by Chrystal Mahan

Created on: October 13, 2009

Do Sex Roles Burden Women More Then Men?

According to Jeff Grabmeier who wrote "The Burden Women Bear: Why They Suffer More Distress than Men" agrees that yes, the sex roles do burden women more then men. Women are now in jobs that used to only be for men. Because of these changes this could signal a change in women's roles. Not only can women now get these jobs, they are even able to get the training that is required for these jobs on all levels. It seems that nothing is left reserved just for men. It once was thought that the man was the harder worker, but with many women in the workforce, those ideas have dropped. Many women are taking on another many other jobs, such as housekeeper, cook, and childcare giver. Many men today still believe that those are the jobs for women.

Evidence is growing to prove that women do suffer more then men. This could be due to biology, the stress of combining parent hood and career, living in a male-centered society, or all of the above (Grabmeier). We often think that women can handle these rolls very well. Studies show that women have more emotions, less happiness, more psychological problems, and they show their emotions more then men. Men have a tendency to put on a mask and hide their emotions.

Many of women's emotions are the result of biological factors. Some women have an imbalance of norepinepherine and serotonin which can lead to depression, anger, anxiety, eating disorders and impulsive behavior. These factors could be the reason why women show more emotions. More emotions equal more distress. Another cause for distress is the factor that despite the fact women are running the household and working outside the home, they are still dependent on their husbands. Women are paid 75% of what men are paid, more likely to live in poverty if single; face a greater threat of physical and sexual abuse. "Women just face a lot of problems and obstacles that men don't have to deal with (Grabmeier)." All of these things show just how much more distress is in women then in men.

Another point that Grabmeier makes on proving his point is that women tend to use psychological strategies to face problems. They tend to keep thinking about the problem and blame themselves whereas men will face the problem head on and get it out of the way and over with. Women keep building it up by keeping it in. This results in amplifying and prolonging the distress.

In "Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man" written by Susan Faludi shows us some points on her beliefs. Her belief is that women do not have more burdens or distress then men. A feminist journalist Faludi began her studies at a domestic-violence meeting group. It was then she concluded that the male crisis in America was caused by something men were doing unrelated to something being done to them, and that its cure was surly to be found in figuring out how to get them to stop whatever it was (Faludi).

According to Faludi, men needed to feel in control and feel dutiful. At the same time, men are losing jobs, homes, cars, and families. Men see themselves as dominating, but in fact it is the world that is dominating them. In this day of self-help women do not have more burdens then men. Women can now free themselves from the box in which they are trapped (p69). However, men are in these boxes, too, but they are told they made their own box, since this box is showcasing them, not confining them.

To this date the roles between male and female are in transition. Both sexes are facing problems and challenges. Neither wants to move backwards, only forwards. In this day and age I do not think that one can ever really prove who has more problems and distress. It all lies in how you interpret the situation.

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