Maybe I just don't get it. I watched my mom wear so many of the hats growing up - working for my dad's nonprofit, being a mother, playing therapist, playing spiritual advisor, being a housewife and cook, basically going along with 80-90% of whatever my dad wanted - and I have decided that I don't want much of any of that in a wife. My fiance got the ring because while we share similar values (though she is further left than me and has crazy ideas sometimes), we are different people. She is messy, I'm neat(er); she is the extroverted life of any social event, I'm an introverted wallflower; she is sort of zany, I'm practical; she's laidbackand hates planning, I'm more driven; she is creative, I've got the artistic & style sense of an engineer; she is generally kind to others (unless they've wronged her), I have Resting Polish Face and I tend to be a dick.
Basically, I see her as someone who compliments and smooths over the worst parts of my personality (and vice versa). I also see her as a check on me and not a pushover who will go along with whatever I want. A lot of men don't care about or want either of those things. They just want a pretty face to crank out sons and put meals on the table for them. And as odd as it seems, that's all some women want as well. You could try to pin it on the religious brainwashing that starts at a young age, it certainly doesn't help matters, but I don't think that explains all of it.