Tag: Role of Man

Provider, Protector and Professor. The Role of Man Part 3: The Provider

This is the third part of a new series on the role of men in a family unit, regardless of what forms that family takes.  These are based on the historical role of men from early tribal, hunter-gatherer societies and are still pertinent in this advanced day and age.  Read Part 1, Read Part 2.

First, let me apologize for taking so long on this one.  The truth is, I needed some time to wrap my head around the role of man as the provider in this day and age.

Photo by Carol Mitchell
Photo by Carol Mitchell

Once upon a time, man served as provider because he was the hunter.  He ranged far and wide and brought back the all-important meat.  While the woman would gather greens and seeds, meat was the most vital part of the diet because it was so difficult to come by at the time.

When mankind shifted an agricultural society, man took to the fields.  He either herded animals or raised crops.  Women, due to biology, were relegated to keeping house as they nursed young.  After all, it’s incredibly difficult to fight off wolves or harvest wheat with a baby stuck to your breast. Continue reading “Provider, Protector and Professor. The Role of Man Part 3: The Provider”

Provider, Protector, and Professor. The Role of Men Part 1: The Protector

This is the start of a new series on the role of men in a family unit, regardless of what forms that family takes.  These are based on the historical role of men from early tribal, hunter-gatherer societies and are still pertinent in this advanced day and age.

Throughout history, men have filled certain roles in society.  They’ve filled those roles because, for whatever reason, they’re ideally adapted for them.  Whether they evolved to fill them, or whether they filled them because of their evolution, we’ll never know.

Photo by Jaroslaw Popczyk
Photo by Jaroslaw Popczyk

One of the key roles of men is that of the protector.

Men since the dawn of time have taken on the mantel of protector, and they have been adored because of it.  The hunters, the warriors, all the way to the members of our armed forces and law enforcement and fire departments today.  Men generally have an innate sense of obligation to protect people.

Feminists will argue that women can do these jobs just as well as the men.  They point to a number of women doing these very jobs as proof that men are no longer needed to serve as protectors.

There’s a problem with this, however. Continue reading “Provider, Protector, and Professor. The Role of Men Part 1: The Protector”