University Sociology Assignment: Gender Roles and Stereotypes

This sociology assignment analyzes a visual art piece depicting a husband taking care of household chores and children while the wife works, challenging traditional gender stereotypes. The introduction provides context, identifying the image's theme as breaking stereotypes and its origin. The first body paragraph targets society, emphasizing the image's message of women's empowerment, equal rights, and the importance of breaking societal expectations of women's roles. The second body paragraph analyzes how the image fits the theme, highlighting features like the husband's actions and the couple's support for each other. The conclusion reiterates the image's significance, its relevance to societal mindsets, and the need for change. The assignment also includes references to relevant sources and a detailed analysis of the image's impact.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Figure – The husband taking acre of the household while the wife goes to job
Source - (McLaren, 2013)

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Introduction
This picture that has been highlighted above is an example of the breaking of stereotype
that has been prevalent throughout the era. The stereotype on the gender regarding the women to
do all the household chores and take care of the children and the house while the male goes for
job and earning money has been a long and debatable factor contributing to the stereotype that is
still practiced in different part of the world (Calasanti and King 2007). The picture has been
taken from an internet source, from a news article highlighting the theme of breaking gender
stereotypes.
Discussion
Body paragraph 1
The targeted audience for this picture is the society and the narrow minded people
residing in the society. The message behind this picture is strong. The picture defines various
dimensions starting from the right of the women towards freedom, empowerment and living by
her terms of life together with the equal rights and responsibilities of both the gender to run a
household. The women through out the generation has always been viewed and expected to do
the household chores including the cleaning, washing, taking care of the children and serving the
men of the house (Kramer et al. 2015). The picture gives a strong message to the men and the
patriarchal society how turning the tables feels like. The picture illustrates that women are born
to serve the house and the man but also to make their own identity (Schulte, 2014). They are and
they can be financially independent and run a household without taking any monetary help from
her partner. The image should be significant to the targeted audience since it is important to
break the stereotype through out the world. It is important for give each and every women the

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opportunity to make their identity , to be independent and life their live with integrity (Delphy
2016). The picture furthermore highlights how it is essential for the men in the current generation
to understand and feel the need for women empowerment. The picture gives a strong message of
supporting and loving partner which is one of the biggest strength that a women can have.
Body paragraph 2
The image fit the theme of breaking stereotype. This is because the image showcases a
happy couple in their house where the husband stays back at the house to take care of their
children and do all the household chores while the wife goes out to earn money, thus breaking
the traditional stereotype of patriarchal society that expects women to stay at home. Some of the
features that can be illustrated in the context of the picture that has been highlighted above are
the following (McLaren, 2013). The features including the action of the picture illustrates the
man of the house looking after his three children including two daughters and one son who might
have been doing mischief in the kitchen of the house or making tantrums to eat their meal. The
picture illustrates the story of Tim and Daniel, who have three children Lennon, Viiva and Suri.
Daniel is the president of one of the renowned PR Company while Tim stays back at home and
take care of their children. The picture shows that Daniel has just come back from her job and is
still her office attire with her office bag while she witnessed her husband having a great time at
the kitchen of their home with their three beautiful children (McLaren, 2013). The foreground of
the picture includes beautiful, inspiration and yet strong message for the audience stating how
both the partners support each other and respect each other’s contribution to the family. The
message burns down the stereotype that has been prevailing in the world (Burkeman 2019).
Daniel views this picture perfect family as a simple combination of love, trust and respect where

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her husband do all the work in the house while she takes care of the money and the earnings that
is required for running the household.
Conclusion
The picture taken from the internet source is an example of breaking stereotype,
regarding the expectation of the patriarchal society of women staying at ho while the men goes
for earning the bread. The picture states above is the story of Tim and Daniel, who have three
children Lennon, Viiva and Suri. Daniel is the president of one of the renowned PR Company
while Tim stays back at home and take care of their children. It can thus be concluded that it is
essential for the society and the won to change their mindset, the picture targets its audience to
highlight various dimensions starting from the right of the women towards freedom,
empowerment and living by her terms of life together with the equal rights and responsibilities of
both the gender to run a household that includes both the household work and earning money for
the family.

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Reference
Burkeman, O. (2019). Dirty secret: why is there still a housework gender gap?. [online] the
Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2018/feb/17/dirty-secret-why-
housework-gender-gap [Accessed 24 Apr. 2019].
Calasanti, T. and King, N., 2007. Taking ‘women's work’‘like a man’: Husbands' experiences of
care work. The Gerontologist, 47(4), pp.516-527.
Delphy, C., 2016. Close to home: A materialist analysis of women's oppression. Verso Books.
Kramer, K.Z., Kelly, E.L. and McCulloch, J.B., 2015. Stay-at-home fathers: Definition and
characteristics based on 34 years of CPS data. Journal of Family Issues, 36(12), pp.1651-1673.
McLaren, L. (2013). Moms on Top: the rise of power wives, house husbands and the new single-
income family. [online] Toronto Life. Available at: https://torontolife.com/city/moms-on-top-the-
rise-of-power-wives-house-husbands-and-the-single-income-family/ [Accessed 24 Apr. 2019].
Schulte, B. (2014). 'How my husband and I finally achieved equality at home' | Brigid Schulte.
[online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/11/how-
my-husband-and-i-achieved-equality-at-home [Accessed 24 Apr. 2019].