Actually the funny thing is, True "first wave" faminism, wasnt about just choice, it was about personal responsibility and about women having not only the power but the RESPONSIBLITY to affect change on society. Anyone who *thinks* they know what feminism is really about needs to do a little reading on susan b anthony and others of her time.
You kind of miss the point she made. In general housewives in the 50's did NOT make the choice to be housewives, it was the only option presented to them. Their fathers told them what to do with their lives. And then they got married and their husbands told them what to do with their lives. Women had little to no control over their own lives. In fact, it was not legal for a woman to file rape charges against her husband, beccause legally, a woman wasnt ALLOWED to say no to her husband. A husband could have his wife locked up in a psych ward basically for being "different"... (Half the women in psych wards in the fifties were there because they didn't quite fit into societies' role for them, thought differently, and thus were "mentally ill deviants"...) A woman could only go to college if her family allowed it.
Actually i HAVE heard of men complaining about male stereotypes. I've lived my whole life seeing what damage male stereotypes do. My father was stay at home dad, a very active stay at home dad, who "gasp" wasnt divorced, wasnt a widower... My mother worked, my father took care of us. Whenever he would come to school functions, as the ONLY 'room dad", (the phrase used was ALWAYS "room mother" not room parent, at my elementary school) people would actually ASSUME my mother had run out on us, or was dead. One teacher actually pulled my dad aside to say how wonderful she thought it was that a man would step up to try and raise kids after the death of his wife. My dad faced this kind of crap the whole time we were growing up, and STILL does today when carpooling my little sister back and forth to softball games and band practice. He was one of TWO dads that volunteered to be chaperones on a marching band trip to florida, out of like thirty chaperones.
This kind of stereotyping has not only made life hard for my father, it made things hard for us kids, and even my mother. My mother works in the science industry, relatively high on that "corporate ladder" that keeps gettting mentioned. As a matter of fact she's the only woman in her department, that isnt a secretary. She works twice as hard as anyone in her department, and is the one that everyone in her company comes to when there is a problem, yet makes less money. Because of the idiot attitudes of people, my mother, who works harder than anyone i know, actually feels GUILTY, not because she'd "rather be home nurturing" but because other people look down on her for not being a stay at home mom. My father, also, feels guilty, despite the fact he has loved the chance to be a stay at home parent, despite it wasnt his original plan. Circumstances presented it as the best option, and over the years, quite frankly, hes done an overwhelmingly great job at it. The reality is, my mother hasthe ability to make twice as much money as my father, it wouldnt even begin to make sense to reverse their roles, and frankly, my father is better at dealing with taking care ofthe kids. He's raised two daughters and one son who is severely mentally handicapped, a task which most people (male or female) wouldnt be able to handle. He's helped with homework, carpooled, arranged doctor's appointments, and bandaged up hurt knees with the best of him. Yet society tells him on a daily basis that that is wrong, that by doing so he is a "poor money manager", lazy, or not supporting his family as he should.
And yes, my father has tried to educate people about these stereotypes. Especially starting with his daughters. (And his own family, who have never quite understood his choices) My dad has raised us to realise we can choose any lifestyle that is best for us and that that is okay. If i chose a career, or if i chose to be a housewife, my father would support either choice, as long asit was the best choice for myself and my family.
Um, where exactly do you get the cold hard fact that "most women" like being with kids, like to be led, and would rather stay at home? Exactly how many women have you talked to?
But why is it that one only complains that women are being forced to work, whereas its just assumed that men will work? Isnt that sexism in itself? Im sure there are many men out there who would love to be stay at home dads who due to financial difficulties are forced to work also.
Yes i agree, there ARE feminists who would look down on a woman for being housewives... But (a) not ALL feminists are of the "men are the root of all evil" variety, and (b) I know a LOT MORE men who would look down on a man for choosing to be a stay at home dad.
Here's a better idea... Instead of giving Barbie Linux, let's just start eliminating such incredibly unrealistic gender roles! Girls spend half their lives trying to live up to the unrealistic self images they are bombarded with from every source of media. And boys are just as forced into sex roles.
you want to see more women in IT and science fields? Try actually targetting them at young ages to actually get them interested. Every program in this country designed to teach girls that they CAN be interested in science, including those currently sponsored by NASA, doesnt target girls until late middle school or high school even, which is way too late. My mother, who is IN a science field, has on more than one occasion expressed how much this frustrates her. And its a normal thing. When my younger sister's girl scout troop had a "career day" to show girls they could "be anything they wanted to" the people the troop leaders invited in were a teacher, a nurse, and a couple of waitresses. (This was despite offers from a doctor, an environmental toxicologist, an IT person, and even a female firefighter to speak...) These are the messages we send young girls on a daily basis.
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Actually the funny thing is, True "first wave" faminism, wasnt about just choice, it was about personal responsibility and about women having not only the power but the RESPONSIBLITY to affect change on society. Anyone who *thinks* they know what feminism is really about needs to do a little reading on susan b anthony and others of her time.
And what response would your co-workers and male friends have if you suddenly announced you were leaving the workforce to be a stay at home dad?
You kind of miss the point she made. In general housewives in the 50's did NOT make the choice to be housewives, it was the only option presented to them. Their fathers told them what to do with their lives. And then they got married and their husbands told them what to do with their lives. Women had little to no control over their own lives. In fact, it was not legal for a woman to file rape charges against her husband, beccause legally, a woman wasnt ALLOWED to say no to her husband. A husband could have his wife locked up in a psych ward basically for being "different"... (Half the women in psych wards in the fifties were there because they didn't quite fit into societies' role for them, thought differently, and thus were "mentally ill deviants"...) A woman could only go to college if her family allowed it.
Actually i HAVE heard of men complaining about male stereotypes. I've lived my whole life seeing what damage male stereotypes do. My father was stay at home dad, a very active stay at home dad, who "gasp" wasnt divorced, wasnt a widower... My mother worked, my father took care of us. Whenever he would come to school functions, as the ONLY 'room dad", (the phrase used was ALWAYS "room mother" not room parent, at my elementary school) people would actually ASSUME my mother had run out on us, or was dead. One teacher actually pulled my dad aside to say how wonderful she thought it was that a man would step up to try and raise kids after the death of his wife. My dad faced this kind of crap the whole time we were growing up, and STILL does today when carpooling my little sister back and forth to softball games and band practice. He was one of TWO dads that volunteered to be chaperones on a marching band trip to florida, out of like thirty chaperones. This kind of stereotyping has not only made life hard for my father, it made things hard for us kids, and even my mother. My mother works in the science industry, relatively high on that "corporate ladder" that keeps gettting mentioned. As a matter of fact she's the only woman in her department, that isnt a secretary. She works twice as hard as anyone in her department, and is the one that everyone in her company comes to when there is a problem, yet makes less money. Because of the idiot attitudes of people, my mother, who works harder than anyone i know, actually feels GUILTY, not because she'd "rather be home nurturing" but because other people look down on her for not being a stay at home mom. My father, also, feels guilty, despite the fact he has loved the chance to be a stay at home parent, despite it wasnt his original plan. Circumstances presented it as the best option, and over the years, quite frankly, hes done an overwhelmingly great job at it. The reality is, my mother hasthe ability to make twice as much money as my father, it wouldnt even begin to make sense to reverse their roles, and frankly, my father is better at dealing with taking care ofthe kids. He's raised two daughters and one son who is severely mentally handicapped, a task which most people (male or female) wouldnt be able to handle. He's helped with homework, carpooled, arranged doctor's appointments, and bandaged up hurt knees with the best of him. Yet society tells him on a daily basis that that is wrong, that by doing so he is a "poor money manager", lazy, or not supporting his family as he should. And yes, my father has tried to educate people about these stereotypes. Especially starting with his daughters. (And his own family, who have never quite understood his choices) My dad has raised us to realise we can choose any lifestyle that is best for us and that that is okay. If i chose a career, or if i chose to be a housewife, my father would support either choice, as long asit was the best choice for myself and my family.
Um, where exactly do you get the cold hard fact that "most women" like being with kids, like to be led, and would rather stay at home? Exactly how many women have you talked to?
But why is it that one only complains that women are being forced to work, whereas its just assumed that men will work? Isnt that sexism in itself? Im sure there are many men out there who would love to be stay at home dads who due to financial difficulties are forced to work also. Yes i agree, there ARE feminists who would look down on a woman for being housewives... But (a) not ALL feminists are of the "men are the root of all evil" variety, and (b) I know a LOT MORE men who would look down on a man for choosing to be a stay at home dad.
Here's a better idea... Instead of giving Barbie Linux, let's just start eliminating such incredibly unrealistic gender roles! Girls spend half their lives trying to live up to the unrealistic self images they are bombarded with from every source of media. And boys are just as forced into sex roles. you want to see more women in IT and science fields? Try actually targetting them at young ages to actually get them interested. Every program in this country designed to teach girls that they CAN be interested in science, including those currently sponsored by NASA, doesnt target girls until late middle school or high school even, which is way too late. My mother, who is IN a science field, has on more than one occasion expressed how much this frustrates her. And its a normal thing. When my younger sister's girl scout troop had a "career day" to show girls they could "be anything they wanted to" the people the troop leaders invited in were a teacher, a nurse, and a couple of waitresses. (This was despite offers from a doctor, an environmental toxicologist, an IT person, and even a female firefighter to speak...) These are the messages we send young girls on a daily basis.