This reminds me of the many stories I have heard of family gatherings; the women all prep food and cook while the men drink beers and watch sports or talk about their work. Men who tried to help their wives in the kitchen got weird looks, and women who didn’t feel comfortable playing the role of tradwife got scolded and shunned.

The misogyny is ingrained in those families, so much so that the women do not recognize it and instead take pride in their ‘role.’ It brings them comfort to exist in a space where their contribution is both defined and ‘valued,’ despite the ‘role’ existing as a result of misogyny. Attempts to change these expectations are seen as undermining the importance of their ‘roles’ and thus treated like affronts to their contributions.

And so the cycle continues…