Re: [Fwd: Re: "Family values"]

[Adam Ophir Shapira <vorlon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Katha Pollitt wrote:

> I don't think the difficulties of mothers in the workplace can be solved
> by workplace measures alone. The change must happen at home too.  As
> long as men don't do their share at home and put their own careers and
> amusements first, which most at present now do,  women will be hampered
> in their work. Why should MOTHERS be the ones with "split loyalties" and
> fathers not? Why should DAUGHTERS care for aged parents and not sons?
> Why should WIVES arrange their work lives around   husbands' work and
> not husbands around the work of wives?

Social customs. Yes, I agree, these social customs need
to change ... but "social customs" still is, for the time
being, the answer to your question.

Those social customs that I have described were *not*
present in the household that I grew up in ... and I
hope that when it comes my turn to be a spouse and
parent they won't be present in that household either.
But still, I am aware that *most* families still have
those social customs.

Furthermore, even in these cases where those social
customs don't exist ... employers still tend to
*assume* that they do. Therefore, any attempt to change
these social customs (if it is to be a successful
attempt) would require co-operation from the workplaces.
(This is one area where employee-owned companies is
IMHO necessary ... as government legislation to this
effect would be difficult to enforce.)


[snip]

>
>   As a feminist, I oppose anything resembling a "mommy track" in which
> women -- and it will be women -- are consigned to lower levels at work
> in return for flexible schedules, shorter hours etc. so they can perform
> their "responsibilities" at home.

What I think is that instead of given mothers 2 parent-shares
of schedule flexibility at work ... they should give *each*
parent 1 parent-share of flexibility at work. That way, if
the child has to be picked up from school because he/she is
sick, etc., or even has gotten into trouble ... sometimes the
mother can pick up the child ... and sometimes the father can.

Obviously, one parent has to be able to leave work whenever
it is necessary for the child's sake ... and therefore the
only way to do it without being sexist is for the parents to
take turns.


>
>    I think women should have affirmative action at home -- men do the
> lion's share of domestic labor for the next three thousand years!

Once again, any change in social customs regarding how
housework is distributed, if it is to be successful, would
require co-operation from the workplace ... and to acheive
this we'd need more workplaces that are owned by the
employees.