Being a "trad wife"
The “trad wife” trend on TikTok and Instagram reel platforms has really made me think about how feminism gets CONSTANTLY reframed in pop culture. On the surface, it tries to look like empowerment, women choosing to stay home, cook, clean, and center their lives around domesticity. But from my Women’s and Gender Studies perspective, I think it’s significantly more complicated than that. Choice doesn’t exist in this instance. Many of these influencers have financial privilege that makes staying home incredibly more possible, which isn’t realistic in the slightest for most women. It also ignores how domestic labor has historically been expected, especially from women of color, without recognition or compensation. To me, this trend shows how patriarchy doesn’t just disappear, it continuously adapts. It gets repackaged as aesthetic, soft, and voluntary. That doesn’t mean women shouldn’t choose domestic life, but we have to question who actually has the freedom to choose.
I agree, yes it sounds nice staying home just cooking and cleaning, it being the same routine which some people actually enjoy. In my personal opinion I wish for women to get out there even if their husband keeps the household financially stable, but women should still get a small job from something they at least enjoy to still go out and talk to people, see the outside, have their own money in their pocket etc. I just don't like the idea of being a traditional wife because you never really know what life holds for you and if something were to happen, it's gonna be hard to get back to a stable point depending on where you're at in life and not having a source of income and so much more so I feel like being a traditional wife has so many risks now that people don't consider until the time comes.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it’s more complicated than it looks online. Some women may choose that lifestyle, but not everyone has the money or support to make that choice freely. It’s important to ask who really has the privilege to “choose” and who has always been expected to do that work without praise or pay.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think that the idea of being a trad wife is very glorified and looks good on the surface. They have income from their social media platforms, and like you said have enough financial stability to do this. The majority of people can't do this, as both parents need to work to support themselves and their families.
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