Stay at Home Dads, Why Not? - Essay Sample

Introduction

A stay at home dad is a father who may be or is the primary caregiver of the children and the homemaker in the household. Recently, there has been a significant evolution, especially when it concerns families. In practice, the existence of stay at home dads has become common. In the past, the family was a joint unite where everyone worked together as a unit and was self-sufficient. However, during the 1830s, there was the emergence of affection-based marriages, and the parents began delivering more attention to children and family relationships were now more open. However, as we shifted into the industrial revolution, large-scale production replaced the home production and manufacturing which equally moved the evolution of families as there was the development of gender role, dictation the women as caregivers and fathers as the breadwinners. However, within the late 20th century, the number of stay at home dads began increasing majorly in the western nations which are still rising in the 21st century. According to a study statistic from Pew Research, a report in 2014 showed that there are 2 million stays at home dads in the United States.

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Moreover, it still reports that, in 2010, the number of stay at home dads has been increasing reaching 2.2 million. The question lies within the predicaments of being a stay at home dad drawing the line on why not if it is possible. As one tries to understand the underlying reasons behind the existence of stay at home dad in response and comparison to various occurrences. Also, in the strive to answer the question "why not" it is equally imperative to understand the different advantages and disadvantages surrounding the phenomenon (Chesley, 2011).

Let us say for example; one decides to be a stay at home dad. Depending on the region that the individual is located, it influenced the course for the decision. For instance, in traditional dominated regions, a stay at home dad may be shunned by other peer groups which imply the tendency to stay at home dads to join numerous support groups. Moreover, as the men tend to find social acceptance with the role as a stay at home dads, many face various issues especially with the involvement of other masculinity activities that they may want to involve in (such as businesses and professionality in their careers). On the other hand, some claim that women lack respect for them which leads to other occurrences such as divorce (Petroski & Edley, 2006).

However, according to the structural-functional theory (functionalism), it views the society as a structure with interrelated designs meant to meet the social and biological needs of the individuals in the community. Within the functionalism sociology theory, Emile Durkheim strives to elaborate on the involvement of human activities on how social order is possible, how the society changes and how the community remains stable (Morgan, 2014). In other occurrences, functionalism theory tries to elaborate on how various involved aspects in the society try to function together and keep the nation working. These parts or involved elements in the society that focus on meeting the social need include education, religion, healthcare, government, and family. With this, it defines the actual involvement of family and its evolution implying on stay at home dad which also helps derive on the decision of becoming a stay at home father or not.

Correspondingly, in the decision to become a stay at home dad, there is various occurrence influencing the arrangement. For example, economic reasons could be one of the reasons. As the women are progressing into higher paying jobs, it delivers a factor that may imply when a mother or father should become a stay at home parent. It makes sense, whereby the woman acquires sufficient to pay that could sustain the family more than the man who explains how she can continue to work as the man assumes the caregiver role. Also, in cases where the woman job may offer advantages such as health benefits whereas the father does not, it sets sense about the role of men becoming a stay at home dad.

Similarly, there is telecommuting, where men can work from home. In the event of this, the man is contributing to the family financially and may as well opt to act as the primary caregiver in the family. In another occurrence on the differences in time schedules, they could account for some of the stay at home dads since the father may work at odd hours while the mother may have an eight to five work schedule. Regarding such occurrences within the involvement of functionalism sociology theory, it makes sense being a stay at home dad (Rushing & Powell, 2015).

Conclusion

To sum everything up, the issue of fixed gender roles is becoming less prominent especially in western societies as there is a significant understanding of various occurrences concerning sociology. Although some of the men may become stay at home for multiple reasons, it does not tamper their authority in the family as they only assume the role of being primary caregivers. Thus, leaving the question of stay at home dads open-ended as they occurrence vary according to individual decisions and preferences. Moreover, there are few restrictions on what a family constitutes.

References

Chesley, N. (2011). Stay-at-home fathers and breadwinning mothers: Gender, couple dynamics, and social change. Gender & Society, 25(5), 642-664.

Morgan, D. H. J. (2014). Social Theory and the Family (RLE Social Theory). Routledge.

Petroski, D. J., & Edley, P. P. (2006). Stay-at-home fathers: Masculinity, family, work, and gender stereotypes. Electronic Journal of Communication, 16(3/4).

Rushing, C., & Powell, L. (2015). Family Dynamics of the Stay-at-Home Father and Working Mother Relationship. American Journal of Men's Health, 9(5), 410-420. Doi: 10.1177/1557988314549414