Does tinkering with the motor have to be the hubby’s hobby?
In the hyper-politically correct world of 2019, attempting to navigate the minefield of what is considered acceptable behaviour and what isn’t can be a hazardous operation.
For baby boomers, who may recall the days when it was ‘normal’ for men to go out to work while women stayed home to carry out domestic duties, it is all too easy to inadvertently commit an horrific gender stereotype faux pas.
Even having escaped the closely monitored world of ‘normal life’ to hit the open road, grey nomads are not free from the risk of being labelled ‘dinosaurs’.
Lurking in the campsite bushes it seems there is a veritable army of academics seeking to find out who does the washing up, who chops the firewood, who packs up the van … and what it might all mean.
André Spicer, a professor of organisational behaviour at the University of London, says a strong gendered division of play persists at most campsites.
“Men are more likely to tend fires while women prepare vegetables and salads,” he said. “Recent studies have found that when women step outside traditional gender roles at camp, they can face subtle and not so subtle forms of sexism.”
It seems then that in the world of camping, the more things change the more things stay the same. In the past few decades, rigs may have got more luxurious, camping fees may have gone up, but gender stereotypes have persisted.
Back in the 1960s, a study found there was a strict ‘division of play’ between men’s camping activities such as fishing, rock-throwing, and fire ‘play’, and women’s camping activities such as relaxing, sunbathing, and food preparation.
Long-term traveller Maddy Claire said she thought the academics may be over-thinking it.
“I’m not going to be pressured into throwing rocks and poking a fire just because some study says I should,” she said. “If I wanted to, I would … but the truth is I’d much rather create a curry or read a book!”
Famous Marxist philosopher Gerald Cohen probably had the right idea then, when he said of camping trips. “There is no hierarchy among us; our common aim is that each of us should have a good time, doing, so far as possible, the things that he or she likes best.”
My husband is a very capable camper. But on principle, i made sure i could set up and pack up our van, hitch and unhitch from our car and safely tow. So glad I did! When my husband was hospitalised for several days in June on our ‘grand lap’, at least i could manage!
Together we pack up, hitch up and check each other. The driving is shared 50/50, we both empty the toilet, share the cooking, cleaning the car and van inside and out. We both love to fish, have our own separate quiet time activities. If we are going to have an argument we both use the same tone and language.
Well done Mel.
In my full time on the road I see many women and men equally doing chores. I am amazed at the number of solo women that could probably teach me a thing or two about travel and how to travel safely and they have done.
I think in most cases the dinosaur days are long gone.
What a load of absolute tripe, if we listen to these so called educated academics then we fall into the trap that these idiots want us to. The agenda of these left loonies is to have us all conform to their version of equality. My wife and I travel substantially throughout the year and our philosophy is simple, as she doesn’t work when we are home and prepares the meals cleans the house and does the washing, whilst I tend to the garden and look after the maintenance of the house. However whilst we are on the road it is my wife’s time to relax and that means that because, she doesn’t have a licence I do all the driving, I pack the van, I hook the van up and take it off the car, I cook all the meals and in the majority of cases I also do the washing up as well as making the bed and doing the laundry. In other words my enjoyment is ensuring that my wife has the most relaxing time she can whilst we are on holidays, because I know when we get home she will pamper me to the hilt, incidentally when I get home from work she will hear the car pull into the drive and get me a stubby, open it and put it in a stubby holder for me. The moral of this story is we have a very strong understanding of what each other appreciates for each other, so we will never bother taking one skerrick of notice from these buffoons that have never got of their backsides and experienced any real relationship. By the way this is all over 45 years + of blissful happy togetherness.
Good on you Shane. Loved ready your comment. It’s about time there was pushback to those highly educated idiots who have no life experience and wouldn’t last 5 minutes in the outback. While the world is slowly dictated to by the lazy, left leaning loafers I will continue travelling, seeing, learning and enjoying. Travel safe. Peta
You go for it Peta and enjoy life, life’s far to short to take too much notice of galahs that don’t understand the real world.
These academics need a reality check. What nonsense they dream up
Men women do / share tasks on who is best at the task and who needs help. My partner is a wonderful cook and she thoroughly enjoys it. I like eating but I do t like cooking, and i.m a bad cook so I wash up, best job in the kitchen, though my partner says I don’t have to wash.
I am very clean so I clean the house if my partner is too busy. She enjoys cleaning too.
I.m a heavy diesel mechanic so of course I tinker repair, service with the ute, car, diggers dozers tractors, mowers and everything else, my partner likes to help and look but would she would.t have a clue to repair equipment. So she leaves it to me, no problem there.
It might sound old fashioned but there are tasks and pastimes that are male or female orientated. Nothing wrong with that and you.d be surprised how many people agree on that. Male and female
Agree with the comments above. Left loonies academics are often funded by the tax payers. All publicity funded research needs to be cost justifiable insofar that it must provide a benefit to the community. Studies such as gender stereotyping is an absolute waste of money.
Here here Malcolm well said.