Gender Roles

Traditional gender roles have in place in our society before western civilization began.  Usually, the male is placed in the lead of the family, tribe, or community and the female is hangs back in order to focus on domestic issues.  This system worked for thousands of years.  However, starting in the early 20th century, women started to have an impact on society beyond the household.  Although progress was not always steady, nor complete,  the feminist movement was able to vastly improve the equality afforded to women dramatically over the course of the century.  While this higher equality is good for society,  where does it leave traditional gender roles?  Are they obsolete?  In addition to femenine equality, other issues such as higher divorce rates, dual income families, and homosexual rights are also challanging the survivability of the nuclear family.  What will there impact be in the years to come?