• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, June 3, 2014

According to a new study by Insights in Marketing, while the majority of women are returning to the workplace, and more men are choosing to stay home with the family, many men are facing the same stigmas and struggles that women have faced for years.

"Our latest study has revealed some important findings that show just how wrong our gender stereotypes are," said Tinesha Craig, division director for Insights in Marketing. "… society truly accepts, and even expects women to be a part of the workforce. Men are… struggling now…  to find… balance between work and home… society has… viewed men as only caring about career… (the study) shows that what's also important to men is family and their role as provider..."

Insights in Marketing’s latest research on gender roles uncovered the following key insights:

• Traditional gender roles are seen as outdated by the majority of Americans
• 50 years of women’s liberation has led to a shift in societal expectations for women.
• Despite this shift, there is still an expectation that a man’s primary duty is to financially provide for his family
• The pressure to embrace the traditional male gender role is more male driven than female driven
• Men seem to be internalizing the tensions of finding great emotional fulfillment from home and family life and lesser fulfillment from their personal life
• Men are now facing the same agonizing decisions and tensions that women face, but these decisions are not driven by societal pressure, but by internal struggles with personal beliefs

The research revealed that 53% of people in the U.S. believe that traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity no longer apply in today's society, and that belief is shared equally by both genders. Today, about 25% of people still believe that a woman's primary duty revolves around taking care of her home and family, and 71% of mothers are employed (68% of those are married). That number has dramatically increased from 37% of moms working in 1968. That work-family balance has also led to an increase in stress in women: 51% of women report feeling stressed, vs. 40% of men.

When it comes to the roles of men, 49% of people say they believe that a man's primary duty is to financially provide for the family, but it's men putting the most pressure on themselves, says the report. 57% of men feel that way, compared to 41% of women.

Additional in depth research showed that men care more about their family than society has often credited them. In fact, 75% of men stated that their first obligation is to their home and family, and only 48% feel that career gives their life purpose.

The survey also found that:

• 80% of women believe that parents are completely responsible for raising a child, compared with 76% of men
• 55% of women and 30% of men say they are completely responsible for child care
• 60% of men are more likely to say they share responsibility with someone else
• Over 70% of men and women agree that child care responsibilities have not changed much in the past year

To learn more about this study and others, please visit here.