Good morning anyone, I would like to extend the role of a man and a

woman in a marriage and their distinction in roles.

As we know, marriage is an institution that influences gender roles,

inequality, and change. Basically, gender roles are communicated by the
media, social interaction, and language. Through these platforms society has
influenced individuals to fulfill the stereotypical gender roles within a
heterosexual marriage starting out at a young age. Although traditionally,
society claims that roles within a heterosexual marriage should be decided
based on ones biological sex, today individuals are determining their own
roles for themselves, ultimately creating equal partnerships.

In Malaysia, marriage roles are generally decided based on gender. For

approximately the past 50 decades, heterosexual marriage roles have been
defined for men and women based off of societys expectations. Men and
women are typically associated with certain social roles dependent upon the
personality traits associated with those roles. Traditionally, the role of the
homemaker is associated with a woman and the role of a breadwinner is
associated with a male. Typically, women are concerned with caring for the
family and the home while men are typically providing for the family. This
ultimately portrays the man as a leader and the woman as the follower.

In Malaysia, single men are outnumbered by single women at a ratio of

100 single women to 86 single men, though never-married men over the age
of 15 outnumber women by a 5:4 ratio (33.9% to 27.3%) according to the
2006 survey conducted by the Ministry of Woman, Family and Community
Development. The results are varied between age groups, with 118 single
men per 100 single women in their 20s, versus 33 single men to 100 single
women over 65.

In a cross-cultural study by David Buss, men and women were asked to

rank the importance of certain traits in a long term partner. Both men and
women ranked "kindness" and "intelligence" as the two most important
factors. Men valued beauty and youth more highly than women, while
women valued financial and social status more highly than men.

Over the years, gender roles have continued to change and have a
significant impact on the institution of marriage. Gender roles can be defined
as the behaviors, values, and attitudes that a society considers appropriate
for both male and female. Motivated by the Women's Rights Movement and
various other movement gender roles have begun to change, resulting in the
changing economic landscape, women entering the workplace and many
more. Traditionally, men and women had completely opposing roles, men
were seen as the provider for the family and women were seen as the
caretakers of both the home and the family. However, in todays society the
division of roles are starting to blur. More and more individuals are adapting
non-traditional gender roles into their marriage in order to share
responsibilities. This revolutionary view on gender roles seeks out equality
between sexes. In todays society it is more likely that a man and woman are
both providers for their family. More and more women are entering the
workforce while more men are contributing to household duties. Despite the
fact that there is still a gap between gender roles, today, roles are less
gendered and more equal in comparison to how they were traditionally.

Societies can change such that the gender roles rapidly. The 21st
century has seen a shift in gender roles due to multiple factors such as new
family structures, education, media, and several others. A 2003 survey by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that about 1/12 of wives earn more
than their husbands.

With the importance of education emphasized nationwide, and the

access of college degrees (online, for example), women have begun
furthering their education. Family structures are changing, and the number
of single-mother or single-father households is increasing. Fathers are also
becoming more involved with raising their children, instead of the
responsibility resting solely with the mother.

Hence, in this context, I would like to conclude that roles of man and
woman are changing from time to time in this modern society of marriage.