Traditions and Marriage

I think that men feel that by tradition, they are the ones who should propose, offer the ring, and lend their last name. If this tradition holds strong in society, it can lead men to feel that anything less is an attack on their manhood. This lack of worth might lead to depression or low self-esteem. Therefore, we often feel that to prevent those, we must allow the man to think he wears the pants in the relationship. I think the article raises valid points specifically about proposal. I find that when women propose, the relationship is looked at in a judged light. Whether it be positive (feministic belief that women should feel free to propose) or negative (harm the reputation of the man), there is a shadow of question cast upon the situation. We recently shared love stories in my Human Sexuality class. In comparison to the concept of women proposing, it didn't happen. Most of the relationships were tradition (with their little quicks) in the sense that the man proposed. The nature of the relationship can still be one of equality, but in the very act of proposing, it almost always fell to the man.