Debate concepts and applications

¶ … traditions mattered, when customs and conventions were what gave people a sense of belonging and deviating from tradition was seen as a cardinal sin. However with the passage of time, we entered into a modern and then post-modern world and suddenly all our perceived notions about traditions and their values shattered, giving way to new values, beliefs and customs. These new values worked well with the new times and everyone stood to benefit from them since they were more in tune with changing times and culture. With these values, came massive and dramatic changes in the roles assigned to men and women. Women were no longer taken for granted as housewives and men were not regarded as sole bread earners. Today, it is considered absolutely normal for women to work outside her home and in some families, if one parent has to stay at home, it can just as well be the father who chooses to take this responsibility. This is because our definitions of femininity and masculinity are no longer tied to the type of work we do. Our sense of self-wroth and integrity is connected more with our characters, strengths and weaknesses and not with whether we work or stay at home.

When so many changes took place, how could dating customs remain in stagnation? They underwent cultural transition and men and women created new rules of dating which had little to do with past customs and did not believe in assigning rigid roles to each partner based on their gender. This also had an impact on the way dating couples handled and shared their expenses. Now it is no longer a man's duty to pay for food and entertainment every time the couple goes out on a date. However it is believed to be a good practice to pay for first few dates and once the two have officially become a couple, they must share dating expenses. Food and a movie can cost a man anything from $20-$40 minimum and if they go out at least twice a week, this can be a huge burden on someone who is on a budget. For this reason, it is important for the two to share their expenses so that they get a chance to enjoy each other's company without worrying about shrinking finances.