Professional and academic success knows no sex barriers in the modern day. This is why household management, which encompasses skills guided by civic education on appropriately managing the sexes, never before had been so important. While girls outshine boys at study and work places, the social thoughts that date back for centuries paint a bad picture of the man. That is if the boy takes up work with the vacuum cleaner or mop; societal mind will abhor and find it rather wrong whereas the same male has turned all-around resourceful to live in foreign soils to make ends meet and work in jobs.
This contradiction throws light on an important cultural challenge: it is believed that household tasks are degrading for a man, while professional positions abroad are glorious. In this retrogressive progression, prejudice against men performing household chores exists. Mothers are the first and most influential teachers in these early years of life; they have an important task in shaping such attitudes. Thus, by strengthening the fact that household work is not masculine, they inadvertently sustain a cycle of inequality.
The household skills are almost emphasized on females since childhood stages, involving knowledge in the cooking, cleaning, and care of children and even sick people. Most training starts nearly from infancy, with mothers and family reinforcing such a notion that women ought to be all-rounders, ready to transition to another home after marriage. This expectation has become so ingrained that most of the time it never gets questioned while boys generally are not given the same training in household management; on the contrary, they often are encouraged to work for more external achievements rather than on maintaining a household.
Thus, gender roles have historically been constructed in a patriarchal lens. The patriarchal lens has dictated the notion that men are providers, while women are caretakers. This binary framework led to a structure of society in which household management was typically considered a feminine domain. However, philosophical traditions especially those of feminist influence-beget a re-evaluation of these roles. And indeed, the philosophical and theoretical contributions of thinkers like Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler, for example have challenged essentialist ideas relating to gender, instead seeking one that is fluid in expression and permits individuality transcending the constraints of such societal prescriptions. Still, the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) sayings and actions are enlightened reflections of progressive attitudes toward collaborative responsibilities.
For instance, working in the household chores is a relationship exemplified when he assisted his wife. Al-Aswad (RA) reported: I asked Aisha (RA), “What did the Prophet (PBUH), do in his house?” Aisha (RA) said, “The Prophet (PBUH) would do chores for his family and he would go out when it was time for prayer” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 676).Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is considered the best of humankind, still, he used to share the household chores responsibilities without the fear of societal judgments, why then do the contemporary notions of masculinity abhor similar examples?
This aversion to embracing household management as a shared responsibility has deep socio-psychological implications. It has been proven that sharing domestic duties equitably boosts relationship satisfaction and emotional well-being. When partners share equally, they create a sense of teamwork that strengthens their bond. Conversely, the absence of shared responsibilities often leads to dissatisfaction, increasing tensions and contributing to the rising divorce rates we witness today.
In addition, by making civic education a part of the social fabric, equality will be a by-product of it. Making boys and girls understand that household management is both of their responsibilities can help change the status quo of societal stereotypes holding it back. When these children learn to appreciate those skills, they are much better prepared for future personal life and contribute towards a better balanced society.
These old-fashioned gender norms need to be broken through civic education. It is not only teaching civic responsibilities but also life skills, which are necessary for personal and relational success. Household management could be included in the curricula for boys and girls to create a more equal understanding of responsibility. This pedagogical approach acknowledges the fact that housework is a basic competency for all, irrespective of gender, thus promoting a shared sense of duty so important in fostering balanced partnerships. Studies repeatedly point out that just distribution of domestic labour fosters relationship satisfaction and psychological well-being.
Philosophically, such a situation provokes questions on justice and fairness in marriage. John Rawls emphasizes equality and fairness as the pillars of a just system of structures in society. Applying such a theory in domestic life seems to depict equitable division of labour as not only a practical requirement but also a moral mandate.
Socialization processes either support or challenge gender norms in society. At an early stage, children learn messages about the behaviours that are accepted as a member of their sex. If boys are trained to believe that household tasks are women’s work, they may grow up living with these biases, eventually affecting their relationships and generally their well-being. More so, girls who learn to be perfect in anything, including the management of the house, will possibly be better prepared for their relationships.
Such socialization is reflective of the “self” in philosophical theory as moulded by the dictates of society. Philosophy developed with regards to power and discourse by Michel Foucault further demonstrates how societal values limit the scope of identity and roles of a human being. Through civic education, such societal norms may be challenged and, through that, the understanding of what masculinity and femininity are would be changed toward all-inclusive assumption of domestic responsibility.
Cultural narratives shape very much perception on gender roles. Indeed, in most societies, the masculinity narrative thus becomes married to strength, independence, and professional prowess, as well as that of being a woman and all that nurture and domesticity entail. Cultural stigma regarding male involvement in household tasks thus plots along the fallacious false dichotomy that separates the world of professional prowess and that of domestic competence. For example, bell hooks among other thinkers have taken on the approach of telling stories in the formation and moulding of social norms. We could then change public perception by reframing the narrative around men to celebrate them as managing a domestic unit.
It goes beyond the need for such practical skills, but the imperative for civic education is indeed a push toward an inclusive future where gender does not predetermine one’s role at home. It is thus through fostering environments that would encourage boys and girls equally to engage in all activities of life, professional and domestic and civic, as that would lay the groundwork for a more equitable society.
In conclusion, such socio-philosophical explorations on civic education through the framework of household management point towards deeply profound implications concerning roles along gender lines. We require a critical revision to move away from societal standards by showing active commitment towards development as a culture where commonness is the standard measure for responsibility. Only so, as we approach such an ideal society where justifications are needed and ensured through the education we deliver towards an empowered life.
(The Author is PhD; Post-Doc researcher and a renowned compere/broadcaster at All India Radio, Srinagar. For feedback, she can be reached at: [email protected])
