Stereotypical Roles

[Ma'am]

I personally have found with prepping that it seems to be the trend that men and women seem to follow more traditional gender roles...while there are always exceptions...what do you guys think? is this a good thing?

Personally even though I feel I am still in the beginner stages of prepping that my main focus has been food/water. I have been working on my gardening skills, and food preservation methods, working with our farm animals, meanwhile my husband is the gear person -he has a TON of camping supplies, several guns, just gear in general.

In a large SHTF scenario, do you think men/women will take on the more stereotypical gender roles?
If you believe so, why?

 

[sharkbait]

Not in my house.We are not in stereotypical roles now.

My wife works,i'm disabled,we have 2 boys,one is 13 and one is almost 4 and autistic.So that means that just because i'm disabled now,i'm not on a permanent gravy vacation.It's quite the opposite actually.

I am a full time Mr Mom which keeps me pretty occupied,especially with our 4yr old.(yes I do dishes too,lol.)

But now to be fair-my wife has done her share of dishes and laundry over the years (and still does if i'm having a rough day and on her days off),my 13yr old mows and has his chores also as we garden and small scale farm too.My wife,older son and I all hunt and fish and can clean a kill or a catch.

In our house,when a big time shtf happens,the 3 of us will take whatever role that needs to be done as we will be busy enough and everyone will get their turn at do "whatever" it is that needs to be done be it guard duty,cookin dinner or hand scrubbin underware ,

 

[jimLE]

not here..even thoe my mom is disabled.she still does a lil bit of cooking,(but not often)..she still does her own laundry most times.she'll does a lil bit of this n that...but it's me that does most things here.indoors and outdoors alike.that includes house cleaning,cooking.laundry sweeping moping ect ect.

 

[Clyde]

I personally have found with prepping that it seems to be the trend that men and women seem to follow more traditional gender roles...while there are always exceptions...what do you guys think? is this a good thing?

Personally even though I feel I am still in the beginner stages of prepping that my main focus has been food/water. I have been working on my gardening skills, and food preservation methods, working with our farm animals, meanwhile my husband is the gear person -he has a TON of camping supplies, several guns, just gear in general.

In a large SHTF scenario, do you think men/women will take on the more stereotypical gender roles?
If you believe so, why?

I don't follow stereotypical roles. I feel who ever is more suited for the task at hand should do the job. or if someone just prefers doing said job. I don't prescribe to the old theory that men hunt while women gather.

 

[LissyPrepper]

not here either. everyone in my prep group cross trains in everything. everyone can hunt\shoot, can food and chop wood. It would be a mistake not to cross train. Personally speaking, I would not want to rely on 1 person to defend me. What happens if that person is no longer there? Likewise, if I am the only one that knows how to preserve food storage long term and something happens to me, what will happen to them? all eggs in 1 basket = recipe for failure. Just my opinion...

 

[realisticdude]

Hard times will make a monkey eat red pepper............................ the FAMILY prepares for hard times , each has their role ,regardless of what it may be.

 

[jimLE]

not here either. everyone in my prep group cross trains in everything. everyone can hunt\shoot, can food and chop wood. It would be a mistake not to cross train. Personally speaking, I would not want to rely on 1 person to defend me. What happens if that person is no longer there? Likewise, if I am the only one that knows how to preserve food storage long term and something happens to me, what will happen to them? all eggs in 1 basket = recipe for failure. Just my opinion...

exactly..at least 2 or 3 needs to be able to do the same task at hand.be it cooking.canning hunting gardening.ect ect

 

[Evolon73]

I have insisted that the wife and I both learn all the roles. I've been teaching her the manly roles and I have been tapping her experience for the home-maker roles. I've been setting up powerless laundry. Learning to cook better. She's gonna start teaching me Crocheting tomorrow. Etc...

As Robert Burns once wrote:

But little Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,

If one of us is badly ill or wounded the other may have to do it all. And knowing is half the battle, Yo Joe! :rocket::m4::tank::ar15:

 

[Kevin L]

I don't really believe in traditional gender roles...although I do believe in natural abilities and innate talents.

Everyone needs to work, everyone needs to learn, everyone needs to be flexible, and everyone has to work together for the common good.

A man should change diapers and be able to cook, a woman should be able to shoot and tune an engine.

Rigidity about anything (including gender roles) is dangerous.

 

[JudithNZ]

I am a woman on my own. Always have been and probably always will be (by choice). I am physically small and I take a certain amount of pride in being able to do a lot of things on my own, using only manual tools, without any help from anyone. Of course, if I am in a group/team situation I can adapt to working as a team and either using some leadership skills or just as happy to being a follower and even taking orders at times.

If I were in a partnership situation with a man, I feel that it is ideal for both partners to be able to do most things. If one person gets injured or incapacitated in any way, the other one really needs to be able to cope, even if just temporarily.

I am new to this forum. I live in New Zealand. The mentions of guns when I joined was a bit offputting for me personally. I was wondering whether I would have enough in common with the people on this forum. I have started here in the "ladies' section". Pleased I found something to post a reply about.

Although a lot of people in NZ do own guns and a lot are involved in hunting, we don't have the same type of gun culture as the US. This comment should probably go in another section of this forum, but I also feel that, if you do things such as put up "No Trespassing" signs or make it clear that you have a weapon and will use it if necessary, I would be concerned that that is a very clear message that you have valuable stuff which you don't want other people to take and may actually attract undesirables rather than scare them off. I prefer to believe that, if I keep a low profile, no-one would actually guess, for instance, that I have food supplies. So therefore they are not likely to come looking to take them.

My main prepping interest is in being able to provide most (possibly all) of my own food in any scenario where there might be insufficient food available and where it is not just a question of not having enough money to buy food, but of there not being enough food for everyone to buy.

Judith from New Zealand

 

[Kevin L]

I am a woman on my own. Always have been and probably always will be (by choice). I am physically small and I take a certain amount of pride in being able to do a lot of things on my own, using only manual tools, without any help from anyone. Of course, if I am in a group/team situation I can adapt to working as a team and either using some leadership skills or just as happy to being a follower and even taking orders at times.

If I were in a partnership situation with a man, I feel that it is ideal for both partners to be able to do most things. If one person gets injured or incapacitated in any way, the other one really needs to be able to cope, even if just temporarily.

I am new to this forum. I live in New Zealand. The mentions of guns when I joined was a bit offputting for me personally. I was wondering whether I would have enough in common with the people on this forum. I have started here in the "ladies' section". Pleased I found something to post a reply about.

Although a lot of people in NZ do own guns and a lot are involved in hunting, we don't have the same type of gun culture as the US. This comment should probably go in another section of this forum, but I also feel that, if you do things such as put up "No Trespassing" signs or make it clear that you have a weapon and will use it if necessary, I would be concerned that that is a very clear message that you have valuable stuff which you don't want other people to take and may actually attract undesirables rather than scare them off. I prefer to believe that, if I keep a low profile, no-one would actually guess, for instance, that I have food supplies. So therefore they are not likely to come looking to take them.

My main prepping interest is in being able to provide most (possibly all) of my own food in any scenario where there might be insufficient food available and where it is not just a question of not having enough money to buy food, but of there not being enough food for everyone to buy.

Judith from New Zealand

I admire your principles.

I am an avid gun owner and shoot frequently, but guns for survival are, perhaps, overstated. There are other prepping priorities besides guns, and your concerns about food are justified.

I would reccomend stockpiling food in small amounts as time and finances permit. People will disagree with me, but I tend to rely heavily on canned food and bulk grains and beans stored in mylar bags with oxygen eaters.

Also, store heirloom seeds for crops that grow in your area, and learn basic gardening skills. Also, study marijuana gardening techniques...so that you can plant food crops in subtle, hard-to-find areas.

I tend to believe that New Zealand will probably be one of the better places to live after the SHTF.

People from your part of the world have a reputation for being educated, civilized, idealistic, and tolerant...and these values will, hopefully, keep your country from sinking into barbarism if it all falls apart.

I suspect that people in my country will turn into animals very quickly, as many (but not all) Americans seem to have a sense of entitlement, and don't have a work ethic.

We also seem to value the quick buck over education and hard work.

If it ever falls apart, you'll be in a better situation by virtue of where you live.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I am a woman on my own. Always have been and probably always will be (by choice). I am physically small and I take a certain amount of pride in being able to do a lot of things on my own, using only manual tools, without any help from anyone. Of course, if I am in a group/team situation I can adapt to working as a team and either using some leadership skills or just as happy to being a follower and even taking orders at times.

If I were in a partnership situation with a man, I feel that it is ideal for both partners to be able to do most things. If one person gets injured or incapacitated in any way, the other one really needs to be able to cope, even if just temporarily.

I am new to this forum. I live in New Zealand. The mentions of guns when I joined was a bit offputting for me personally. I was wondering whether I would have enough in common with the people on this forum. I have started here in the "ladies' section". Pleased I found something to post a reply about.

Although a lot of people in NZ do own guns and a lot are involved in hunting, we don't have the same type of gun culture as the US. This comment should probably go in another section of this forum, but I also feel that, if you do things such as put up "No Trespassing" signs or make it clear that you have a weapon and will use it if necessary, I would be concerned that that is a very clear message that you have valuable stuff which you don't want other people to take and may actually attract undesirables rather than scare them off. I prefer to believe that, if I keep a low profile, no-one would actually guess, for instance, that I have food supplies. So therefore they are not likely to come looking to take them.

My main prepping interest is in being able to provide most (possibly all) of my own food in any scenario where there might be insufficient food available and where it is not just a question of not having enough money to buy food, but of there not being enough food for everyone to buy.

Judith from New Zealand

Welcome to the forum Judith.
I've heard the term "gun culture" many times, but I still have no idea what it means. That term is mostly used by anti gun people.
Back in the late '90's and early 2000's I spent several months a year in NZ, mostly on the south island around ChCh, Queenstown, Able Tasman, Kikorua, Greymouth etc. Plus the Cook Islands.
Beautiful country.

 

[lonewolf]

i think each person will do what they are best at, gender notwithstanding, a case of best person for the job.

 

[Proud Prepper]

I am a woman on my own. Always have been and probably always will be (by choice). I am physically small and I take a certain amount of pride in being able to do a lot of things on my own, using only manual tools, without any help from anyone. Of course, if I am in a group/team situation I can adapt to working as a team and either using some leadership skills or just as happy to being a follower and even taking orders at times.

If I were in a partnership situation with a man, I feel that it is ideal for both partners to be able to do most things. If one person gets injured or incapacitated in any way, the other one really needs to be able to cope, even if just temporarily.

I am new to this forum. I live in New Zealand. The mentions of guns when I joined was a bit offputting for me personally. I was wondering whether I would have enough in common with the people on this forum. I have started here in the "ladies' section". Pleased I found something to post a reply about.

Although a lot of people in NZ do own guns and a lot are involved in hunting, we don't have the same type of gun culture as the US. This comment should probably go in another section of this forum, but I also feel that, if you do things such as put up "No Trespassing" signs or make it clear that you have a weapon and will use it if necessary, I would be concerned that that is a very clear message that you have valuable stuff which you don't want other people to take and may actually attract undesirables rather than scare them off. I prefer to believe that, if I keep a low profile, no-one would actually guess, for instance, that I have food supplies. So therefore they are not likely to come looking to take them.

My main prepping interest is in being able to provide most (possibly all) of my own food in any scenario where there might be insufficient food available and where it is not just a question of not having enough money to buy food, but of there not being enough food for everyone to buy.

Judith from New Zealand

Welcome to DDPF, I respect your philosophy about a low profile. However, not advertising you are armed and not being armed are completly different. Having a good weapon, like a gun gives one an equal oppurtunity to defend againts hostile individuals as a last resort if neccessary. In a time of great disaster and termoil, some people will change for the worst. Your same low profile works perfectly for your hidden gun that you have. Discreetly obtane a legal gun, discreetly train with it and discreetly maintain it, all the while publicly stating how much you dont like guns. Hope you never have to use it on a person.

I loved it there, I visited Christchurch in the 80s.
Wishing you the best.

 

[Skullcrusher]

Stereotypicality has ran it's course many years ago. Women have proven themselves in so many Male trending roles. My wife and i serve in the U.S.A.F and have for the last 18 years with a spec ops unit. She is just as tough, capable, and willing to take on any role she needs to. Sharing in the responsibilities, and work makes the prepping, and life go smoother, and in a more cohesive unit to come to a proper solution/outcome. We are both Blackhawk certified, hand to hand combat, survival, weapons experts, and so forth. Having two in a household who have opposing, or equal skills helps to be one in thinking, and doing.

 

[Mountain trapper]

My wife is very feminine and likes the "stereotypical" role of a woman, and so do I. She expects me to play the "stereotypical" role of the Man and do all the hard work and to be her protector. We're not at war so there's no reason for her to play commando. She is however a good shot with a rifle, pistol and shotgun and cleans up well.

 

[Kevin L]

When talking about male and female roles, have you guys considered the female snipers that worked for the USSR in WWII?

Ludmilya Pavelichenko comes to mind.

She had 309 confirmed kills...although her real number was certainly higher, as a confirmed kill requires two witnesseses. Her actual number was almost definitely closer to 500.

The Nazis sent 36 of their best snipers to take her out, and she killed all 36 of them.

The Nazis were reduced to using bullhorns on the battlefield and yelling at her to defect with promises of a luxurious life with money, a house, clothes, and so on.

A lot of Nazi officers got killed trying to bribe her.

She survived the war, and became very close friends with Eleanore Roosevelt.

There is a (perhaps apocryphal) story that a Nazi soldier gave her the finger after she killed an officer...so she shot his hand.

If it's true, then he deserved it just for being so stupid.

 

[Maverick]

My Wife loves everything feminine, she can pack wearing a dress, skirt or pants, just don't tell her that's a mans job or women do the dishes, do the house cleaning etc... we all do the laundry dishes house cleaning, nothing sexes about it. Bottom line, no stereotypical **** here, appearances are deceiving.

she's packing here, she's carrying a 40cal 2mag and a 380. she runs the tractor, tandem drive grader, post hole digger, dozer, sews and does the dishes.

 

[Kevin L]

She's very beautiful.

You're a lucky man.

 

[Dani]

Yep, one of the worst things my husband can ever say is you can't do that because. . . Trust me, I'll find a way . We do follow the basic gender roles around here for the most part, but that doesn't mean we don't cross over those role to help one another when need be. By doing that we are gaining knowledge of each other's roles cause you never know when the other won't be around.

 

[lonewolf]

it makes sense for someone who is proficient and experienced in doing something to take over that role post SHTF, gender dosent come into it.

 

[Maverick]

Women can pull there weight around here just as good as I can, I just bring attitude to the table... it's form of encouragement.. will, I think it is. I've become very very good at dropping the tude, wife says drop the tude and I do.

 

[Gazrok]

In a large SHTF scenario, do you think men/women will take on the more stereotypical gender roles?
If you believe so, why?

I don't think so. I think it will depend more on the strengths, weaknesses, and skills of individual members of your group. For example, if my old ranch hand gal was still here when SHTF, she would have definitely been one of our scouts or sentries (she was a damn good shot).

Whereas my son wouldn't do too well there. He has some issues focusing on tasks, so he'd be better doing something menial like gardening, for example.

I'm kind of a jack of all trades, master of none type of guy myself, as is my wife, so either of us will likely fill in whatever gaps are needed. I mean, I can fix things, but I can also be a chef in the kitchen. I can work the horses, but I can also manage the garden.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

In some ways, yes. In some ways, no.

I think western society today is a place where men and women are going to cross traditional gender roles. I don't hesitate to grab the vacuum. My Dad would have thrown the vacuum out the window before he used it to suck up floor dirt. Times have changed.

I also think there are things that men are just better suited for, and that's never going to change.

 

[Dani]

Times have also changed alot. . . Most women have to go to work to help with the bills. We didn't all have the opportunity to stay at home to raise kids and take care of the household. When I worked full time hunny did so much more of what is considered girls work. Since most days I didn't get home till close to 7 he would cook dinner and he would even help with laundry. Now most of his days off are in the recliner watching tv. As long as I'm not in the dining room trying to figure out measurements or getting frustrated cause my sewing machine wants to act up, he can blare the tv. In my old life I was the one repairing the washing machine when it broke and digging with a shovel f or a septic tank to go in the ground.

A strong spirited person will cross over to get the job done no matter what it takes. I think that will go the same after a crisis situation.

 

[brandx]

I would rather clear brush than wash dishes but whatever needs done I do. It is all just work in my opinion but the best thing would be to put everyone to task at what they are best at and enjoy the most. It goes easier that way.

 

[MNwr786]

I personally have found with prepping that it seems to be the trend that men and women seem to follow more traditional gender roles...while there are always exceptions...what do you guys think? is this a good thing?

Personally even though I feel I am still in the beginner stages of prepping that my main focus has been food/water. I have been working on my gardening skills, and food preservation methods, working with our farm animals, meanwhile my husband is the gear person -he has a TON of camping supplies, several guns, just gear in general.

In a large SHTF scenario, do you think men/women will take on the more stereotypical gender roles?
If you believe so, why?

In many real world cases, it may appear to shift toward a gender thing... but not for sexism, but logic.

What is a survival situation anyhow? Its nothing more than a small scale re-colonization of a particular place. When it comes to, say, a large family or small community, there will be the need for many talents. To be effective, each will, at first, do what he or she is best at. For example, if myself, bill, and julie try to survive amongst ourselfs, my time may be best spent chopping firewood. Bill may be a good doctor, and julie could be a lifelong stay at home mother whose skills may be best served in the house/garden or taking care of the children. Its not about male/female, its all about who is best prepared for what task whether they like it or not. Any survival situation starting out will appear to be a sexist, socialist endeavour. This is unavoidable. Its efficient, and efficiency is progress. This idea may not sit well with certian types, but if everyone does what they want rather than what they are good at, your spinning tires.

 

[Maverick]

I would rather clear brush than wash dishes but whatever needs done I do. It is all just work in my opinion but the best thing would be to put everyone to task at what they are best at and enjoy the most. It goes easier that way.

I cleared brush many time and to be honest, washing dishes was a good break. I won’t admit this to my Wife but I rather wash dishes than clear the brush and leave the clearing to my kids

 

[brandx]

I cleared brush many time and to be honest, washing dishes was a good break. I won’t admit this to my Wife but I rather wash dishes than clear the brush and leave the clearing to my kids

Sounds like a plan.

 

[brandx]

Stereotypicality has ran it's course many years ago. Women have proven themselves in so many Male trending roles. My wife and i serve in the U.S.A.F and have for the last 18 years with a spec ops unit. She is just as tough, capable, and willing to take on any role she needs to. Sharing in the responsibilities, and work makes the prepping, and life go smoother, and in a more cohesive unit to come to a proper solution/outcome. We are both Blackhawk certified, hand to hand combat, survival, weapons experts, and so forth. Having two in a household who have opposing, or equal skills helps to be one in thinking, and doing.

A recent Naked and Afraid show, the men take off to hunt wild boar without consulting with the women, the women stay home and eat fish , the men gone for 2-3 days,go hungry, get cold because their fire went out, and come back empty handed. Interesting and somewhat amusing.