I feel that the role of the female in marriage has been ever evolving since the 1970's, and has only become more prevalent in these times of economic downfall. Lately it's become more and more common that the stereotypical norm of the "House wife" has changed from the happy-go-lucky cleaner and child-barer to a woman to wants more in life, which often involves higher education and a better more profitable career. Though there has been one glitch in the system for many were the switch from "Homemaker" to "career girl" never actually make a clear get away. Often the working mother will find that she still is expected by society to clean the house, make dinner, wash the kids, and get them to bed, and still please her husband when he decides to pay attention to her. This shift to a more neutral partnership where both side of the party [the husband and the wife] share responsibilities has become a more preferred trend because of the it create a sense of balance between the two peoples.
In contrast to this more shared view point, especially as it applies to the economic downfall, you sometimes see the "roles" in complete reverse. Where the woman who is able to keep a job becomes the breadwinner, while the unemployed male becomes the step in "sports-mom/housewife" who takes on the daily tasks of the "traditionally" female role. I feel that incases this flipped sense of roles helps the relationship between the male and female in a way, because they experience these roles from very different points of view. Especially for males I believe there would be a revelation in the importance that the female role plays within a family and society as a whole, and there for a sense of new found respect for the female in the role of working mother and Wife spreads.
