Gendered Division of Labour: Changes in Family Trends & Patterns - Essay Sample

Introduction

The gendered division of labour has, over the decades, changed due to new family trends and patterns that have changed the gender roles like previously set out. Women were in the past expected to be the caregivers to their husbands and children, while men were the family providers. The society believed that a good mother was constructed around intensive mothering for being child-centered so that they commit most of their time, energy, and money for the benefit of the child (Tungohan, 2013). Therefore, women would forego all individual needs for the sake of their children. However, this seems to have changed, especially when striking a balance between work and family for the two genders. Women like men have been actively involved in economic activities (Psimmenos, 2017). These gendered norms have changed the way of life, especially when it comes to maternal nurturing and paternal provisions. However, it is possible to tell of gender roles entrenchment when daily caregiving duties are critically observed. Migrant families yet have to fight the strong norms that allow the caregiving duties not to be transferred to the fathers who are mainly left behind in the country after women move to perform their economic activities. Seemingly, do the female members of the community perform better as caregivers to children naturally?

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Motherhood introduces an individual to increased responsibility, which requires financial support to manage. Therefore, a chance to excel economically allows society to make progress without the worry of what happens in the future (Fox, 2014). However, unemployment in most developing countries has seen most people move from their homelands to other developed countries in search of employment. Luckily, the employers in the manufacturing companies and other organisations seek to employ individuals but at a lower rate. Therefore, in most cases, the mothers will have the opportunity to work in the designated areas as compared to men. Other than the low paying rates, women have been identified to enhance productivity, thus, giving them an added advantage compared to their male counterparts (Hellgren & Serrano, 2017). For this case scenario, it is possible to tell that most women will be away from home for better and improved economic abilities for their families. The migrants' families are the most affected group of people where they are torn between deciding to migrate to other countries or stay at home with their families. Moving to these countries is a credible decision by women to ensure that they provide essential needs for their families. The fact that they are willing to go through such situations makes them better caregivers.

Therefore, it becomes essential for them to consider the gendered parental duties where the women's entry into the labour market did not relieve them from their domestic responsibilities. There is a double burden for women, but at the same time, society has changed its expectations on men based on these gender roles. For instance, a report titled "when Mom is Away, the Family Goes Astray" indicate how significant a motherly role in the household sounds (Tungohan, 2013, p.45). The organisation of families in the current society engages the men in the domestic duties that were previously performed by women. However, based on the experience from this group, women face competing forces of expectations, where, on the other hand, they are expected to be economic heroes who participate wholly in saving their households and communities. Upon securing employment in other countries, the migrants move to areas where they can easily access their area of duty. Thus, they have to move from their homes to a different location, leaving their children with family members or individuals they believe could take care of them as they could. Primarily, labour migration concerns the entire family due to the complexity that comes along with the process. Hence, in most cases, the whole family needs to adjust to feel comfortable about the entire issue with a better and improved living standard for all of them.

Family disruption cannot only be blamed on the fact that women have moved into economic activities because there are other concerns in society. Some even literates that "I am a bad mother if I leave, but an even worse mother if I stayed." (Tungohan, 2013, p.45). Therefore, blaming migrant women and mothers will be a case of an overlooked societal structure and explanations. Migrant women are forced to move from their homes into new countries in search of employment due to increased poverty levels. The countries from which they come from do not have sufficient jobs for both men and women, a fact that makes their financial ability unstable. The implication of such situations in the country includes increased number of children dropping out of schools in the community. These types of social problems in society do not bother these women because they believe that their economic support will improve the living standards of these children. The fact that women work hard in ensuring that their children live a better life, makes them appropriate caregivers.

Nonetheless, women are criticized because of their absenteeism nature based on the societal norm that conceptualizes the maternal care and the domesticity of women's parents. The pressure to have women bring up their children makes it difficult for migrant women to remain comfortable while they work. In an interview, women are "aware of the challenges their children face while they were away but the challenges could be more traumatic" (Tungohan, 2013, p.51). From time to time, they experience sad moments as mothers because of the pain they go through from separating and living away from their homes. The migrant mothers can be firmly identified as critical players in providing financially but, in the same way, been in a position to maintain their maternal care (Nobles, 2011). Maintaining an active and robust connection with their children has been done through constant contact using taped messages, texts, and mainly phone calls. Seemingly, migrant women become better mothers when they are juggling between meeting their economic and household responsibilities (Tungohan, 2013). However, in most cases, the social and working conditions experienced by the migrant female workers in the destination society have seemingly negative impacts on their families. Fortunately, women being the primary providers for their families gives a satisfying feeling of self-worth and independence. The financial contribution acts as a stress managing factor for their absence from the household.

Furthermore, in cases where men leave for work and staying away from his family does not seem to cause any concern in society. Research has identified that "when fathers take jobs abroad, it only had a little dent on the family" (Tungohan, 2013, p.45). Men are explained as members of the family who lack the nurturing affection and love for their children. Therefore, they are distant and unreliable to provide or assume the role of child-rearing. Due to the maternalist ideology, both separated and married women in the community agreed that men have reduced or no caregiving abilities (Doucet, 2014). However, this does not entirely include the entire men population because there is a good percentage that remains involved in the duties of their household. But this does not change the fact that caregiving is purely viewed as a woman's duty and an indication of how the "gender socialization and reproduction is reduced to a feminine act" (Tungohan, 2013, p.44).

Conclusion

In conclusion, women labour providers, as migrants experience contradictory expectations from society where the migrants' families are expected to remain economically stable. In contrast, as women, they are expected to meet their responsibilities and duties as mothers even when they are working in other countries far from home. The gendered division of labour from a general point of view in society seems to have been overtaken by events. However, it is evident that the gendered division of labour still exists, mainly because migrant women are charged for maternal neglect. The judgment is not accurate because men, on the other hand, have to resume their duty and responsibility as providers. Therefore, gender roles in family settings is taken as a feminine act even when women go out of their way to make a significant contribution in their households, communities, and country. Thus, it is possible to tell that women will always be better caregivers to their children as compared to men because they lack the love and affection mothers show to their children.

References

Doucet, An. (2014). Chapter 16 - "Fathers and Emotional Responsibility" (pp.293-313). In Bonnie Fox (Eds.), Family Patterns, Gender Relations (4th ed.). Oxford University Press Canada.

Tungohan, E. (2013) Reconceptualizing Motherhood, Reconceptualizing Resistance, International Feminist Journal of Politics, 15:1, 39-57, DOI: 10.1080/14616742.2012.699781

Fox, B. (2014). Chapter 13 - "When the Baby Comes Home: The Dynamics of Gender in the Making of Family inside family (pp.232-251). In Bonnie Fox (Eds.), Family Patterns, Gender Relations (4th ed.). Oxford University Press Canada.

Nobles, J. (2011). Parenting from abroad: Migration, nonresident father involvement, and children's education in Mexico. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(4), 729-746.

Hellgren, Z., & Serrano, I. (2017). Transnationalism and financial crisis: The hampered migration projects of female domestic workers in Spain. Social Sciences, 6(1), 8.

Psimmenos, I. (2017). The social setting of female migrant domestic workers. Journal of Modern Greek Studies, 35(1), 43-66.