When undertaking an analysis of gender roles in society, there are many different, but overlapping, avenues that can be taken. One of these avenues is that of the economic impulse, that is to say the examination of gender roles in a given society or culture through the prism of the economic realities present in said society or culture. When pursuing an analysis of this nature, three questions must be asked. » asked and answered. The first involves an examination of how economic circumstances influence and are influenced by other societal factors such as cultural or religious ideologies. For example, the lack of surplus food in some societies, such as the Arab groups of the Niger Desert, has helped shape what is considered a culturally ideal body image, a prime example of economic circumstances influencing cultural ideals. In the 17th century, it can be seen that the cultural expectations of Dutch women to stay at home and not work significantly limited women's economic opportunities outside the home, an example of cultural ideals dictating economic realities. which can be seen as tangential to the first, concerns how economic factors influence gender roles at different times and in different classes within a given society. Although said society may have a certain set of cultural ideals, these ideals change over time and are respected at different levels by different socio-economic classes. Once one has determined generally how economic realities interact with existing ideals, it is important to examine how these economic forces influence different groups who live under these ideals in different eras. The third and final facet of this examination concerns economic mechanisms and mechanisms. force a...... middle of paper ...... compared to their female counterparts, more and more men began to take on domestic roles. This shift in breadwinner status has led to increased reports of depression among men as they struggle to adapt to a more domestic role of staying at home. Although it is far from a widespread phenomenon, it is on the rise. According to the US Census Bureau, 3.5% of stay-at-home parents are fathers. Although this figure seems relatively low, it has doubled over the past decade. (NPR) This figure may actually underestimate the number of men who have taken on the role of primary caregiver, because it does not take into account fathers who work part-time but remain the primary responsible caregivers household chores. This upward trend in men's participation in household production also occurs at a time when more women than ever earn more than their husbands, almost 28%. (NPR)