Blog #2

I found our second blog assignment to be quite interesting. Patriarchy is a fascinating and complex topic which I believe all people have some sort of enlightening and personal information to share. Today I took a long hard look at my life, and what roles my wife and I play in regards to Patriarchy. My family falls within the majority’s view of Patriarchy. I work a full time job, and am the primary bread winner for my family. My wife is a stay at home mother taking care of the children, our home, and providing an organization to our family structure.

Is this a coincidence? Or is this just fact? Since I can remember nearly every depiction of the American family is just that. “The man makes the money and works a 9-5 job; while the wife stays at home, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children”. I know I grew up learning this traditional type of family structure and am aware that many other people young and old alike have had similar upbringing.

Reading the texts and watching the videos can’t help but make one think about gender roles within society and how in the recent past has transformed the typical perception of such issues. The NPR news article shows that 5.7 million jobs were lost since December of 2007. And 4 out of those 5 jobs were held by men. The article also shows the disparity in men’s unemployment (9.45) to women’s unemployment (7.1%). The article shows disparity in wages as well. Women earn 77 cents for every dollar Males earn.

All of the information from this assignment proves that work and progress need to be made. Equal pay for equal work is an idea which America has sought to achieve for many, many years. I believe any progress is better than no progress. The increase in wages by which black African Americans women make is a testament to America’s progress up to this point. However, more needs to be done. The disparity within pay and the status quo perception of Patriarchy needs to be discussed and improved upon. The disparity gaps need to be closed. Healthy and insightful blogging is definitely a step in the right direction!