This week, I read an article that was written by the average American dad, who seemed to have a very strong heart. In the introductory paragraph, he told a story of a simple shopping spree gone wrong: his daughter and he were shopping, and she found a sweater she liked in Abercrombie & Fitch. She went to try the sweater on, and as he stood in this dimly lit store, he noticed a picture of a male model (mid-20's) standing in his birthday suit, leaned up against a boat. The picture was shot from behind, with the male's buttocks completely exposed. He immediately complained to the manager, and was told that the manager, nor the corporation itself, cared that this man was convinced that this was inappropriate for his daughter, an early teen, nor for anyone else.
The American Dad, as I will call him, uses this as an example to show that it is his responsibility to protect his children, as well as his marriage and life. (I would hope that my husband will someday also do some not too entirely dissimilar if it seems fit).
However, this article got me thinking about the male's role across the globe. Here, our American Dad is shown as being the one to protect, the one who stands up for his family, as well as the one who does what is noble and right. He is the bread-winner, he is wise, and he is almost like the family's "God", if that makes any sense.
I thought about other cultures, and while I thought pretty much most of the ones I came up with considered the father to be sort of the head of the household, in some cases he was more of a disciplinary and intimidating figure. Even in the early days of hunting and gathering, men were the strong powerful ones who went out and destroyed the beasts. That's not to say that the women weren't capable of doing so, but it was just more traditionally done in this manor.
In this instance, I see more similarities between Americans and other societies than I do differences. The male is very often the head of the family, and I see nothing wrong with that (as long as it's made clear that women are capable of being so, but this way is just how it's traditionally done). Overall, I enjoyed the article, and I like the way this material was presented to me.
11:28am,
February 7, 2013
Jentry Womack
SOC202-2
Article Link: http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/parenting/essentials/fathers/real-men-are-warriors-who-protect#.URPMNKXEb8U
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