The Question
I am not sure if any of you have heard recent and or relevant conversations, videos or posts surrounding the question, "Do women lack more accountability than men?" And to address the gender binary in the forefront, in order to best understand the history and patterns of behaviour I am speaking in terms of male and female to support the cultural norms established that many are currently operating within. I am not calling those right, but merely using these terms to explain why this perception has come to pass.
That aside, from what I have observed/heard via social media (although the scientist in me chooses not to accept any of this as fact or educated opinion) there appears to be a pattern supporting the claim that women do lack more accountability than men. So while this may have some merit, the self-aware psychology scholar in me begs us to consider that while patterns exist to suggest that women may lack more accountability than men, using generalizations as assumptions for every women is not recommended.
Cultural Considerations when Assessing Accountability
Culturally, we tend to rely on generalizations as explanations of behavior without giving proper consideration to one's individualized journeys, which understanding of one's unique experiences serves as the best explanation for the "why" (motivator) and "how" one may receive, interpret (perceive) and process information, as well as the way one responds to others and assumes their role in a relationship.
With consideration to the existing culture surrounding gender stereotypes, men are expected to have greater levels of accountability in their pursuit of a significant other, maintenance of their financial obligation/home security for their family as well as ensuring that they are less vulnerable in their encounters to portray ultimate masculinity. This affords them the ability to frequently practice operating within accountability of these circumstances because the expectation is that these are behaviors that they own. While women are culturally expected to assume vulnerability, rendering (nurturing), homemaking and other acts of service that disable women with the ability to take care of themselves. Again, this affords them the ability to frequently practice operating within accountability of these circumstances because the expectation is that these are behaviors that they own.
These expectations cultivate a climate that supports expecting men and women to be self-less and lack self-awareness for the benefit of others. Because women and men are distanced from themselves, they will naturally lack awareness and some level of accountability, not because they don't want to, but more often because they haven't seen accountability exercised in any other way outside of actions.
However, where this same ideology is challenged are in circumstances of cheating, general lack of self-awareness, and insufficient self-fulfilment. Because in these instances, when one is not required to contribute to a relationship in areas not culturally assigned (as noted above), they assume no accountability for the actions expected by one another. To make that plain, women won't acknowledge fault for lack of financial responsibility and men won't acknowledge fault for lack of contributions in the home. Blame is typically automatically placed on the party responsible for the gender role, in the absence of any consideration to how the other's behavior and perceptions triggered unhealthy patterns.
Is there really a lack of accountability?
I found it odd that the term "accountability" is used for this argument. The definition of accountability encompasses obedience, responsibility and willingness to accept fault. That considered, in many ways, women and men both lack accountability in relationships but more so the area of accountability is where the concern rests. As it could be true that women may be more unwilling than men to accept fault, where fault is perceived as "inadequacy".
No one wants to acknowledge that they are less than or cannot meet someone's expectation, especially when value and worth are not assigned to things outside of culturally assigned duties!
That considered, assessing a women's inability to apologize and accept fault for wrong doing or negative behavior should be the focus of the conversation, not accountability in general. But even with this understood, I recognize that people have a very hard time being something they have never seen! And that topic would be a completely different post.
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