<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Sophie's Substack]]></title><description><![CDATA[My personal Substack]]></description><link>https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!64sY!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2846da25-b275-45b4-9477-0a3a7acfaf47_144x144.png</url><title>Sophie&apos;s Substack</title><link>https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 16 May 2026 02:35:00 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Sophie Robinson]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[sophiearobinson17@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[sophiearobinson17@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Sophie Robinson]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Sophie Robinson]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[sophiearobinson17@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[sophiearobinson17@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Sophie Robinson]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[When Tradition Goes Viral ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Rise of the Social Media Tradwife]]></description><link>https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/p/when-tradition-goes-viral</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/p/when-tradition-goes-viral</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sophie Robinson]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 05:29:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg" width="724" height="543" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wsN6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F219a4569-7660-49bd-b0fe-170d2f82d507_4608x3456.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Phone depicting tradwife content, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>When you scroll, what do you see?</p><p>Whether one&#8217;s feed is filled with memes, perfectly crafted photo dumps, or TikTok dances, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/278409/number-of-social-network-users-in-the-united-states/?srsltid=AfmBOoobEvL7tYB79piPY4jc-ZgHOA5sQy1mqa2DkMFYrMS2xlO0Tec9">millions of people </a>every day experience life through social media. Between our fingertips and a black screen lives a world entirely curated by algorithms.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://umaine.edu/undiscoveredmaine/small-business/resources/marketing-for-small-business/social-media-tools/social-media-statistics-details/">University of Maine</a>, there are about 4.8 billion social media users in the world,  representing roughly 59.9% of the global population. The average time spent on these platforms is about 2 hours and 24 minutes per day.</p><p>With so much of the world&#8217;s attention captured by a few platforms for digital content, social media now shapes what gains attention, influence, and cultural relevance. Videos that showcase outfit trends can now garner as much attention as political news cycles.</p><p>This rise in popularity and usage has created an era in which individuals not only consume content but also create it for public consumption. This accessibility paved the way for lifestyle influencers &#8211; individuals who share their personal experiences online in engaging or visually appealing ways.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg" width="336" height="446.01275298031607" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3AdC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18261fcd-8f7b-4b4d-a268-56550f81d6ef_3607x4788.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">A styled breakfast reflects the curated aesthetic of lifestyle influencer content. Photo by Sophie Robinson.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Their content often consists of short, tightly edited videos that allow audiences to see a snapshot into an influencer&#8217;s everyday life. Camera angles, lighting, and the crafted veneer of a digital personality can dictate how much traction a video gets.</p><p>This demand for lifestyle content has evolved into a very niche brand of influencer &#8211; the social media tradwife.</p><p>Tradwife, short for &#8220;traditional wife,&#8221; is a term used to describe women who adhere to traditional roles and values once upheld in society, particularly in midcentury American households.</p><p>Sarah Banet-Weiser, research professor at the Annenberg School of Communication, has studied the tradwife phenomenon directly. In her research article, <em>The Rage of Tradwives</em>, Weiser explains that these women are a form of lifestyle influencer who, through discreet messaging, argue that women can find happiness by caring for their husbands, having children, and taking on the role of homemaker.</p><p>Imagine scrolling mindlessly through your feed when you stumble across a video of a young woman: she&#8217;s pretty, well-groomed, and sleepily walking across the screen as she starts her day. She may cook breakfast, do her skincare, or clean her marble countertops until they shine.</p><p>Her profile has more of these morning vlogs. It may also have get-ready-with-me videos or cooking tutorials. These videos are short and sweet. Upon first glance, they may serve the role of a digital diary depicting small moments throughout this woman&#8217;s day.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg" width="574" height="528.38824383164" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2537,&quot;width&quot;:2756,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:574,&quot;bytes&quot;:1292222,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/196721495?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4ebcc812-adc0-494c-b99d-79c9f16e21e1_3024x4032.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!g59U!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0856df5e-7fea-4cf9-88d6-915f29fbedff_2756x2537.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Laundry dries outside a home, capturing a routine moment of domestic life. Photo by Sophie Robinson.</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>This simple form of content may seem trivial at first glance; however, influencers wield disproportionate power among media audiences.</p><p>A piece in a <em><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/19/10919">Sustainability</a></em> study argues that nearly half of the global online audience relies on influencers as a reference for their purchasing decisions. Sixty-nine percent of companies plan to spend the majority of their advertising budget on influencer marketing because of their ability to attract audiences.</p><p>Users may build a sense of trust with their favorite content creator, one that enables them to act upon what an influencer is advertising or advising. This is called a parasocial relationship.</p><p>&#8220;Parasocial relationships (PSRs) refer to audiences&#8217; non-face-to-face psychological relationships with influencers on social media,&#8221; wrote Barouch Giechaskiel and colleagues. &#8220;Perceived credibility is what sways judgments by audiences and shows that audiences approve or support influencers on social media. In addition to PSRs, perceived credibility can effectively create valuable relationships with audiences by providing a positive perception of influencers on social media.&#8221;</p><p>Influencers have the power not only to guide an audience&#8217;s buying habits; they mold attitudes, habits, and everyday behavior. This trust that an audience places in the content creator positions that individual in a uniquely powerful role.</p><p>Tradwife influencers are no exception to this phenomenon. Users can and do form parasocial relationships with their favorite creators, placing faith in these women to shape their values.</p><p><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/12/17/nx-s1-5206673/tradwives-have-taken-over-tiktok-now-ex-tradwives-want-their-moment">An NPR article</a> explains that the tradwife trend originated in 2020 and has since become increasingly popular. #Tradwife has been used on 125,000 posts on Instagram alone, with each of these women illustrating their lives through their camera lens.</p><p>This raises the question of what, exactly, makes this content so compelling to audiences. The concept of a stay-at-home mother or traditional homemaker is not new; yet the key difference exists in the curation and output of this content for anyone to consume. What appears online as harmless lifestyle content reflects deeper tensions surrounding feminism, motherhood, politics, religion, and economic insecurity in the United States.</p><p>Megan Agnew, senior feature writer at <em>The Times</em>, had the opportunity to meet with one of these women herself. Hannah Neeleman, better known by her social media handle <em>Ballerina Farm</em>, is one of the most widely known tradwives on the internet.</p><p>Agnew visited the Neeleman&#8217;s farm in rural Utah in 2024 and wrote a <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/magazines/the-sunday-times-magazine/article/meet-the-queen-of-the-trad-wives-and-her-eight-children-plfr50cgk?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqfikIKgc7Y-84HdLMYFtscyh-s0ZqnYGkJVhS3cDFGggEgPnhpxJ2hu85TNldc%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69cc2785&amp;gaa_sig=NVMUsMOsGRccNqvFqe06bDRhLQkA_qF3mb10kJ3Wjs7tR3SNkwn4jODrtFAJapkyG6uJgtabx1SKUDnJ2dF6jA%3D%3D">feature story</a> covering all that she experienced. The story went viral on social media and, according to Agnew, was one of the most-read pieces in <em>The Times&#8217;</em> online history. She attributed the article&#8217;s success to the particular moment in time in which it was published.</p><p>&#8220;The day that Kamala Harris announced she was running was maybe two days after this was published,&#8221; Agnew said. &#8220;We had a sense it would be well read. I think if it had been published tomorrow, the response would be very different.&#8221;</p><p>According to Agnew, the back-to-back publication of her article, right before Harris announced her presidential bid, sparked intense online debate. The prospect of a childless female candidate reignited arguments about gender roles.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic" width="620" height="719.217032967033" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1689,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:620,&quot;bytes&quot;:1776912,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/196721495?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8wpX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4765b9c0-18da-4259-9aa3-e8e9c518b3ff_4284x4971.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Baby clothing and toys associated with motherhood. Photo by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>Agnew explained that sects of the conservative right argued that Harris&#8217; lack of children meant she didn&#8217;t have as much at stake within American democracy &#8211; an attempt to discredit her validity in the race.</p><p>Harris&#8217; presidential bid was a stark contrast to the traditional lifestyle that Neeleman emulated in <em>The Times&#8217;</em> article. This pop culture moment highlighted two strikingly different models of womanhood in modern America.</p><p>&#8220;That same dichotomy between those two political spheres was exactly the thing that was being argued about in relation to the article,&#8221; Agnew explained.</p><p>Only two women have successfully run for president in American history. Both were politically qualified, and yet both lost to their male counterparts. Kamala Harris&#8217; presidential loss reignited conversations surrounding gender roles at the national level and how, despite the progress of the feminist movement, the conservative definitions of femininity and motherhood continue to dominate the vision of American women&#8217;s lives.</p><p>Meredith Heller, a sociology professor at Northern Arizona University (NAU), has studied gender roles at length throughout her career. She explains that gender is an inherently performative pursuit, and in today&#8217;s society, it&#8217;s a form of self-presentation.</p><p>&#8220;Gender is inherently an interactional endeavor; it&#8217;s inherently performative,&#8221; Heller said. &#8220;Doing gender means fitting into a norm that people can recognize.&#8221;</p><p>Heller graduated in 2004 with complementary degrees in women&#8217;s studies and theater. She went on to earn a master&#8217;s degree in sociology and a Ph.D. in theater. Today, Heller continues her academic responsibilities as a lecturer and assistant dean in women&#8217;s studies while authoring numerous academic articles in academic publications and journals.</p><p></p><p>Jessie Finch, Chair of the Department of Sociology, is Heller&#8217;s direct supervisor. She explained Heller&#8217;s impact on NAU&#8217;s Social and Behavioral Sciences College.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Xazb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb74b3af-1c29-4d21-b9f3-d6759633a4c1_866x1057.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Xazb!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb74b3af-1c29-4d21-b9f3-d6759633a4c1_866x1057.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Xazb!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb74b3af-1c29-4d21-b9f3-d6759633a4c1_866x1057.jpeg 848w, 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class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">NAU&#8217;s Social and Behavioral Sciences building sign, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>&#8220;She is a huge contributor,&#8221; said Dr. Finch, &#8220;She&#8217;s very well-equipped for this area. Her specialty is gender, but she does so much in performance and pop culture.&#8221;</p><p>Heller dove into this particular pop culture issue by connecting it to the feminist wave theory. Scholars describe feminism in overlapping waves of development, with fourth-wave feminism currently shaping digital activism and cultural discourse.</p><p>This new era of the movement is characterized by social media activism, inclusivity, and intersectionality. Fourth-wave is complex as it includes the framework for other major movements. Heller expands on this concept. She explains that gender is often interconnected with other issues in society, and because of this, it is easily politicized.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QdI-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ede33cf-a6bc-4298-a784-0d15d239fa19_3233x4509.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QdI-!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ede33cf-a6bc-4298-a784-0d15d239fa19_3233x4509.jpeg 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QdI-!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ede33cf-a6bc-4298-a784-0d15d239fa19_3233x4509.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QdI-!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ede33cf-a6bc-4298-a784-0d15d239fa19_3233x4509.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QdI-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ede33cf-a6bc-4298-a784-0d15d239fa19_3233x4509.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QdI-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ede33cf-a6bc-4298-a784-0d15d239fa19_3233x4509.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Dr. Heller sits in her office on NAU&#8217;s campus, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>&#8220;Gender is always intersectional. So if we think about the stuff that was going on with George Floyd and DEI, it&#8217;s all connected to gender, even if it&#8217;s talking about race or politics,&#8221; Heller said. &#8220;If someone says, I&#8217;m a woman, my pronouns are she/her &#8212; that&#8217;s as political as saying black lives matter.&#8221;</p><p>However, this intense period of change was met with equal backlash from opposing viewpoints. Finch dissected this concept from her own perspective as a sociology professor. She observes that humans often fail to recognize nuance. According to her, rather than embracing change or a complication, we as people tend to retreat to a history that seemed uncomplicated.</p><p>&#8220;We are kind of in a recessive period, reacting to a lot of the stuff that was going on,&#8221; Heller adds. &#8220;The tradwife theme is because we are in this reactionary period where people are saying these values are what you should be proud of. It&#8217;s a call towards a history.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg" width="426" height="507.5406162464986" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:5104,&quot;width&quot;:4284,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:426,&quot;bytes&quot;:4756093,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/196721495?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff7f9c696-5d66-4ff7-bacd-3ff7ea403a59_4284x5712.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1G2R!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1992cf30-76ae-433c-855c-6496365a9493_4284x5104.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Clothing reflecting the &#8216;tradwife&#8217; aesthetic. Photo by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>This history often refers to the period after the Second World War, when the U.S. saw an economic boom and suburban expansion. After the difficult times inflicted by the war, Americans were able to find a sense of stability.</p><p>The economy was strong &#8211; people could afford necessities after years of war rationing. Industries grew, suburbs expanded, and the United States was firmly established as the global superpower. This period issued a new wave of American nationalism and pride.</p><p>Contrast that with the present, a period of nationwide uncertainty, economic recession, and political divide. Americans yearn for a sense of simplicity amidst the chaos of the world. Banet-Weiser interprets this through her research:</p><p>&#8220;This rose-colored past is often explicitly juxtaposed with an uncertain present, where gender identities are often blurred, economic success seems far out of reach for most people, and feminism continues to insist that women should be treated as equals to men,&#8221; Banet-Weiser writes. &#8220;Online tradwives position themselves as aspirational to their followers, advocating for a lifestyle that is simpler, less materialistic, more wholesome.&#8221;</p><p>That nostalgia is now visible online, where users can find hundreds of videos of tradwife content. Their videos and photos serve as a time capsule for the so-called &#8220;glory days&#8221; of American society.</p><p>Many of these young women find empowerment through this persona and will happily attach the label to themselves as a badge of honor. For example, Sophie Kelly, though a smaller influencer, is best known for<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sophiek.kelly/video/7594530946515258679?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-959mvUZbyN3"> one video </a>in which she outlines the traditional, simple life that she was once warned against.</p><p>&#8220;I got married at 18, and this is the life everyone warned me about,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;While the world tells girls to wait, to wonder, to keep their options open &#8211; I choose to build, to commit.&#8221;</p><p>This video received over three million views and hundreds of thousands of likes. The response to this video in particular ranges from messages of support to satirical parody videos poking fun at Kelly.</p><p>Other smaller influencers have stepped in to share their experiences as tradwives, explaining how their desire to stay home, cook, clean, and not have to work truly is not as profound as the media suggests. Savanna Stone, another influencer, has posted several videos expressing her opinions on traditional marriages and woke media culture.</p><p>&#8220;It makes me sad that there are women and social media accounts whose entire personality is dedicated to hating on motherhood and womanhood,&#8221; <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@savannafaithstone/video/7488086043711802670?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-959nVzTGDKH">said Stone in her 2025 video</a>. &#8220;The enemy is using modern feminism to destroy the nuclear family, to strip women of traditional womanhood, and to get rid of reproduction.&#8221;</p><p>This video, along with several others of Stone&#8217;s, articulates her frustration with the demise of the traditional woman. A common theme across several tradwife videos is anger at the idea of being criticized for not wanting to work, being stressed, or not having time to dedicate to their marriages and children.</p><p>While there are distinct criticisms of the tradwife movement, there are some who understand where these women are coming from. Grayce Schumacher, a senior at NAU, offers her insight as someone who once sought this lifestyle.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg" width="460" height="690" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2184,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:460,&quot;bytes&quot;:3291996,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/196721495?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rfuu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F215536ff-303d-48fc-a89b-f8c69c7cd23e_1728x2592.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Schumacher graduation photo, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>&#8220;You have to realize that we all want the same thing, and we all want security and stability, and that&#8217;s why (tradwives) are attracted to that,&#8221; Schumacher said. &#8220;We want purpose, and they are sold this idea their entire life through religion that their purpose is to procreate and raise good Christian kids.&#8221;</p><p>Schumacher was the first in her family to attend Catholic school, and for the majority of her adolescence was a very devout follower. As a young girl, she only saw one path for herself &#8211; the life of a mother and wife.</p><p>Schumacher explains that she wanted that white picket fence. She wanted kids that she could take care of full-time for at least the first few years of their lives. Schumacher also goes on to say that she can understand the romanticized lifestyle that tradwives often promote, and uses influencer Nara Smith as an example.</p><p>Nara Smith and Hannah Neeleman are two of the most prominent tradwife influencers on the internet. Both of whom have over 10 million followers on TikTok and hundreds of millions of likes.</p><p>Smith and Neeleman both create content that engages with the tradwife aesthetic. Smith brands her content by wearing opulent gowns, speaking in soft tones, and cooking elaborate dishes from scratch.</p><p>Smith is twenty-four years old and has four children who often appear briefly in her videos. Neeleman&#8217;s content is similar in how she portrays her motherhood. She has nine children and is known for her farm-to-table cooking videos.</p><p>This branding is what drew Agnew to Neeleman&#8217;s farm in the first place: to ask why Neeleman does what she does, and to understand why everyone else is so interested. Ultimately, she went to Utah to understand her business, motivations, and the extraordinary success she&#8217;s had.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg" width="537" height="671.3941997851772" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1164,&quot;width&quot;:931,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:537,&quot;bytes&quot;:294258,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/196721495?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3jqM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4482a39-b2a1-4124-a08c-b16e32c20d93_931x1164.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Hannah Neeleman featured in <em>TIME</em>&#8217;s 100 Creators list.</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>This opportunity granted front row seats to the lifestyle that became a social media spectacle. Agnew was clear that what she observed was merely a snapshot into life on the farm, but she observed a lot.</p><p>&#8220;It was striking because it was really difficult to have a conversation with her,&#8221; Agnew said. In the few hours she spent at the farm, Agnew scarcely had the opportunity to sit down with Neeleman without interruption. &#8220;That is limiting your own intellectual freedom. It&#8217;s literally difficult to get to the end of a sentence and explain yourself if you&#8217;re being called by other kids.&#8221;</p><p>Since she was unable to sit Neeleman down one-on-one, Agnew was unable to ask everything she wanted to. For example, she said she was not able to ask about birth control, family planning, or even the struggles of motherhood &#8211; finding it inappropriate to do so with the children nearby.</p><p>The kids were not the only distraction, however. Neeleman&#8217;s husband, Daniel Neeleman, also made it difficult to speak to his wife alone. Agnew explained that he was constantly pulling her in various directions, showing her irrigation ditches and other aspects of farmwork.</p><p>&#8220;I found her to be very deferential to her husband when I asked about things that were political or religious or perhaps controversial,&#8221; Agnew said. &#8220;He interjected, he truly interjected himself into it and pulled me away with him.&#8221;</p><p>Agnew admitted that she found herself beginning to panic over this interjection, as she was sent to Utah to obtain specific information for the story. As she was dragged around the rural landscape, she felt as though she was running out of time to talk to Neeleman without interruption.</p><p>Eventually, Agnew decided to roll with the punches and accept this interview for what it had become. Rather than a feature on Hannah Neeleman&#8217;s life and success, it transformed into a viral social commentary.</p><p>Agnew explained that the Neelemans&#8217; legal team reached out after the article was published to verify some pieces of the story. <em>The Times</em> was quickly able to confirm any outstanding details, putting the issue to rest.</p><p>However, the scorn for Daniel Neeleman&#8217;s name was not as easily settled. His interjection was noted by online audiences and widely criticized. This discourse also called into question the role of the tradwife counterpart: their husbands.</p><p>&#8220;I hope he thanked you for giving up your dreams to make his happen,&#8221; one TikTok user wrote in Neeleman&#8217;s comment section. &#8220;WHEN I CATCH YOU DANIEL, WHEN I CATCH YOU,&#8221; wrote another.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg" width="432" height="503.08396946564886" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OUDV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf97fbb4-8803-42d4-8bbb-186995527217_1179x1373.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Comments under one of Neeleman&#8217;s TikTok Videos</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>Behind every tradwife is their unseen partner, the man who, like his wife, embodies the persona of the characterized American husband. These men are not the ones you would see on your explore feed. They don&#8217;t have millions of followers or brand deals, and are only briefly referenced or shown in their wives&#8217; content. Despite their traditional role within their marriages, the traditional husband is an underexplored media personality in comparison to their trendy wives.</p><p>However, Finch explains that the period of time these individuals are glamorizing was imbalanced for both men and women, which creates an interesting contrast. She explains that when we hear &#8220;Make America Great Again,&#8221; the phrase is often referring to this time period, specifically the 1950s. It refers to a time when women upheld patriarchal wage earner models.</p><p>&#8220;In a lot of ways, the whole problem with that system is that it was inequitable,&#8221; Finch said. &#8220;Women weren&#8217;t allowed to do certain things, and men also weren&#8217;t allowed to do certain things. I always think that&#8217;s an important double coin.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg" width="1456" height="1092" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!k7oU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F418c9e30-823f-4ac9-9585-509bfa181d42_2048x1536.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">NAU students making posters before reproductive protest, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>Professor and population health researcher Rebecca Sear expands on this idea in an <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article/376/1827/20200020/31527/The-male-breadwinner-nuclear-family-is-not-the">opinion piece</a>, arguing that gender is not actually built from what is natural, but rather is socially constructed. Sear explains that in the post-war era, women were pushed out of the labor market to ensure jobs for returning servicemen.</p><p>At the same time, this Western conception of the nuclear family was reinforced by the rise of mass media at the time, such as television. Sear claims that this was a way to &#8220;stamp&#8221; collective consciousness into the public by stressing the importance of the traditional family unit.</p><p>She also claims that before this era, male breadwinning and nuclear families were not common gender distinctions across many societies.</p><p>&#8220;Male breadwinning is a strategy that is often inefficient&#8212;wasting the potential economic contributions of women and children,&#8221; Sear writes. &#8220;Death, incapacity, or desertion of the breadwinner endangers the mother and children left behind, if they have no means to support themselves.&#8221;</p><p>Traditional husbands also don&#8217;t necessarily embody traditional roots as portrayed in 1950s America. The white-collar, single-income household is not attainable for many American families, and these men, such as Daniel Neeleman, come from wealth.</p><p>Neeleman is the son of David Neeleman, founder of five commercial airways, including JetBlue. There is no agreed-upon estimate of the Neeleman net worth; however, the couple can afford nine children on a lavish 328-acre ranch in Utah.</p><p>The role of money with respect to the tradwife phenomenon is particularly complex, as influencers such as Hannah Neeleman or Nara Smith have access to financial resources that most stay-at-home mothers or wives do not.</p><p>Heller expands on this idea, explaining that not every woman has the autonomy to choose this lifestyle in an imperfect system.</p><p>&#8220;Nara Smith has that choice because she&#8217;s rich. Because she&#8217;s a social media influencer. Because she has help to take care of her kids,&#8221; Heller said. &#8220;If we think about a poor single mother, they don&#8217;t have that authenticity of choice.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg" width="306" height="447.88081395348837" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1007,&quot;width&quot;:688,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:306,&quot;bytes&quot;:88804,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/196721495?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xMP7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a891e06-6cd4-467e-859b-e434caf77245_688x1007.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Screenshot from a video on Nara Smith&#8217;s Instagram</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>This creates a contrast between the traditional housewife and the tradwife influencer. While these women are propagating a particular lifestyle to seem aspirational to their thousands of followers and marketing it as a return to simpler times, they are also directly profiting from their content&#8212;a luxury not shared by the women they influence.</p><p>Heller also points to the contradiction and irony of the movement: these influencers who are claiming to champion traditional values are leveraging those values in an untraditional way, by monetizing content on a digital platform.</p><p>&#8220;They are playing a character,&#8221; Heller said, comparing the online movement to reality TV. &#8220;They are using this character to make money; it just happens that this character has their name and their identity.&#8221;</p><p>Influencers tend to earn most of their income through brand deals and partnerships. There is also a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/support/faq_detail?id=7581821550694013452&amp;category=web_account">rewards program </a>that pays creators a certain amount per 1,000 views, and for those who consistently make content, grow an audience, and secure partnerships, multiple revenue streams become possible.</p><p>For example, Nara Smith is estimated to have a net worth of around $6 million, and Hannah Neeleman makes around $850,000 annually, according to The National Women&#8217;s Law Center. While these are more extreme examples of TikTok influencer success, most individuals who have a following and brand deals can make a living from their content.</p><p>According to the U.S Census Bureau, the median household income for American families is $83,730, a mere fraction of either Neeleman or Smith&#8217;s net worth. However, that number drops when a household only has one earner, putting the average at about $42,124.</p><p>Even for households with multiple streams of income, there is still the price of childcare to consider. The following graph shows how these prices vary:</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png" width="2048" height="1060" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1060,&quot;width&quot;:2048,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:144612,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Biz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F920bb448-033d-4bba-8b83-2c40a1f5bf4f_2048x1060.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Price of childcare graph, by the U.S Department of Labor</figcaption></figure></div><p>This push for traditional gender values, where the man works and the woman stays home, clashes with the current economic reality in the United States. As Heller pointed out, the average American family cannot afford to make that sacrifice.</p><p>This creates a tension between these identities. In the version of America that tradwives are promoting, women could not even open a credit card or apply for a loan without a male cosigner. It was not until 1974 that the Equal Opportunity Act was passed, prohibiting banks from discriminating based on sex.</p><p>&#8220;As a culture and as women, that&#8217;s a power dynamic that has been really used against us again and again,&#8221; Agnew said, explaining the power of finances within marriage. &#8220;It&#8217;s incredibly vulnerable to manipulation.&#8221;</p><p>However, for influencers who fundamentally believe in traditional values, they are receiving direct financial compensation for the content they export. Yet today&#8217;s mothers or housewives may not have a job, assets, or career to fall back on, and do not have the same safety net these influencers do.</p><p>&#8220;Feminism and finances are tightly woven. Whether we&#8217;re allowed to take out a credit card in our names, whether we have enough money to leave,&#8221; Agnew explained. &#8220;The thing that I do feel disturbed by is this ignorance of the true sacrifice of giving up financial remuneration, as stepping out of the labor market for good. Which is a big decision to make.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png" width="709" height="500" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:500,&quot;width&quot;:709,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;An image of people walking down a street with a sign in the background that reads \&quot;THE FIRST WOMAN'S BANK\&quot;.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="An image of people walking down a street with a sign in the background that reads &quot;THE FIRST WOMAN'S BANK&quot;." title="An image of people walking down a street with a sign in the background that reads &quot;THE FIRST WOMAN'S BANK&quot;." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C8Uf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46bc5b60-b824-4743-8c0d-d10f921208cd_709x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Calle Hesslefors/Ullstein Bild via Getty Images, 1975</figcaption></figure></div><p>This concept of sacrifice within a marriage is not always purely financial. The joining of two lives with the addition of children can sometimes blur identity. Schumacher noticed this within her own parents&#8217; marriage. Growing up, her father worked and provided for the family, while her mother stayed at home and devoted herself to the children.</p><p>&#8220;I felt like [my mother] kind of lost her identity in motherhood. I didn&#8217;t really know much about her; she was just my mom,&#8221; Schumacher said. &#8220;She wasn&#8217;t really an individual; her purpose was just to be my mom and nothing else.&#8221;</p><p>Schumacher explained that her mother began working once her father got sick and could no longer provide a stable income. The major changes in her life called into question her own belief and identity with respect to the Church.</p><p>&#8220;As I started to hit late middle school, I started to question things more and was less and less satisfied by the answers I was getting,&#8221; Schumacher said. &#8220;Not being religious kind of freed up different life paths for me.&#8221;</p><p>Years later, Schumacher is preparing to graduate with a bachelor&#8217;s degree in psychological science. During her undergraduate experience, she briefly minored in Women and Gender Studies, which furthered her shift away from traditional values.</p><p>&#8220;Religion tells us what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman. In my women and gender studies classes, I really analyzed those types of things and realized that a lot of my concessions with what femininity was and what masculinity was were tied to religion,&#8221; Schumacher said.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg" width="564" height="677.2638793694312" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1752,&quot;width&quot;:1459,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:564,&quot;bytes&quot;:636442,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/196721495?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54bbeffc-3cce-47fa-96e5-df0d39641a00_1459x2189.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrCP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea5099ee-0f92-4ee5-b95e-68ea903b5023_1459x1752.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Schumacher and her graduation cap, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>The religious framing of gender roles also carries weight within the context of this movement. The United States has a long-standing history with Christianity. The Bible directly outlines how men and women should behave, with women submitting to men.</p><p>Some tradwives are quite open about their religious values. For example, Hannah Neeleman is openly a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Or <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sophiek.kelly/video/7518239831609101623?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-967ZRVVw5AE">Sophie Kelly</a>, while not explicitly identifying with a denomination, considers herself a follower of Jesus.</p><p>Beyond the religious background of this movement, there is also debate on social media and among scholars about the motivations behind it.  Megan Zahay explores this idea in her piece in <em><a href="https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/5726">The Journal of Media and Communication</a></em><a href="https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/5726">.</a></p><p>Her analysis concludes that social media is being used as a medium for far-right movements to package extremist concepts into aesthetically pleasing content, and they do so under the guise of saving the &#8220;feminine woman.&#8221;</p><p>However, this brings us to a central question: how is femininity defined in our current society? Zahay explores this in her dissertation:</p><p>&#8220;The feminine self is comprised of a traditionally beautiful face and body, dressed in fashionable yet modest clothing, complemented by elegant comportment and even elocution. The aesthetic quality of a popular content creator&#8217;s own self suggests its desirability to most women. Even more, it reinforces their role as reproducers, as bearers both of literal people and the people as a populist signifier.&#8221;</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43301423">Populism</a> is a political theory that claims to represent the will of the people in a world divided between commoners and the elite. Zahay contends that tradwife influencers, whether intentionally or inadvertently, present their lifestyles as the norm &#8211; something to which women should strive.</p><p>Most recently, the push for traditional femininity has been present in political landscapes, not just on social media. Political figures from the conservative right often assert that the decline of feminine values poses a threat to society.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re effectively run in this country&#8230; by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives,&#8221; said Vice President JD Vance in 2021.</p><p>This argument is compounded by the fact that U.S fertility rates have fallen to an all-time low. According to PBS, since 2007, the number of Americans having children has dropped 23%. This trend is attributed to several factors, such as couples opting to have fewer children or forgoing parenthood altogether.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png" width="604" height="453" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:960,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:604,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Figure 1 is a bar chart showing the number of births and the general fertility rate in the United States for 2023 and 2024.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Figure 1 is a bar chart showing the number of births and the general fertility rate in the United States for 2023 and 2024." title="Figure 1 is a bar chart showing the number of births and the general fertility rate in the United States for 2023 and 2024." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F5tw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe78ba64e-f87a-41f8-9574-3d31c13f1b5b_960x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Graph showing birth rates in America, graphic made by the CDC</figcaption></figure></div><p><a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/is-the-us-birth-rate-declining">Research from Johns Hopkins </a>suggests that there is more to this issue than people merely choosing not to have children. Concerns about the economy, job insecurity, and the cost of child care also shape this decision. In short, many people are questioning their ability to raise children in today&#8217;s social and economic climate.</p><p>Political leaders often amplify this cultural messaging. Heightened alarm over declining birth rates frames women&#8217;s reproduction less as a personal choice and more as a civic responsibility.</p><p>This messaging is directly strengthened by the overturning of previous feminist progress. For example, in June 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned.  This ruling disputed a landmark Supreme Court case that emphasized a woman&#8217;s right to choose to have an abortion. Now, a woman&#8217;s access to abortion is limited to the state she resides in.</p><p>This Supreme Court decision overturned decades of legal precedent. While it was done for various reasons, according to the court,  some figures tied it back to population changes that urgently needed to be addressed.</p><p>&#8220;Population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming,&#8221; tweeted Elon Musk on X in 2022.</p><p>Positioning the decline of births as a risk to civilization reinforces the populist messaging that Zahay explains. The tradwife trend, though not overtly political, functions as a cultural reinforcement of these anxieties.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg" width="596" height="590.6785714285714" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2997,&quot;width&quot;:3024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:596,&quot;bytes&quot;:1756976,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/196721495?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc27b92bd-c8d6-444a-954b-769acf6a7ba7_3024x4032.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e7YW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d1ec881-223a-47d1-97f9-cd790dc30775_3024x2997.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Women&#8217;s Rights Protest in Boise, ID, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>However, many tradwives do not necessarily share such overtly partisan beliefs. Oftentimes, political affiliations are not directly expressed in their videos. To them, they are merely just sharing pieces of their lives online for their own enjoyment, as well as that of their followers.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know why it&#8217;s such a big deal or such a big thing nowadays,&#8221; says tradwife influencer Janea Larriviere in <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@janeaelizabethh/video/7610539644261813517?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-963r2dXdv93">one of her videos</a>. &#8220;I just want to be a stay-at-home wife. I just want to take care of my home and my husband.&#8221;</p><p>Larriviere creates an interesting argument through her videos, emphasizing that this lifestyle is a deliberate choice she and her husband made &#8211; and it may not suit everyone. So is it wrong for a woman to openly share her tradition-based marriage?</p><p>The question becomes more complicated when content is available on a platform that is readily available for public consumption. Individuals not only consume this content, but can also be influenced or inspired by it. With social media, there are real-world implications; narratives and imagery no longer live in a vacuum.</p><p>According to Pew Research, one in five teenagers claims that social media sites hurt their mental health. When looking specifically at gender, girls are statistically more likely to say that they are concerned with how social media affects them mentally.</p><p>However, what affects mental health is the superficial nature of social media. Influencer content is edited and refined to convey a particular message or aesthetic. This calls into question the authenticity of the content they&#8217;re exporting and whether it is something individuals should idolize.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic" width="462" height="599.0769230769231" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qTDY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5533698f-11b9-47f3-a8c0-fbec49a17857_2769x3590.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Church interior with stained glass and a statue of Jesus. Photo by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>When I began researching and writing this piece, I knew gaining the perspective of a tradwife influencer would be essential in adding credibility to this story. I  reached out to several tradwife influencers to voice their perspective on this movement, as well as the criticisms that meet it.</p><p>When speaking to Megan Agnew, I asked her if she had any advice on how to approach a topic that is so controversial in nature. She acknowledged that it&#8217;s an interesting topic, and there is a way to write and research without coming off as judgmental.</p><p>She also added that when she reported on Ballerina Farm, a lot of people misinterpreted what she was trying to say and believed that she was trying to throw Neeleman under the bus.</p><p>&#8220;If you read it over, I really don&#8217;t think that&#8217;s what I did,&#8221; Agnew said. &#8220;Your job as a journalist and as a writer is just to be really objective. Ask the questions, then lay it out as you find it.&#8221;</p><p>I contacted several tradwife influencers who publicly embrace traditional lifestyles to request interviews. Only two responded: one through her talent manager, and another who discontinued communication after learning that an email&#8209;based interview would not be possible.</p><p>In addition, I contacted churches, student organizations, and several self-described &#8220;ex-tradwife&#8221; influencers, and even posted on social media looking for anyone who identifies with these values.</p><p>What I mostly received in return were unanswered messages or short notes saying they &#8220;could not help.&#8221; Over the months spent reporting this piece, I emailed 18 individuals or organizations and sent direct messages to ten more on social media. I acknowledged the sensitivity of this topic and emphasized that my goal was simply to tell the story of anyone who was willing to share it.</p><p>The complexity that exists within this movement and how it plays into expectations around gender roles is indisputable, and calling into question the specifics and motivations for a lifestyle is sensitive. However, I expected that those who are so vocal about their choices online would be eager to defend their convictions.</p><p>This lack of response indicated a guarded side to this issue that I had not anticipated. Yet the absence of voices from these women, clubs, and churches suggests a level of selectivity and control over these conversations. In that sense, the lack of response taught me just as much as a dozen conversations could have.</p><p>What I did find, however, was the voice of young women who have seen this trend take form through their own social media. Beyond theory and politics, these ideas play out in the lives of young women engaging with content every day. Rebecca Sandhu is a junior at NAU. As a young woman in her 20s, she has very strong opinions about the implications of the tradwife trend.</p><p>&#8220;This movement has truly pushed women backwards and has leaned into this idea that feminism is something to be disappointed in and something to lean away from,&#8221; Sandhu said. &#8220;I think that ideology is very set on traditional white women and traditional white cookie-cutter American families. It&#8217;s very 20th century.&#8221;</p><p>Sandhu is an Honors student pursuing a double major in Political Science and Politics and Media.  She is also completing an internship with the Democratic Caucus of the Arizona House of Representatives, and she explains that in the career she hopes to enter, being a traditional woman would be a hindrance, not a virtue.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg" width="422" height="486.9850461342666" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O6PZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa92591cf-d30a-4e01-a854-1c71ebcb9e21_3143x3627.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Sandhu&#8217;s headshot, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>&#8220;You would be submissive, you would be a pushover, and I think at the end of the day that&#8217;s not something I have ever connected to,&#8221; Sandhu said. &#8220;That&#8217;s something some women want to narrow themselves into to be seen as desirable, but I feel like that concept is very harmful.&#8221;</p><p>Schumacher elaborated on this concept. She finds the message that women are only meant to fulfill one role in society to be extremely harmful, or in her words, &#8220;gross.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think feminism as a whole challenges tradwives or religion or the religious dynamics. I think it raises into question their validity,&#8221; Schumacher said. &#8220;It&#8217;s just such a turn off that a lot of those people think that us as women &#8211; our life doesn&#8217;t begin until we have children.&#8221;</p><p>The idea that motherhood is a biological destiny for women has slowly crept its messaging into the media, particularly through the reinforcement of famous figures.</p><p>In May of 2024, the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, Harrison Butker, delivered a <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/harrison-butker-georgia-tech-graduation-2023">college commencement speech </a>that directly stated this concept. He stood before Benedictine College&#8217;s graduating class and declared:</p><p>&#8220;Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.&#8221;</p><p>Butker argued that women are told diabolical lies that urge them to prioritize careers or education. He urged the audience to do two things to remedy the rise of loneliness in young adults: get married and start a family.</p><p>His remarks were delivered to an audience largely made up of college-educated women, a context that shaped how the message was received.</p><p>Statistically, women with higher levels of education are more likely to identify as feminists, which aligns with Sandhu and Schumacher&#8217;s positions. According to a study by <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/07/07/61-of-u-s-women-say-feminist-describes-them-well-many-see-feminism-as-empowering-polarizing/">Pew Research</a>, about 72% of women with at least a bachelor&#8217;s degree consider themselves feminist, compared with 56% of women with less education.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gvDW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0659e9a4-983c-44dc-b482-9c9399ea35b3_4284x5712.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gvDW!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0659e9a4-983c-44dc-b482-9c9399ea35b3_4284x5712.jpeg 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gvDW!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0659e9a4-983c-44dc-b482-9c9399ea35b3_4284x5712.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gvDW!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0659e9a4-983c-44dc-b482-9c9399ea35b3_4284x5712.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gvDW!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0659e9a4-983c-44dc-b482-9c9399ea35b3_4284x5712.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gvDW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0659e9a4-983c-44dc-b482-9c9399ea35b3_4284x5712.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">NAU&#8217;s Cline Library, by Sophie Robinson</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>This data is strengthened by the fact that women are consistently shown to outpace men in college turnout. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/11/18/us-women-are-outpacing-men-in-college-completion-including-in-every-major-racial-and-ethnic-group/#:~:text=By%20Kiley%20Hurst,completion%20in%20the%20United%20States.">In 2024, Pew Research </a>also found that 47% of women ages 25 to 34 had a bachelor&#8217;s degree, compared to 37% of men.</p><p>While tradwife content is gaining visibility online, verified data suggests that women are not simply abandoning higher education to become homemakers. This leads to a misleading reality that only social media can amplify.</p><p>&#8220;Social media is so manipulative now,&#8221; Heller said. &#8220;You only see what it wants you to see; it wants to manipulate your emotions to get you to do something.&#8221;</p><p>Heller&#8217;s analysis reinforces the concept of parasocial relationships in the media. By framing themselves as friends of the audience, influencers can market certain products, ideas, and lifestyles to send a message.</p><p>What, then, should we conclude? The data suggests one reality, while social media indicates another. Two truths can exist simultaneously: traditional values are being reinforced in the media, but no evidence suggests that the work of the feminist movement has been in vain. Even so, the work is far from finished.</p><p>Women who choose this lifestyle are fulfilling their rights to do so, but it&#8217;s important to recognize that no single experience represents everyone within the broader system. Schumacher conveys this idea by explaining how her mother changed after her parents divorced.</p><p>&#8220;Her identity and the person she has become have completely blossomed,&#8221; Schumacher explained. &#8220;I&#8217;ve told her several times how cool it&#8217;s been to witness her come back into herself.&#8221;</p><p>For much of  American history, women lacked the autonomy to make choices for themselves. Even now, some still lack that freedom within the financial and social constraints of an imperfect system. Heller concluded our conversation, touching on this topic. According to her, feminism isn&#8217;t about the individual, but rather is a movement to address systemic issues in our society.</p><p>&#8220;For someone to say &#8216;Feminism is that I have a choice, that means that person has assets or privileges to make an authentic choice, but if not everybody has the ability to, then it&#8217;s not feminist, it&#8217;s just you working the system,&#8221; Heller said.</p><p>This movement has layers that reach back through decades of complex gender theory, intertwined with the ideals of Christian fundamentalism. When you stumble across this content, you are not just seeing a woman in a pretty dress. You are not just watching her cook meals or clean her home. You are viewing a multifaceted reflection of the gender norms upon which our country is built. You are witnessing a performance.</p><p>Performances must be examined to be understood, and tradwife content is no exception. Making a clear distinction between intent and impact is crucial when assessing media that interacts with broader systems of power.</p><p> &#8220;Feminism is about changing systems,&#8221; Heller said. &#8220;Just because they can succeed in the system doesn&#8217;t mean that the system is not flawed.&#8221;</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Source List</strong></p><p>Articles &amp; Reports</p><ul><li><p>Banet-Weiser, Sarah. <em>Empowered: Popular Feminism and Popular Misogyny</em>. Duke University Press, 2018.</p></li><li><p>NPR. &#8220;The Rise of the Tradwife Trend.&#8221; NPR, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/&#8230;</p></li><li><p>Agnew, Megan. &#8220;A Day on Ballerina Farm: The Life of a Social Media Tradwife.&#8221; <em>The London Times</em>, 2024. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/&#8230;</p></li><li><p>Zahay, Megan. <em>The Feminine Self and Social Media Influence</em>. Journal of Media and Communication, 2025. [link]</p></li><li><p>Pew Research Center. &#8220;Women and Higher Education in the U.S., 2024.&#8221; https://www.pewresearch.org/&#8230;</p></li><li><p>University of Kentucky. &#8220;Social Media and Political Discourse.&#8221; 2023. [link]</p></li><li><p>Sear, R. (2021). The male breadwinner nuclear family is not the &#8216;traditional&#8217; human family, and the promotion of this myth may have adverse health consequences. <em>Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</em>, <em>376</em>(1827), 20200020. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0020">https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0020</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/voices-independence-four-oral-histories-about-building-womens-economic-power#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20her,racist%20discrimination%20in%20banking%20overnight">https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/voices-independence-four-oral-histories-about-building-womens-economic-power#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20her,racist%20discrimination%20in%20banking%20overnight</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.12627">https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.12627</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://nwlc.org/what-tiktoks-tradwives-arent-telling-you/#:~:text=But%20this%20is%20deeply%20misleading,through%20her%20TikTok%20videos%20alone">https://nwlc.org/what-tiktoks-tradwives-arent-telling-you/#:~:text=But%20this%20is%20deeply%20misleading,through%20her%20TikTok%20videos%20alone</a>.</p></li><li><p>Smithsonian Institution. (n.d.). <em>Voices of independence: Four oral histories about building women&#8217;s economic power</em>. Smithsonian Women&#8217;s History. <a href="https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/voices-independence-four-oral-histories-about-building-womens-economic-power">https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/voices-independence-four-oral-histories-about-building-womens-economic-power</a></p></li><li><p>Wiley Online Library. (n.d.). <em>Article in Gender, Work &amp; Organization</em>. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12627</p></li><li><p>National Women&#8217;s Law Center. (n.d.). <em>What TikTok&#8217;s &#8220;tradwives&#8221; aren&#8217;t telling you</em>. <a href="https://nwlc.org/what-tiktoks-tradwives-arent-telling-you/">https://nwlc.org/what-tiktoks-tradwives-arent-telling-you/</a></p></li><li><p>History.com Editors. (n.d.). <em>Post&#8211;World War II boom economy</em>. History. <a href="https://www.history.com/articles/post-world-war-ii-boom-economy">https://www.history.com/articles/post-world-war-ii-boom-economy</a></p></li><li><p>U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). <em>Income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States: 2024 (P60-286)</em>. <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p60-286.html">https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p60-286.html</a></p></li><li><p>PBS NewsHour. (n.d.). <em>The potential impacts of the U.S. birth rate decline</em>. <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-potential-impacts-of-the-u-s-birth-rate-decline">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-potential-impacts-of-the-u-s-birth-rate-decline</a></p></li><li><p>Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2026). <em>Is the U.S. birth rate declining?</em> <a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/is-the-us-birth-rate-declining">https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/is-the-us-birth-rate-declining</a></p></li><li><p>Pew Research Center. (2025, April 22). <em>Teens, social media, and mental health</em>. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/">https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/</a></p></li><li><p>National Catholic Register. (2023). <em>Harrison Butker Georgia Tech graduation 2023</em>. <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/harrison-butker-georgia-tech-graduation-2023">https://www.ncregister.com/news/harrison-butker-georgia-tech-graduation-2023</a></p></li><li><p>Associated Press. (n.d.). <em>Kansas City Chiefs Harrison Butker</em>. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-harrison-butker-e00f6ee45955c99ef1e809ec447239e0">https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-harrison-butker-e00f6ee45955c99ef1e809ec447239e0</a></p></li><li><p>MDPI. (2021). <em>Article in Sustainability (13(19), 10919)</em>. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/19/10919">https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/19/10919</a></p></li><li><p>University of Maine. (n.d.). <em>Social media statistics details</em>. <a href="https://umaine.edu/undiscoveredmaine/small-business/resources/marketing-for-small-business/social-media-tools/social-media-statistics-details/">https://umaine.edu/undiscoveredmaine/small-business/resources/marketing-for-small-business/social-media-tools/social-media-statistics-details/</a></p></li><li><p>U.S. Department of Labor. (2024, November 19). <em>New data: Childcare costs remain an almost prohibitive expense</em>. <a href="https://blog.dol.gov/2024/11/19/new-data-childcare-costs-remain-an-almost-prohibitive-expense">https://blog.dol.gov/2024/11/19/new-data-childcare-costs-remain-an-almost-prohibitive-expense</a></p></li><li></li></ul><p><strong>In Person</strong></p><ul><li><p>Dr. Meredith Heller: <a href="mailto:meredith.heller@nau.edu">meredith.heller@nau.edu</a></p></li><li><p>Dr. Jessie Finch: <a href="mailto:jessie.finch@nau.edu">jessie.finch@nau.edu</a></p></li><li><p>Megan Agnew: <a href="mailto:megan.agnew@sunday-times.co.uk">megan.agnew@sunday-times.co.uk</a></p></li><li><p>Rebecca Sandhu: <a href="mailto:becca.sandhu16@gmail.com">becca.sandhu16@gmail.com</a></p></li><li><p>Grayce Schumacher: (208) 949-1495</p><p></p></li><li></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Capstone Rough Draft]]></title><description><![CDATA[When you scroll, what do you see?]]></description><link>https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/p/capstone-rough-draft</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/p/capstone-rough-draft</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sophie Robinson]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:03:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When you scroll, what do you see?</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg" width="1456" height="1092" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1092,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:5677778,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/194743717?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BF36!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fad2ef50d-8516-4beb-86b4-707d2616994d_4608x3456.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Whether your feed is filled with memes, perfectly crafted photo dumps, or TikTok dances, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/278409/number-of-social-network-users-in-the-united-states/?srsltid=AfmBOoobEvL7tYB79piPY4jc-ZgHOA5sQy1mqa2DkMFYrMS2xlO0Tec9">millions of people </a>every day experience life through social media. Between our fingertips and a black screen lives a world entirely catered by algorithms &#8211; a phenomenon never known to us before.</p><p></p><p>In the digital age, no stone is left unturned, and no lifestyle is too far-fetched to aspire to. But what happens when the politics of today blends into the feed we consume? How do we differentiate between what&#8217;s real and what the algorithm conditions us to believe?</p><p></p><p>Social media is filled with trends and challenges aimed at keeping audiences engaged. Lifestyle influencers are a subset of that need for curated entertainment. These influencers consistently film or photograph their day-to-day life in engaging ways. This demand for aesthetic lifestyle content has evolved into a very niche brand of influencer &#8211; the social media tradwife.</p><p></p><p>Tradwife, short for &#8220;traditional wife,&#8221; is a term used to describe women who adhere to traditional gender roles and values. According to Sarah Banet-Weiser, from the Annenberg School of Communication, tradwives are a form of lifestyle influencer who, through discreet messaging, argue that women can find happiness by caring for their husbands, having children, and taking on the role of homemaker.</p><p></p><p>Though the concept of a stay-at-home mother or traditional homemaker is not new, the key difference exists in the curation and output of this content for anyone to consume. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/12/17/nx-s1-5206673/tradwives-have-taken-over-tiktok-now-ex-tradwives-want-their-moment">An article </a>by NPR explains that the origins of the trend began in 2020, and since then, it has become increasingly popular.</p><p></p><p>Megan Agnew, senior feature writer at The London Times, had the opportunity to meet with one of these women herself. Hannah Neelman, previously mentioned by her TikTok handle Ballerina Farm, is one of the most publicly known tradwives on the internet.</p><p></p><p>Agnew visited the Neelman&#8217;s farm in rural Utah in 2024 and wrote a <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/magazines/the-sunday-times-magazine/article/meet-the-queen-of-the-trad-wives-and-her-eight-children-plfr50cgk?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqfikIKgc7Y-84HdLMYFtscyh-s0ZqnYGkJVhS3cDFGggEgPnhpxJ2hu85TNldc%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69cc2785&amp;gaa_sig=NVMUsMOsGRccNqvFqe06bDRhLQkA_qF3mb10kJ3Wjs7tR3SNkwn4jODrtFAJapkyG6uJgtabx1SKUDnJ2dF6jA%3D%3D">feature story</a> covering all that she experienced. The story went viral on social media and, according to Agnew, was one of the most-read pieces in The Times&#8217; online history. She attributed the article&#8217;s success to the particular moment in time in which it was published.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;The day that Kamala Harris announced she was running was maybe two days after this was published,&#8221; Agnew said. &#8220;We had a sense it would be well read. I think if it had been published tomorrow, the response would be very different.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>According to Agnew, the back-to-back timeline of her article being published right before Harris announced her presidential bid created intense debate online. The prospect of a childless female candidate reignited arguments about gender roles. Agnew explained that sects of the conservative right argued that Harris&#8217; lack of children meant she didn&#8217;t have as much at stake within American democracy &#8211; discrediting her validity in the race.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;That same dichotomy between those two political spheres was exactly the thing that was being argued about in relation to the article,&#8221; Agnew explained.</p><p></p><p>Dr. Meredith Heller, a sociology professor at Northern Arizona University (NAU), has studied gender roles at length throughout her career. She explains that gender is an inherently performative pursuit, and in today&#8217;s society, it&#8217;s a form of self-presentation.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg" width="3233" height="3975" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:3975,&quot;width&quot;:3233,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2158646,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/194743717?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2199898c-61ff-40e2-b0fa-fad585238d55_3233x4509.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W9_x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68859549-282b-44b1-897e-b80754c89a30_3233x3975.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>&#8220;Gender is a public performance; the reason you are doing it is to communicate a role,&#8221; Heller said. &#8220;The tradwife theme is because we are in this reactionary period where people are saying these values are what you should be proud of. It&#8217;s a call towards a history.&#8221; &#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;</p><p></p><p>Dr. Heller graduated in 2004 with complementary degrees in women&#8217;s studies and theater. She went on to earn a master&#8217;s in sociology and a Ph.D. in theater. Today, Dr. Heller continues her academic responsibilities as a lecturer and assistant dean in women&#8217;s studies while authoring numerous academic articles in academic publications and journals.</p><p></p><p>Dr. Jessie Finch, Chair of the Department of Sociology, is Dr. Heller&#8217;s direct supervisor. She explained Heller&#8217;s impact on NAU&#8217;s Social and Behavioral Sciences College.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;She is a huge contributor,&#8221; said Dr. Finch, &#8220;She&#8217;s very well- equipped for this area. Her specialty is gender, but she does so much in performance and pop culture.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>Dr. Finch dissected this issue from her own perspective as both a sociology professor and chair of the department. She notes that humans generally have a bad sense of nuance. According to her, instead of embracing change or a complication, we as people tend to revert to a history that felt simple, which can be observed through this movement.</p><p></p><p>This desire for a simpler time can be satiated through a quick social media search, where users can find hundreds of videos of these women&#8217;s content. Their videos and photos serve as a time capsule for the seeming glory days of American society.</p><p></p><p>Many of these young women find empowerment through this persona and will happily attach the label to themselves as a badge of honor. For example, Sophie Kelly is a smaller influencer but is known for<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sophiek.kelly/video/7594530946515258679?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-959mvUZbyN3"> one video </a>where she outlines the traditional, simple life that she was warned against.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;I got married at 18, and this is the life everyone warned me about,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;While the world tells girls to wait, to wonder, to keep their options open &#8211; I choose to build, to commit.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>This video received over 3 million views and hundreds of thousands of likes. The response to this video in particular ranges from messages of support to satirical parody videos poking fun at Kelly.</p><p></p><p>Other smaller influencers have filled the space talking about their experiences as tradwives, and how their desire to stay home, cook, clean, and not have to work truly isn&#8217;t as profound as the media may suggest. Savanna Stone, another influencer, has posted several videos expressing her opinions on traditional marriages and woke media culture.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;It makes me sad that there are women and social media accounts whose entire personality is dedicated to hating on motherhood and womanhood,&#8221; <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@savannafaithstone/video/7488086043711802670?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-959nVzTGDKH">said Stone in her 2025 video</a>. &#8220;The enemy is using modern feminism to destroy the nuclear family, to strip women of traditional womanhood, and to get rid of reproduction.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>This video, along with several others of Stone&#8217;s, articulates her frustration with the demise of the traditional woman. A common theme across several tradwife videos is their expression of anger at the idea of being criticized for not wanting to work, being stressed, or not having the time to dedicate to their marriages and children.</p><p></p><p>While these women have a smaller following online, the tradwife trend has range. The most famous of these influencers include Nara Smith or Ballerina Farm, both of whom have over 10 million followers on TikTok and hundreds of millions of likes.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg" width="931" height="1164" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1164,&quot;width&quot;:931,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:294258,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/194743717?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Siy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F75b7f95f-7bd2-4671-a4a0-7d868e0b2e1b_931x1164.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Hannah Neelman, for the Times 100 List, 2025</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>These women brand their content by engaging with classic femininity: they wear opulent gowns, cook meals from scratch, or share potential baby names that they love. All the while, they are monetizing this content as they build their own unique brand.</p><p></p><p>This is what drew Agnew to Neelman&#8217;s farm in the first place: to ask why Neelman does what she does, and understand why everyone else is so interested. Ultimately, she went to Utah to understand her business, motivations, and the extraordinary success she&#8217;s had.</p><p></p><p>This opportunity granted front row seats to the lifestyle that became a social media spectacle. Agnew was clear that what she observed was merely a snapshot into life on the farm, but she observed a lot.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;It was striking because it was really difficult to have a conversation with her,&#8221; Agnew said. In the few hours she spent at the farm, Agnew never had the opportunity to sit down with Neelman alone. &#8220;That is limiting your own intellectual freedom. It&#8217;s literally difficult to get to the end of a sentence and explain yourself if you&#8217;re being called by other kids.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>Since she was unable to sit Neelman down one-on-one, Agnew was limited to a few questions she wanted to ask her. For example, she said she was not able to ask about birth control, family planning, or even the struggles of motherhood &#8211; finding it inappropriate to do so with the children nearby.</p><p></p><p>The kids were not the only distraction, however. Neelman&#8217;s husband, Daniel Neelman, also made it difficult to speak to his wife alone. Agnew explained that he was constantly pulling her in various directions, showing her irrigation ditches and other aspects of farmwork.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;I found her to be very deferential to her husband when I asked about things that were political or religious or perhaps controversial,&#8221; Agnew said. &#8220;He interjected, he truly interjected himself into it and pulled me away with him.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>Agnew admitted that she found herself beginning to panic over this interjection, as she was sent to Utah to obtain specific information for the story. As she was pulled throughout the rural landscape, she felt as though she was running out of time to talk to Neelman without interruption.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, Agnew decided to roll with the punches and accept this interview for what it was. Instead of a feature on the life and success of Hannah Neelman, it became a viral social commentary.</p><p></p><p>Agnew explained that the Neelmans&#8217; legal team reached out after the article was published to verify some pieces of the story. The Times was quickly able to respond to this, and the legality of the article was left in the past.</p><p></p><p>However, the scorn for Daniel Neelman&#8217;s name was not as easily settled. His interjection was noted by online audiences and widely criticized. This discourse also called into question the role of the tradwife counterpart: their husbands.</p><p></p><p>Behind every tradwife is their unseen partner, the man who, like his wife, embodies the persona of the American husband. These men are not the ones you would see on your for you page. They don&#8217;t have millions of followers or brand deals, and are only briefly referenced or shown in their wives&#8217; content. Despite their traditional role within their marriages, the trad husband is an underexplored media personality in comparison to their trendy wives.</p><div><hr></div><p>Banet-Weiser interprets this desire to revert to older, simpler times in her previously mentioned research. Her explanation sheds some light on this form of thinking.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;This rose-coloured past is often explicitly juxtaposed with an uncertain present, where gender identities are often blurred, economic success seems far out of reach for most people, and feminism continues to insist that women should be treated as equals to men,&#8221; Banet-Weiser writes. &#8220;Online tradwives position themselves as aspirational to their followers, advocating for a lifestyle that is simpler, less materialistic, more wholesome.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>To understand this desire to revert to the past, it&#8217;s important to study it. Scholars suggest that there are <a href="https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/types-of-feminism-the-four-waves/">four distinct waves </a>of the feminist movement. The first began around the late 19th century and was the first organized political movement against gender based inequalities. This era predominantly focused on women&#8217;s suffrage.</p><p></p><p>Second-wave feminism took root in the 1960s through the 70s. This wave focused on institutional oppression for women, as well as the first question into the legitimacy of traditional gender roles.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg" width="1264" height="542" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:542,&quot;width&quot;:1264,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:149263,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/194743717?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IYyT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa703188b-cf99-4647-9f61-1a2ebeea071c_1264x542.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Women&#8217;s Strike for Equality, 1970</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>This built momentum for third-wave feminism, which encompassed the early 1990s. Women were more open and expressive with how they dressed, spoke, and gained more confidence and autonomy in their sexualities.</p><p></p><p>Finally, fourth-wave feminism is still being defined as it&#8217;s the most present form seen in today&#8217;s world. This era is characterized by social media activism, inclusivity, and intersectionality. Fourth-wave is complex as it includes the framework for other major social movements.</p><p></p><p>From winning the vote to body positivity, even to LGBTQ+ rights, feminism encompasses collective action to a more equitable society. Yet, tradwives tend to glamorize the state of the world before the second wave, and many refuse to claim themselves as feminists.</p><p></p><p>A consistent belief across many right-wing media spaces is the suggestion that feminism is no longer needed in modern America. With that rationality, any woman who chooses the role of traditional wife is merely acting on their own personal freedom; this is the general framework of choice feminism.</p><p></p><p>However, Heller disagrees with this argument. She explains that post feminism essentially argues that because all of society now has equal rights, feminist activism is no longer needed. These equal rights, therefore, are created by choice.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;Nara Smith has that choice because she&#8217;s rich. Because she&#8217;s a social media influencer. Because she has help to take care of her kids,&#8221; Heller said. &#8220;If we think about a poor single mother, they don&#8217;t have that authenticity of choice.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg" width="688" height="1007" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1007,&quot;width&quot;:688,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:88804,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/194743717?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Kcp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b80a0cf-0987-4a50-87de-520bdfdbf292_688x1007.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Excerpt from Nara Smith&#8217;s Instagram Video, 2025</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>This creates a contrast between the traditional housewife and the tradwife influencer. While these women are propagating a particular lifestyle to seem aspirational to their thousands of followers and marketing it as a return to simpler times, they are also directly profiting from their content&#8212;a luxury not shared by the women they &#8220;influence.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>Heller also points to the contradiction and irony of the movement: these influencers who are claiming to champion traditional values are leveraging those values in an untraditional way, by monetizing content on a digital platform.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;They are playing a character,&#8221; Heller said, comparing the online movement to reality TV. &#8220;They are using this character to make money; it just happens that this character has their name and their identity.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>Influencers tend to make the majority of their income through brand deals and partnerships. There is also a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/support/faq_detail?id=7581821550694013452&amp;category=web_account">rewards program </a>that pays creators a certain amount per 1,000 views, and for someone who is consistently making content, gaining a following, and securing partnerships, multiple revenue streams are possible.</p><p></p><p>This action creates a tension between these identities. In the version of America that tradwives are promoting, women could not even open a credit card or apply for a loan without a male cosigner. It wasn&#8217;t until 1974 that the Equal Opportunity Act was passed, making it illegal for banks to discriminate on the basis of sex.</p><p></p><p>However, these influencers who fundamentally believe in these traditional values are receiving direct financial compensation for the content they export. This contradicts the traditional values from midcentury America that they glamorize.</p><p></p><p>There is also debate on social media and among scholars about the motivations behind this movement.  Megan Zahay explores this idea in her piece in <a href="https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/5726">The Journal of Media and Communication.</a></p><p></p><p>Her analysis concludes that social media is being used as a medium for far-right movements to package extremist concepts into aesthetically pleasing content, and they do so under the guise of saving the &#8220;feminine woman.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>But this begs the question of what a feminine woman is defined as in our world. Zahay accounts for this in her dissertation:</p><p></p><p>&#8220;The feminine self is comprised of a traditionally beautiful face and body, dressed in fashionable yet modest clothing, complemented by elegant comportment and even elocution,&#8221; Zahay writes. &#8220;The aesthetic quality of a popular content creator&#8217;s own self suggests its desirability to most women. Even more, it reinforces their role as reproducers, as bearers both of literal people and the people as a populist signifier.&#8221;</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43301423">Populism</a> is a political theory that claims to represent the will of the people in a world divided between commoners and the elite. Zahay is essentially arguing that these influencers, whether they know it or not, are framing their lifestyles as those of the typical person, and that it is something women should strive to achieve.</p><p></p><p>But beyond theory, these ideas play out in the lives of young women engaging with content every day. Rebecca Sandhu is a junior at NAU, and as a young woman in her 20s, has very strong opinions about the implications of the tradwife trend.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;This movement has truly pushed women backwards and has leaned into this idea that feminism is something to be disappointed in and something to lean away from,&#8221; Sandhu said. &#8220;I think that ideology is very set on traditional white women and traditional white cookie-cutter American families. It&#8217;s very 20th century.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg" width="2928" height="3515" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:3515,&quot;width&quot;:2928,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1838259,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/i/194743717?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d423104-9930-46f8-8d20-4acd57dbb790_3143x3921.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OuyR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F021bbe8d-60a6-4b03-b838-989e24004621_2928x3515.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Sandhu, 2025</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>Sandhu is an Honors student seeking a double major in Political Science and Politics and Media. She has a strong sense of social justice and a passion for political policy.  She is also currently completing an internship in the Democratic Caucus of the Arizona House of Representatives and explains that in the career she wants to enter, being a traditional woman would be a hindrance, not a virtue.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;You would be submissive, you would be a pushover, and I think at the end of the day that&#8217;s not something I have ever connected to,&#8221; Sandhu said. &#8220;That&#8217;s something some women want to narrow themselves into to be seen as desirable, but I feel like that concept is very harmful.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>Statistically, women with higher levels of education are more likely to identify as feminists, which aligns with Sandhu&#8217;s position. According to a study by <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/07/07/61-of-u-s-women-say-feminist-describes-them-well-many-see-feminism-as-empowering-polarizing/">Pew Research</a>, about 72% of women with at least a bachelor&#8217;s degree consider themselves feminist, compared with 56% of women with less education.</p><p></p><p>This data is strengthened by the fact that women are consistently shown to outpace men in college turnout. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/11/18/us-women-are-outpacing-men-in-college-completion-including-in-every-major-racial-and-ethnic-group/#:~:text=By%20Kiley%20Hurst,completion%20in%20the%20United%20States.">In 2024, Pew Research </a>also found that 47% of women ages 25 to 34 had a bachelor&#8217;s degree, compared to 37% of men.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg" width="1456" height="1092" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q536!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12d47041-72c7-458f-aaf9-29100bb7e599_2048x1536.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">NAU Students making posters for a reproductive rights march, 2024</figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>While tradwife content is becoming more popular online, verified data suggests that women are not simply ditching higher education to become homemakers. This leads to a deceiving reality that only social media can emulate.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;Social media is so manipulative now,&#8221; Heller said. &#8220;You only see what it wants you to see; it wants to manipulate your emotions to get you to do something.&#8221;</p><p></p><p>To account for this discrepancy, I reached out to about 15 tradwife influencers who adhere to this lifestyle through email or direct message on social media.  Only two have gotten back to me &#8211; one whose talent manager responded on her behalf, and the other who stopped responding once it was made clear I could not conduct an interview via email.</p><p></p><p>So what do we take away from this? The data suggests one reality, while social media permeates another. Two truths can exist simultaneously: traditional values are being reinforced in the media, but no evidence suggests that the work of the feminist movement has been in vain. Still, there&#8217;s a long way to go.</p><p></p><p>Heller concluded our conversation, touching on this topic. According to her, feminism isn&#8217;t about the individual, but rather is a movement to address systemic issues in our society.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;For someone to say &#8216;Feminism is that I have a choice, that means that person has assets or privileges to make an authentic choice, but if not everybody has the ability to, then it&#8217;s not feminist, it&#8217;s just you working the system,&#8221; Dr. Heller said calmly. &#8220;Just because they can succeed in the system doesn&#8217;t mean that the system is not flawed.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Source List</strong></p><ul><li><p>Banet-Weiser, Sarah. <em>Empowered: Popular Feminism and Popular Misogyny</em>. Duke University Press, 2018.</p></li><li><p>NPR. &#8220;The Rise of the Tradwife Trend.&#8221; NPR, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/&#8230;</p></li><li><p>Agnew, Megan. &#8220;A Day on Ballerina Farm: The Life of a Social Media Tradwife.&#8221; <em>The London Times</em>, 2024. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/&#8230;</p></li><li><p>Zahay, Megan. <em>The Feminine Self and Social Media Influence</em>. Journal of Media and Communication, 2025. [link]</p></li><li><p>Pew Research Center. &#8220;Women and Higher Education in the U.S., 2024.&#8221; https://www.pewresearch.org/&#8230;</p></li><li><p>University of Kentucky. &#8220;Social Media and Political Discourse.&#8221; 2023. [link]</p></li><li><p><a href="https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/voices-independence-four-oral-histories-about-building-womens-economic-power#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20her,racist%20discrimination%20in%20banking%20overnight">https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/voices-independence-four-oral-histories-about-building-womens-economic-power#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20her,racist%20discrimination%20in%20banking%20overnight</a>.</p></li><li><p>Dr. Meredith Heller: <a href="mailto:meredith.heller@nau.edu">meredith.heller@nau.edu</a></p></li><li><p>Dr. Jessie Finch: <a href="mailto:jessie.finch@nau.edu">jessie.finch@nau.edu</a></p></li><li><p>Megan Agnew: <a href="mailto:megan.agnew@sunday-times.co.uk">megan.agnew@sunday-times.co.uk</a></p></li><li><p>Rebecca Sandhu: <a href="mailto:becca.sandhu16@gmail.com">becca.sandhu16@gmail.com</a></p></li><li><p>Kelly, Sophie. TikTok Video, 2026.</p></li><li><p>Stone, Savanna. TikTok Video, 2025.</p></li><li></li></ul><ul><li></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Coming Soon: When Tradition Goes Viral ]]></title><description><![CDATA[An Investigation into the Rise of the Social Media Tradwife]]></description><link>https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/p/coming-soon-when-tradition-goes-viral</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/p/coming-soon-when-tradition-goes-viral</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sophie Robinson]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 04:38:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!64sY!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2846da25-b275-45b4-9477-0a3a7acfaf47_144x144.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7eyW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F778d1a40-1795-4390-8462-4b7ac4e29240_400x299.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7eyW!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F778d1a40-1795-4390-8462-4b7ac4e29240_400x299.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7eyW!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F778d1a40-1795-4390-8462-4b7ac4e29240_400x299.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7eyW!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F778d1a40-1795-4390-8462-4b7ac4e29240_400x299.jpeg 1272w, 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class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Social media dictates what is desirable in this day and age, whether to the benefit or detriment of our society. Whether it&#8217;s what clothes are trendy, what celebrities are doing, or more dangerously, what lifestyle choices are morally or aesthetically pleasing, the media&#8217;s influence is an undeniable truth. In recent years, the rise of the traditional wife, also known as a &#8220;tradwife,&#8221; has gained increasing popularity in media spaces. From preparing home-cooked meals from scratch to sharing birthing stories, these wives have created the ideal aesthetic lifestyle for young women, all in the name of choice feminism. However, this raises a serious societal and ethical question: Is this life something women should strive for?</p><p>At twenty-two years old, I&#8217;ve already felt the societal pressure to conform to a traditional lifestyle, especially given my background growing up in a conservative state and being raised in the Catholic school system. In the United States today, it&#8217;s important for girls to know that it&#8217;s okay to have other aspirations outside of marriage and motherhood, and in America right now, that&#8217;s not always a very well-received fact. This capstone project will seek to understand this issue from a social, political, and academic perspective, as well as learn from the personal experiences of the women interviewed.</p><p>This story cannot be properly approached without being cognizant of its complexity and the vast differences in public opinion. Examining the motivations and intentions of the way people live their lives can be a sensitive topic, so it&#8217;s necessary to treat each interview with the care and respect it deserves, regardless of my own personal convictions. The goal is to tell each side of this story without shaming those who choose a traditional lifestyle. However, it&#8217;s important not to shy away from how posting, encouraging, and emulating a life that is not attainable for most people is dangerous. Most women in the United States, whether they want to or not, do not have the luxury of staying at home without financial strain. The tradwife movement is a dangerous reinforcement of outdated gender ideals, especially in our political climate today. This project will aim to highlight the shortcomings of this trend while remaining sensitive and objective about the women who live this reality.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Coming soon]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is Sophie&#39;s Substack.]]></description><link>https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/p/coming-soon</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/p/coming-soon</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sophie Robinson]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:31:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!64sY!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2846da25-b275-45b4-9477-0a3a7acfaf47_144x144.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is Sophie&#39;s Substack.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://sophiearobinson17.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>