Week 3 Response to Jeffrey's post

I think many of us can relate to gender assignments in our families. Nothing like good old family traditions to bring out the outdated mentality of the past! I see the same type of roles in my very Italian family, especially on the holidays. Like yours it is 100% expected in my family for the women to cook elaborate meals while the men are on the couch. Once in a while we’ll get a side dish or some contribution from a man and it is touted as though he moved mountains. “Did you try Uncle Bill’s mashed potatoes? He slaved whipping them for so long!” Hmmmm, I bet his mashed potatoes couldn't’t compare to the days of preparation and cooking for the rest of Thanksgiving dinner by my aunt! I think it’s funny that you point out challenging these roles can lead to a spoon smack. Whether it is generational, cultural, or gender based these strict guidelines should be discussed and challenged! I think it will be interesting to see how your generation, those eating in the basement, will conduct their family get-togethers. Will the traditional roles be carried on?