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Hernandez, Melissa
Professor Ditch
English 113A
1 November 2014
Stay-At-Home Fathers
Many men fail to get noticed when they perform feminine tasks because they dont
perform the right gender roles society is well-known too. The visual text I analyzed is a
dominant male holding a baby with a pink glove and a dustpan in his hand with big bold letters
above him saying He Can Do It! This photo is similar to the Rosie the Riveter image that says
We Can Do It! it reminds people to try new things, to encourage, and to push ourselves to the
limit. The visual text is arguing that males in society does believe males have the ability to be a
stay-at-home fathers and perform feminine tasks. A feminine task would be child-rearing and
cleaning and a female characteristic would be passive and submissive. I agree with the argument
the visual text is making because I believe males have the potential and should have the same
equality as a female to be a stay-at-home parent. Stay-at-home dads should get recognized
because staying home and raising your child is a full time job. Although this image is seen as a
positive representation of stay-at-home dads many fathers receive criticism from being stay-athome parents because its not something society is accustomed too.
Stay-at-home fathers receive a lot of negativity because its not something we see in
everyday life. Most men are pushed into the work place to provide for their families while
mothers stay home taking care of the kids and working around the house. Men are seen to be less
when the female provides for the family. Patriarchy is system in which means majority of power

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is held by males. That means society doubts the patriarchy of males when theyre stay-at-home
fathers. The first reaction many people get when they see a stay-at-home dad is who takes care
of the bills or what do you do to provide for the family? In other words, society sees it as a
norm when males work to provide a living for their families but when its the opposite and
female works the male is seen to be weak and lazy. Its hard for society to see males as a
motherly figure because society portrays men to be dominant, tough, and hard workers.
In the article, Gender Role Attitudes and Characteristics of Stay-at-Home and Employed
Fathers by Jessica Fischer and Veanne N. Anderson talks about the gender-type characteristics
and gender-role attitudes of stay-at-home fathers and the way they experience discrimination.
The article states that Men who violate gender role expectation by behaving in stereotypically
feminine ways or not behaving in stereotypically masculine ways, such as stay-at-home fathers,
may experience prejudice and backlash. (Fischer and Anderson pg2) In other words, when men
perform a feminine task or are perceived as feminine; they often receive negativity because they
fail to follow the gender roles. The article provides many examples of stereotypes towards stayat-home-fathers. Fathers are seen not to have the appropriate characteristics to be a caregiver.
Mothers are seen to have a better relationship with their children while fathers are seen to be less
involved and less affectionate.
In another article, Stay-At-Home Fathers: Masculinity, Family, Work, and Gender
Stereotypes by David John Petroski also examines the views society gives to stay-at-home
fathers. Fathers can become primary caregivers by choice or by force for example getting laid off
and losing your job. Fathers become caregivers to parent their children knowing people will see
them differently and from another point of view. Although, The fathers parent differently than
mothers do, but it is still a loving, supportive role that they play. (Petroski 2) Stay-at-home dads

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are often referred to as Mr. Mom even though its not what they want to be known as. The
article provides an example saying, Some see the stay-at-home dads role as doing
nothing, perhaps being an incompetent employee or a henpecked husband. (Petroski 2) To put
it in other words, society sees stay-at-home fathers as lazy, irresponsible, and careless. Stay-athome fathers receive harsh criticism because they believe fathers arent much help or they arent
around when you need them most. Men receive an enormous amount of judgment from society
and are failed at being noticed that what they are doing should be seen as positive rather than
negative.
The two articles Gender Role Attitudes and Characteristics of Stay-at-Home and
Employed Fathers and Stay-At-Home Fathers: Masculinity, Family, Work, and Gender
Stereotypes both talk about the negativity of stay-at-home fathers but many people can find
positive reactions of stay-at-home fathers. Although the photo of the man with the baby can be
seen negative there is many positive reactions towards stay-at-home fathers. When a father is
known to be a primary caregiver many people silently applaud them because its not something
thats common in todays society. In the article, Night to His Day: The Social Construction of
Gender by Judith Lorber talks about two fathers at the bus stop and the reaction that was given
to them by the people around them. Lorber says both men were quite obviously stared at
and smiled at, approvingly. (Lorber 19) Men can receive negative comments but as well can get
positive comments. Many woman see it as a positive gesture because its a role many men dont
play in society and they get the understanding that men can do what females do too. Lorbers
article argues that men are changing the roles of fathers. (Lorber 19) Gender is part of our
daily lives. Society gives these certain expectation of how men and women should be and sees it
as unusual when we perform the opposite gender. I agree that many people see stay-at-home

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fathers as a positive way rather than seeing them as less of a man because men should have the
same equality as females.
Society reacts more negative rather than positive when they come across stay-at-home
fathers. One reason is because the biology of males. Men are seen to have high testosterone
which allows them to be more aggressive, dominant, and tough. It makes it harder for people to
believe they have the ability to be a stay-at-home father because that requires an extreme amount
of patience. Society believes theres a traditional masculinity men should present themselves
with but being a stay-at-home father doesnt fall under traditional masculinity because thats a
females job to take care of the house and children. Traditional masculinity is having integrity,
emotional toughness, and being self-reliant. Men who depend on females to take care of financial
matters arent self-reliant because they depend on the female while they stay home. Males are
undermined when they try to take care of their baby and clean around the house. Its easy for the
people around them to judge but being a stay-at-home father require just as much work as
actually being at a workplace.
As seen in the image, many men are starting to change gender roles and being a stay-athome fathers. Even though this image is meant to send a positive message many fathers still get
criticized from being a stay-at-home father. Fathers get criticized because its rare and
uncommon to see fathers perform in a nurturing and feminine way. Fathers get harsh reactions
because they fail to perform the right gender role but society should see the bigger picture that all
fathers want to do is parent their children. I believe men should have the same equality as
females to be a stay-at-home parent. This image should change the publics view that stay-athome fathers arent lazy or irresponsible rather than there productive of what they do at home.
The main focus of the overall image is that men should get noticed and be supported of when

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they become stay-at-home fathers because its not as easy as we think. Society needs to
reconsider that gender roles are changing and will continue to change as the years go by.

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Work Cited
Fischer, Jessica, and Veanne N. Anderson. Gender Role Attitudes and Characteristics of StayAt-Home and Employed Fathers. Psychology of Men and Masculinity 13.1 (2012): 16-31.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.

Lorber, Judith. Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender. From Paradoxes of
Gender. Copyright 1994 by Yale University Press. Reproduced with permission of the publisher.
All rights reserved.

Petroski, David J. Stay-At-Home Fathers: Masculinity, Family, Work, and Gender

Stereotypes. Cios. Copyright 2006. Web. 30 Oct. 2014