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Teamwork as an important feature to a successful marriage is not a new concept. We all know that in order for marriage to work we have to work together. As society has changed, however, it has gotten more and more difficult for us to put this teamwork into action. Traditional gender roles created more specific guidelines regarding intra-marital interactions, which simplified the reality of teamwork within a marriage. Current views regarding feminism have made marriages less stable by threatening the balance that has been present for centuries. By re-clarifying roles within marriage we are able to actively participate in the teamwork needed to keep a relationship healthy. Traditional gender roles, as archaic as they may seem, were incredibly successful at encouraging teamwork within marriages. By presenting expectations before marriage even began gender roles managed to take out the struggle of finding a balance between spouses. Just like when you are hired for a new job and are presented with a job description and employee expectations these gender roles placed clarity on what was expected of each party. This eliminates the confusion and allows everything to run smoothly. Current society has taken away the gender roles as women have claimed more and more power over life decisions. While the cases of abuse and discrimination were unacceptable, the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction. Women are refusing to be wives and mothers, choosing instead to act as males traditionally have: as providers and head of households. While women are completely capable of being providers, doing so also has the ability to take mothers away from the children that need them. And in being strong powerful figures women lose some of the soft nurturing nature that is so vital to being feminine. The balance of feminine and masculine that has defined marriages for so long has been thrown out of whack, making marriage a competition. Instead of being able to rely on the gender-specific strengths of each party there is a struggle for power in many marriages. Women are unable to admit when they need help because of the fear of being seen as weak. Men are afraid to offer help to their wives because they are unsure of the reaction it will receive. By being unwilling to assume a position with any vulnerability we do not allow the one that loves us most to be a support, thwarting the teamwork we know we need. Although gender roles have been proven by centuries of successful marriages the majority of our society is unwilling to enter into this more traditional marriage. It is vital that we still include teamwork as part of marriages if we want them to last. The only way to ensure this is to set roles that we can be comfortable with within each individual marriage. Define expectations and make sure to allow space for vulnerability and support. Go into the marriage with the idea of balance and teamwork and you can ensure that, with a little effort, you can keep your marriage healthy and strong. Author Credit: Gabriella Gometra writes reviews on sundry products, such as http://sewingmachinefurniture.org, which has information about varieties of sewing machine furniture and the portable sewing table.
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Marriage, relationships, work, gender roles, society, children,
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