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Social Exchange Theory And Gender Equality In Canada

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Social Exchange Theory and Gender Equality In Canada today, more than one in ten heterosexual couples have a stay at home parent- and that is the father. Since the 1970’s, the number of women in the workforce has continued to rise, and the result is that more and more fathers are stepping up to look after the kids. So what exactly has changed so much over the past decades that has created a more neutral ground for child rearing? It’s due to individuals engaging in social exchange, perhaps without even realising it, and incorporating its principles into family life. The following paper will address how the application of social exchange theory to family matters has increased levels of gender equality in the home. Gender equality in coupled …show more content…

Moreover, the idea of “specialization” within a marriage (the working man and homebound wife) was slowly becoming more costly than beneficial, and so more women entered the workforce. Nevertheless, there are still children who need to be cared for, and so now another aspect of the Social Exchange Theory affects the family: is it less costly to hire a nanny while both parents worked? Or would this lead to lack of attachment between parent and child that surely outweighed the money loss of one parent staying home. For example, in my family, my parents weighed the costs and benefits and made the rational decision that my father would stay home to raise my brother and I, as my mother’s job would provide better insurance for our future. In doing this, us children were able to bond with our parents as well as grow up with all our needs being met. This is just one of many examples of how this theory is slowly pushing along gender equality; as more men become stay at home fathers, the previous social norms must be re-examined and reshaped to fit the changing society. Moreover, it allows women to have an unprecedented level of agency in their lives and to choose what is right for …show more content…

Through the use of new technologies to that allowed women to enter the workforce, it forced the hand of many couples to bend social norms in order to care for their children. With increasing partnership in marriage (instead of the husband making all the decisions), fathers are more likely to take a back seat role of breadwinner as they recognize the power that women have when allowed to exercise

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