Who's tradition, and why?

in traditional •  7 months ago 

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The issue with "traditional gender roles" is that they're about as authentic as the random kitsch you'll find at any given New Age store. A member of a Native American tribe from 200 years ago would likely be baffled by what we consider "dreamcatchers," and a woman from medieval France would be baffled at the idea that "men work while women stay at home." The notion that "men hunt and women gather" is a "traditional view" the same way fortune cookies and sage smudging are "traditional practices."

We can forgive a lot of people who mistakenly believe they are following a "tradition." It's not our fault that we are inundated from birth with stupid, ahistorical nonsense. What we should still do is consider who benefits from that nonsense. The people who won't shut up about "traditional gender roles" are trying to sell you a fiction, a vibe, a vague aesthetic, an "answer" to ennui and anxiety. What do they stand to gain if you buy in, and, more importantly, what is the price you might pay?

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