Men’s and Women’s Roles in the Family and Society: Perceptions of Tanzanian Students

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Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of ideas about the distribution of men’s and women’s roles in the family and society among students in Tanzania based on our own field research conducted in Dodoma in 2024. In addition, respondents assessed various options for paternal care that they encountered in their families. A sample of 369 people showed that ideas about normative expectations regarding the behavior of men and women do not differ in both sexes. Students in Tanzania show very high scores on all issues of gender equality; a more traditional position is observed among those who grew up in single-parent families, and also depends on the level of economic wealth in the family. The attitude to the paternal contribution to the upbringing of children among students is also declared rather by Europe norms of ideas about the ideal father, who should not only provide for the family financially, but also participate actively directly in the upbringing of children and be aware of children’s hobbies and education. However, judging by the students’ responses, daily care of children is mostly carried out by women, and the growth of paternal care is associated with the level of education of fathers.

About the authors

Valentina N. Burkova

Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: burkovav@gmail.com
PhD (History), Senior Researcher, Center of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology Moscow, Russia

Marina L. Butovskaya

Russian State University for the Humanities

Email: marina.butovskaya@gmail.com
Corresponding Member, Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr.Sc. (History), Professor, Leading Researcher, Institute of Social Anthropology Moscow, Russia

Alexander Kavina

St. John’s University

Email: akavina@sjut.ac.tz
PhD (History), Senior Lecturer, Department of History Dodoma, Tanzania

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