The New Trend of Tradwife or Traditional Wife: What Does it Entail?

In recent years, the concept of the “tradwife” has resurfaced strongly in certain circles, mainly in social networks and conservative movements.

This term, which is the abbreviation of traditional wife either traditional wiferefers to women who choose to live under traditional gender roles. These women are mainly dedicated to housework, taking care of the children and supporting their husband, while the man is the main economic provider for the family.

But what does this resurgence really imply and how can we analyze it from a critical feminist and transactional analysis perspective?

What does tradwife mean?

He concept of the tradwife It’s not new. For much of the 20th century, this was the predominant model in many Western societies. However, with the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, women began to fight for more rights and opportunities outside the home, making significant progress in gender equality. As Simone de Beauvoir points out in The second sex“women’s problem has always been a man’s problem“, referring to how traditional roles have been imposed from a patriarchal perspective. Despite these advances, the resurgence of the model tradwife suggests a response to the complexity of modern life and the pressure on women to “have it all“: a successful career, a perfect family and an active social life.

The Driver of Pleasing in Transactional Analysis

To better understand why some women might be attracted to the role of tradwifeit is useful to introduce the concept of boosters from the perspective of transactional analysis. Drivers are internal messages that guide our behavior, and one of the most relevant in this context is that of please.

What is the driver to please?

The driver to please is an internal need to satisfy and please othersconstantly seeking external approval. This driver can develop from childhood, when children receive more attention and affection by meeting the expectations of their parents and other authority figures. For many women, this driver has been imposed socially and culturally for centuries. As feminist Betty Friedan points out in The mystique of femininitywomen have been conditioned to find their value in external approval, especially in the context of the home and family.

Women are expected to be kind, submissive, and focused on the needs of others, reinforcing the idea that their value lies in their ability to care for and support others.

Tradwife: Feminist critical perspective

From a feminist perspective, the concept of tradwife presents several significant concerns:

1. Reinforcement of restrictive gender roles: The tradwife model perpetuates restrictive gender roles that limit both women and men. The idea that women should stay at home while men work outside reinforces stereotypes that have been challenged and overcome, in part, thanks to decades of feminist struggle. bell hooks, in Feminism is for everyoneemphasizes that “Gender oppression affects everyone, but has been particularly destructive for women, who have been socialized to accept a subordinate place“.
2. Economic dependence and vulnerability: The tradwives They are often financially dependent on their husbands, which can put them in a vulnerable position. This dependency can make it difficult to get out of situations of abuse or unhappiness and perpetuate unequal power relationships. Kate Millett, in sexual politicsemphasizes that economic dependence is one of the pillars that sustain gender oppression in traditional family structures.
3. Idealization of a problematic past: The tradwife she often idealizes a version of the past that was not so idyllic for many women. During the period when traditional roles were the norm, many women lacked basic rights and opportunities for personal and professional development. Simone de Beauvoir highlighted how the ideal of women as “the other” it perpetuates female subordination and restricts their potential.
4. Challenges to gender equality: Promote the model tradwife as an ideal can undermine the progress made in gender equality. Gender equality not only benefits women, but also men and society as a whole, fostering more equitable and healthy relationships. Angela Davis, in Women, race and classargues that “the fight for gender equality must go beyond traditional family structures to include the complete emancipation of all women”.

Impact of the pleaser driver on the tradwife model

The driver of please and the model tradwife They are deeply interconnected:

1. Reinforcement of traditional gender roles: The model tradwife may seem like a natural extension of the drive pleaseas it focuses on meeting the needs of the husband and children. Women may feel validated in these roles because of the social approval they receive.
2. Limitation of opportunities: By following this driver, women may sacrifice their own ambitions and opportunities for personal and professional development. This perpetuates gender inequality and limits women’s potential.
3. Challenges for autonomy: The economic and emotional dependence that can result from this model makes it difficult for women to develop an independent and autonomous identity. This can negatively affect your self-esteem and emotional well-being.

Conclusion

In summary, the concept of tradwife and the driver of please They perpetuate restrictive and unequal gender roles. Although some women may find personal satisfaction in the role of tradwife, it is crucial to critically analyze this concept and its impact on the fight for gender equality. Individual choices are valid, but we must be attentive to the broader implications of these choices and work to create a world where everyone has the freedom and opportunities to choose their own path without gender restrictions.