'Mancession' Takes Toll on Working Women

Submitted by anthony on Mon, 2010-01-25 17:58

Article here. Excerpt:

'(Jan. 23) – Women are about to claim majority status in the American workplace, sounding the bell on a number of decades-old feminist goals. At last, we're financially independent, professionally respected, in charge of both men and ourselves. But even before we've cleared that milestone, we're ready to give it all back.

Isn't that just like a woman, a man might say.

A recent Pew study found that an increasing number of women express ambivalence about sharing the job market equally with men. Nearly two-thirds of working mothers now say they'd prefer their jobs be part time, up from 48 percent just 10 years ago. Only 37 percent are content with working full time.

Women aren't becoming lazier; nor, it seems, are they making a concerted turn against feminist ideals. Rather, it's that these days – when you factor in the new recessionary reality of longer hours at the office for those who still have jobs, as well as the resulting uptick in even more time away from the kids and money spent on child care – the cost of working is greater than the cost of staying home.
...
Some working mothers would argue that choosing to stay home with the kids is itself an act of feminism – empowerment isn't about proving superiority over men, but making decisions that are personally suitable. Still, even if life as a stay-at-home mom is as fulfilling as climbing the corporate ladder, in nearly all cases it doesn't pay very well.

Which leaves us dependent on our partners. All over again.'

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Comments

... to this comment I made...

http://news.mensactivism.org/node/14593#comment-21030

I like this from Hunchback, too "Six of one, half dozen..." at http://news.mensactivism.org/node/14593#comment-21035

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Submitted by Matt on Mon, 2010-01-25 18:39

Women have three options in life: they can work full time, stay at home full time, or do a combination of the two. Men also have three options: they can work full time, work overtime, or work two jobs.

-ax

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Submitted by axolotl on Mon, 2010-01-25 21:23

Die in the street outcast by a society that does not accept a choice other then those you mention?

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Submitted by Paragon on Tue, 2010-01-26 00:28

In truth, women never quit being dependent on men, with perhaps the exception of some single women who never had kids. Many single mothers simply shifted their dependency from a man to the welfare state. The advantage is the welfare state demands little in return--and it's mostly men who pay the taxes that pay the welfare. Divorced women depend on child support and/or alimony paid by men.

What's different today is not that women are dependent on men, but that women are not expected to give anything in return. Welfare, alimony, and child support are simply entitlements; the woman is required to give nothing in return to the man. Ideally, they shouldn't have to give to the children either, who should all be raised by minimum-wage workers at daycare centers paid for by the government.

One of the primary purposes of feminism was to re-write the social contract so women received more and more from men (and society) but were required to give less and less to men (and society). Thus, women have freedom and rights, men have wage slavery and responsibilities. In that situation, Paragon's Option 4 becomes more appealing.

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Submitted by el cid on Tue, 2010-01-26 03:40

I don't know about dying in the street, but it's fun being an outcast - you get to sit back and watch everyone else spin their wheels. We all end up in the ground anyway. (Read Marcus Aurelius, and Schopenhauer - you'll feel less bad about the prospect of dying.)

-ax

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Submitted by axolotl on Tue, 2010-01-26 07:29