The concept of the domestic-public dichotomy concerns that women are oriented toward domestic work while everything extra domestic is considered the area of men’s responsibility. This concept is used to show that women who do not get any money for their domestic work are totally dependent on men, who are the only breadwinners in the family (Lamphere 98). However, it is wrong to consider women exposed to the domestic work powerless, as they have the opportunity to informally or implicitly influence men and the decisions they make (Lamphere100). Thus, women are able to lessen the men’s power through the conversations and the use of different persuasive techniques. In that case, women may be considered masked decision-makers as they can channel and shape the decisions made by men. The domestic-public dichotomy may be considered even useful because it made the scientists think about the gender roles historically typical of men and women.
Women have all the risks to face downward mobility mainly because it is harder for them than for men to get higher social positions and statuses. However, with the development of feminism, it became easier for women to gain power and influence than several decades ago (Hirsch 140). At the same time, when it comes to better job conditions and more respectable positions in society, the priority is given to men rather than to women.
When speaking about the influence of space in husband-wife relationships, it is necessary to mention that the image of the marriage has changed over time. Now it is perceived not as the obligation built on the mutual respect and fulfilment of gender responsibilities as it was in the middle of the 20th century (Hirsch 144). Men and women now tend to become companions in marriage, and their gender roles are not as strictly observed as they were previously. Thus, men may do domestic work while women become breadwinners for the family.
Works Cited
Hirsch, Jennifer. “Marriage, Modernity, and Migration: Changing Dynamics of Intimacy in a Mexican Transnational Culture” Gender in Cross-cultural Perspective, 2017, pp. 139-152.
Lamphere, Louise. “The Domestic Sphere of Women and the Public World of Men” Gender in Cross-cultural Perspective, 2017, pp. 97-108.