Reading this article from The Guardian, some thoughts come to mind:
- Considering this article is coming from someone who grew up in an individualist culture – sure. But if you’re raised in a collectivist culture, things are different.
- Marriage doesn’t have to mean financial dependence for either spouse. Unless you’re living in the 19th century – but even then, they had options. Professions such as joining the corps de ballet with the Palais Garnier in Paris (of Phantom of the Opera fame) allowed young, unmarried girls the freedom of a steady job and decent living conditions, as well as a degree of financial independence.
- Why is there this pressure on women to marry (and produce offspring) – but not men? Has it got to do with the outdated notion that a woman can’t be financially independent AND married? (Come on, I know you can think about this without your heads exploding. I have a mop and bucket right here in case they do.)
- What then, does it mean to be a “modern man”? If we go to so much trouble to define “the modern woman”, there should also be a definition for “the modern man”!
I might update this post if more questions strike me.
What are your thoughts? Please leave comments or write to me. 😀
