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Western Ideas
From the beginnings of Western thought, a double standard has existed in regard to women and men. The idea of women's humanity as equivalent to men's, of men as equal sharers of domestic responsibilities, and of women and men as similarly good or bad has had little recognition in most people's writings or consciousness. As a result, distorted perceptions of women (and of men) over the years have created dislocations in female/male relationships.
A first step is to recognize and disentangle these distortions, which have over the centuries translated into alienation, conflict, and unhappiness. Folkstories about marriage are unique in revealing how old these distortions are and how more realistic perceptions can foster more wholesome relations.
In today's world, many women are striving for equal recognition and equal acceptance with men in terms of their capacity for morality, nurturance, intelligence, or accomplishment. When each gender stereotypically sees a different and unrealistic set of attributes in the other, compatibility, intimacy, and harmony become difficult, if not impossible. By seeing women and men through the same lens, however, cooperation and reciprocity are more achievable. Folkstory marriage scenes provide keys to these important perceptions.
Marital Discord
We are rightly concerned about marital discord today. Changes in lifestyles have made it easier for unhappy couples to choose separation. Current attitudes of independence and self-actualization and the commercial availability of necessary goods and services have encouraged people to act out their disappointments. In earlier times the same sorrow would generally be borne in silence and secrecy inside one's home and one's psyche. The anguish remained even while the marriages lasted.
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