Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Gender roles

I have this recently acquired roommate. He is a very nice guy, and I think would have been more than willing to dispose of my recent rabbit problem. But, I didn't ask him. In fact, I left him a note indicating that I would do it.
Why? not because I wanted to dispose of the rabbit, that's for sure.
It is because I couldn't stand the thought that I was asking him to do it because he is a man. I kept thinking - what would I do if I lived alone (as I did just three weeks ago)?
I would have done this myself. and so I did.
I would have shoveled all the snow myself, but he has done 75% of the shoveling this year (thus far... and that is a lot of snow)

I wonder when it comes spring again will we fall into some sort of pattern of work separation? Will it somehow be dictated by traditional gender roles? I wonder if you need to separate the work with two people living together and it just happens that traditional roles make easy lines.
I don't mind the outdoor work and really like the way my garage is organized... I hope that this doesn't become his domain.

1 comment:

loud said...

I think typically the men jump on the tasks that keep them away from inside housework, laundry, mopping, and cooking (although, yours cooks).

Plus it's fun to just see if they will still do things just because we ask.