With more men caring for children and homes, it’s clear that women aren’t the only ones to suffer from biased cultural expectations. One writer with the Guardian explores whether it’s possible to have it all — a career, a relationship, and kids — for millennial men.
theguardian.com – I am not sure when I get to say I am a man, even though I am 23. The perpetual adolescence I am living through has made me suspicious. It’s not that I want to become a Man with a capital M, a bare-chested, sexually aggressive cliche, but I do want to be a dad. I want a good career, a loving relationship and a family in which I am both a homemaker and provider. But is that a realistic aspiration? Can millennial men really have it all?
Take a glance at the British Social Attitudes survey, and it might seem as if the British public still supports the traditional family model. But look more closely, and it’s clear that change is coming. When asked whether they agree with the statement: “A man’s job is to earn money; a woman’s job is to look after the home and family”, only 4% of men and women aged 18 to 25 agreed. There was little difference between the genders. Attitudes toward parental leave reveal a similar change. Asked whether paid leave should be divided between the mother and father, 44% of those aged 18 to 25, and 26% of those aged 26 to 35, agreed that it should, compared with just 13% of over-65s. Yes, baby boomers, your kids turned out all right. But we can’t start celebrating just yet.
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