The Myth of the Slacker Male?

A new study tailor-made for discussion on The View has been released, claiming to debunk the myth of the slacker stay-at-home man who doesn't help out around the house. Working women tend to see their partners as inept at chores and housekeeping as a way to feel more feminine, and to alleviate guilt about being the breadwinner, the study says. "Working women who provide the majority of the household's income to the family continue to articulate themselves as the ones who 'see' household messes and needs as a way to retain claims to an element of a traditional feminine identity," said Dr. Rebecca Mesienbach, author of the paper "The Female Breadwinner." "By directing the housework done by their husbands, they maintain a sense of control over the traditionally feminine sphere of the home.” The sure-to-be-controversial research lines up with a study conducted last year by The Guardian which found that 30 percent of people (and 32 percent of young people) agreed with a statement labeling women’s societal role as “to be good mothers and wives.”