When was the last time you looked into the origins of a tradition?
Or perhaps, a better question might be, how many times have you been told you have to do something because 'it's tradition' – even if it makes you feel uncomfortable or question your moral compass?
Traditions are, by nature, a product of the past and for the most part, are “accepted without being assessed by any criterion other than it having been believed before” (Shirley Jackson). Whilst some are harmless or have been given a modern interpretation, there are many which have disturbing origins that continue to be harmful today. Whilst it's a personal choice to follow a tradition or not, many feel pressured to conform.
This can be for a number of reasons. Out of fear of upsetting somebody else's expectations – expectations based on deeply ingrained ideas of what is 'proper'. Religious, partner or family values. Not wanting to be the first to go against the status quo. Knowing you don't feel right about something, but not knowing how to change it. Not having the money or freedom to choose another path.
And the list goes on.
In this episode we question the origins of five popular wedding traditions and discuss the expectations placed on women from society, family, partners, patriarchy and in some cases, ourselves. As always, we share our own experiences and 'sorry, what did you say' moments as we try and understand our in the moment reactions, and how we might react differently with the benefit of hindsight.
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Before we jump into the main theme of this episode, we share a 'Sorry, what did you say' moment from one of our listeners. This moment explores the topic of up-skirting and battery performed by a man with a duty of care to the victim. It runs until 23:12 so if this is a trigger for you or you're just super keen to jump into this week's theme of 'Wedding traditions', you're welcome to skip ahead. A big thank you to our listener for trusting us with your story.
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As always, The Unfairer Sex is not sponsored so, if you liked our show, please show your support by liking, subscribing and sharing on all your favourite social media platforms! We'll send you positive vibes for being awesome human beings and helping us spread the word.
The Unfairer Sex music was masterfully created by Artur Kondas: https://akondas.com
Research, editing and artwork fulfilled by The Unfairer Sex.
