The following article is the final installment of a four-week series focusing on raising awareness about domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center (HCWC) hopes to educate the community on this issue. HCWC has been serving youth, teens and adults who have experienced domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and child abuse since 1978. Last year, HCWC served 2,277 victims of abuse, primarily from Hays and Caldwell counties, of which 1,236 were victims of domestic violence.
SAN MARCOS — Within the past few years, “tradwife” and “alpha male” content has taken over social media platforms by storm, influencing people of all ages. Can this content become too extreme and impact relationships in a negative way, though?
The term “tradwife” is short for traditional wife. Traditional wives may participate in traditional homemaking roles, like cooking meals, cleaning the house, taking care of the children and even focusing on self-sufficient activities, such as growing a garden of fruits and vegetables.
As for “alpha males,” the term originated from the concept that wolf packs have a more dominant wolf. Social media portrays alpha males as being independent men who are aggressive about getting what they want. Oftentimes, this also overlaps with what they may perceive as traditional masculinity and leads them to want to marry a more “traditional wife.”
There is nothing wrong with following what society considers traditional gender roles, but much of the content surrounding these topics can become more extreme and abusive.
For tradwives, the issue may arise if they are expected to do only these roles and are unable to receive help from their partner or expand to less “traditional” activities for women, such as wanting an outside job.
Alpha males, on the other hand, may become too demanding of their wives, but they may also not be able to express their emotions or ask for help, as that may be seen as “traditionally” less masculine.
If community members suspect that someone may need help with an abusive relationship, they can call HCWC’s 24-hour HELPline at 512-396-4357 to talk to advocates and learn more about advocacy, counseling and group therapy options for survivors.
