TikTok’s tradwives: anti-feminist propaganda or post-feminist expression?
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter.
A tradwife, or traditional wife, is a woman who prefers to take a traditional, or ultra-traditional, role in the marriage In other words, they believe that a woman’s place is in the home and completely submissive to their husbands. Likewise, in this scenario the man provides for the family and the woman becomes the homemaker, who’s main objective is to please her husband.
@esteecwilliams What it means to be a Tradwife. #fyp #tradwife #homemaking #housewife #traditional #tradwifecontroversy #womenschoice ♬ Music Instrument – Gerhard Siagian
As a consequence of this relationship, there is an imbalance in the correlation dynamics, which tends to create a dysfunctional environment. This “trend” is heavily inspired by the 50’s post war aesthetic and tends to romanticize the female reality at the time.
The tradwife movement was first heard of in the “Red Pill Woman Forum” in 2013. After that, the movement has had a boom since 2020, with the popularization of TikTok, and a whole new marketing strategy based on cute videos of women in floral dresses baking from scratch for their families.
Although it looks like a cozy and peaceful way of leading your life, this trend leads to the dissemination of extreme rightwing ideas and anti-feminism.
The male dominance in this relation can become a problem in multiple aspects. To start, becoming a full-time homemaker perpetuates the primary mechanism for entrenching gender roles in housework responsibilities, and creates a career gap that is difficult to overcome if there is a desire to go back to the job market.
@_victoria_lit No. 1 trad wife rule #foryoupage #explore ♬ original sound – Victoria Lit
Furthermore, it’s possible to end up in a homesteading existence, based on social isolation, where your whole identity becomes your family, and losing your singularity.
In the sociologist and writer Bell Hooks’ book, All about love: New perspectives, she explains that “To love well is the task in all meaningful relationships, not just romantic bounds”. That can be interpreted as an indication of a disbalance in the relations that permeate one’s life.
In summary, the existence of only one provider creates an imbalance in the power dynamic, leading to female submission and the abnegation of their own lives.
In addition, social media platforms, like TikTok, have been used as a regular source of news, which has a major role in the polarization of content. Because of the use of algorithms, there is a massive segregation of content, depending on what you interact with. This way, it gets harder for a content that diverges from what you believe to reach you. For example, if you don’t appreciate rock music it will be difficult for it to be suggested to you, and the same works with political subjects.
TikTok’s algorithms make it arduous for you to understand all points of view, and that lack of understanding the whole creates extremist people. Being a traditional wife is an extreme response to the anti-feminist movement, which is promoted by the polarization of content.
@jasminedinis2 I’ve just posted a blog completely on the topic of embracing our traditional gender roles in the home: A guide to becoming a trad wife Want to know more? Link in my bio to take a peek at The Traditional Home blog #stayathomemom #foryoupage #tradwife #traditionalwife #feminineenergy ♬ original sound – Jasmine Dinis
To conclude, the TikTok’s tradwives can be considered an anti-feminist expression because they argue that women should be submissive to men and serve them. Therefore, it proposes a male dominant relationship, not a partnership. It would be considered as a post feminist expression if their discourses where based on gender equality and liberty do choose to be a homemaker.
The article above was edited by Isadora Mangueira.
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<p>The post TikTok’s tradwives: anti-feminist propaganda or post-feminist expression? first appeared on Her Campus.</p>
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