In most cultures, the typical stereotypes for men and women are breadwinners and caregivers. If this applies in a family, the dad would be the financial supporter while the mom is playing the nurturing role, also including entertain their kids. This photo is quite opposite-it is the dad who is playing with his son. Does that mean this gentleman cross the boarder of the roles between male and female? The answer is negative. As we can see this is a pretty nice house with a decent size, nice furniture and hard shining wood-floor. People may argue the mom might be the breadwinner. Take a look at the dad’s clothes-collared shirt and nice pants that usually considered as working clothes for men. If he was a stay-at-home dad, he wouldn’t be dressed in that way, therefore, he is the breadwinner. Also notice the dad’s pose-he lays his back on the floor, bends his legs in the air with them crossed, eyes on his son and also with one hand on each side. He tries to safely and accurately catch his son after tossed him in the air. He used his entire body to ensure his son’s safety while making him happy. That shows he does know how to take care of a kid, to be careful and entertaining. The little guy for sure is satisfied. He even throws one arm in the air, looks like he is cheering for his dad-“Daddy, you are not only a breadwinner, but also a heart-winner. You are a supper daddy!”
5 comments:
djkafdjkafjdklfja
dfjdkafjdklajfkdjafkldajfkla
The way the photo is off kilter suggests the way some people perceive men who take a more hands on approach to child rearing. In this photo the dad is the only parental figure, but still the child is happy and the house is clean. Traditionally children and home have been seen as the woman's domain and men were only on the periphery of their existence. The fact that this father is acting alone with his child makes some feel off kilter.
Men are stereotyped to be in high power positions and to be the main supporters of their families. Women are seen as the caregivers of their children and the ones who are supposed to cook and clean. In this picture, the father is dressed up in his work clothes and is playing with his son. In our culture this is seen as crossing the border of the original gender norms. Obviously this man is not a stay at home dad because he is dressed up for work but he is being nurturing. It is not normal for either the man or woman to stay at home nowadays because the economy requires both people to have an income or it would be hard to live their lives. The stereotypes are being broken because the responsibility of taking care of the child and being the breadwinner is being split up between the man and the woman. The house in this picture looks very decent and clean which also goes against the stereotype that men aren't clean.
The photo captures the overall message of how much we live in the social influences and we don't escape gender roles. The angle and dimension of the photo makes it look like someone is watching this behavior and moment happen. It could be the mother capturing a moment or someone else watching the behavior. Our society is way too strict about how we look to others. We are too scared to reach outside of our gender norms and be something that we are not. Shown in the photo the Dad is engaged in playful behavior with his child. This could be him coming home from a day off or their everyday behavior together. No matter how much or when this took place, it still is happening. We have given ourselves the thought that we can only do one thing. We either have to be the bread winner OR we have to be the stay at home parent. But why can't it be both, many parents do both jobs with no problem. The photographer did a good job at grasping the concept of how much we stereotype gender roles in today's society. If gender roles were taken away for at least one day, today's Americans wouldn't know what to do with themselves. Our society would crash and burn if we didn't know what we were ultimately supposed to do. The only way we can escape stereotypes is to lean away from them, our society needs to take a stand. We need to realize that we are doing wrong by continuing to abide by these gender roles. We are hurting ourselves, family, and those around us by giving in to what is “expected” of us. It is what is “expected” not what is morally correct. Next time you give into gender stereotypes, think about how you can move away from them, try your best to be independent.
Post a Comment