In some countries like India where labor is cheaper, even in the urban middle class households, neither the husband nor the wife do the dishes, laundry, cleaning the house or cooking. Those are done by paid domestic help." ~Alok Sharma WWP Resident |
An AnecdoteNote that the following does not come from research conducted; it comes from my own personal experiences. Please take into consideration any unintentional biases that may have been formed.
My story begins when my parents first came to the United States in 1999. As immigrants in a new country, they had brought along a set of cultural family values, which were ingrained with specific gender roles. My father worked long hours while my mother stayed home and raised my sister and I. In order to do so, my mother set aside her career in order to ensure that my sister and I received her undivided attention. I began to think that the gender roles that existed inside my home must exist in everyone else's home; that gender roles were the same across cultures, across the United States. While gender roles are fluid and ever changing, they seemingly provide an advantage for men; my mother holds a full time job today, but still has to maintain the home as she did twenty years ago. On the other hand, my father still works long hours, but with little to no involvement in family life. According to the survey conducted in West Windsor Plainsboro, there was a stark contrast when asked who should provide for the family versus who actually provides for the family. The vast majority of those that responded to the survey were from India, just like my parents. According the survey, about 79% individuals stated that it should be both men and women, while in real life only 52.4% of those that responded displayed the reality. What is the reason behind the difference and what does it tell us about the Indian household?
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