendliche/vater-im-rock/
Basically a father discovers his young son who is 5 has a preference for dresses over any piece of clothing. In a fairly religious rural part of Germany this kid obviously didn't make a lot of friends with such a "strange" outfit. Rather than chastise his son or tell him that's how society is the father decided to also start wearing dresses to make him feel normal.
"Yes, I am one of those fathers who is trying to raise his children with gender equality. I'm not one of those pseudo-intellectual daddies that rambles on about studying gender justice, and then, as soon as the child is born, falls back into the comfortable and clichéd gender roles: he realizing himself through work, she taking care of the rest."
It raises a lot of interesting questions.
If this happened to you as parent what would you do, would you allow your young sons to start wearing dresses?
Would you endorse it like this father did?
Is it our "duty" as parents to make sure our child knows what society deems as normal and abnormal?
Even if it should be considered normal is it worth making your son stop just to save him from being a social periah where he lives?
Is forcing a conformity to baseless gender roles a lesser evil than letting your son get used to a choice he doesn't yet understand the consequences of?
Im interested escapist, what would you do? A poll is included. Im personally torn. Id love to think id be as open minded as this father. But social pressure is a strong force. I dont know if id have the guts to do this. Mega props to the father though. What a legend. Someone has an iron will to be there for his son. Gotta admire that.