More Power for Women in the Household: Feminist Progress or Yet a Third Shift?

Shannon LC Cate — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:46:00 GMT

Though it purports to be about remote controls and television habits, this article in the Washington Post on a recent Pew poll of control in families is really about the work women are doing for their families, many of whom are already working all day away from their families.

Now, in addition to a paid job, housework and manager of the children's lives, women are gaining power in the four areas of finances, weekend activities, big-ticket purchases and television. (The television category is misleading, however, given that most people have multiple televisions and are retiring to separate rooms to watch them rather than squabbling over a family set.)

Finances? Read: balancing checkbooks, researching mortgage refinancing, budgeting for school supplies, winter coats and shoes. Weekend activities? You mean soccer games, dance recitals and religious observances? Big-ticket purchases? Oh, washer/driers, refrigerators and dishwashers?

Sounds like the usual round of women's work to me.

It strikes me as odd that the pollers are acting as if women being responsible for these things is some kind of fabulous feminist progress, because it wasn't like this half a century (and more) ago. Says Andrew Cherlin of Johns Hopkins University, "It's not the same as the 50's and '60's, where 'father knew best'."

Can I get a "duh?"

In this world, women doing more work is not really news. That work--or "control"--as the article calls it getting compensated in the same way men's work is compensated would be real news and real progress.

Public Says Children Better Off When Unhappy Parents Divorce, and Single Moms Suck

Karen Murphy — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:31:00 GMT

My oh my, the public (whoever they are) certainly is opinionated! Blah-de-blah, we like to shoot off our mouths, apparently, about anything. Especially when we can spout off about someone else's business. And the Pew Research Center recently asked a whole bunch of people their very opinionated opinions about a whole bunch of things like marriage and parenting, and this is what they said:

1. Unmarried moms = bad. Almost half the Judgy McJudgerpants "public" (whoever they are) says you and your spawn are bad, bad, bad if you're not married, and a full two-thirds says it's bad for society! But only if you're a mom. There's no word on the dads, so I guess they're in the clear.

2. Premarital sex = bad. Well, the one goes with the other, I suppose. Though fewer people said premarital sex was the beginning of a long and slippery downward slope to the Land of Evil than got all judgmental about unmarried moms, so I guess the real moral of the story is: don't get caught. Oh, and cohabitation is also bad, bad, bad.

3. Children are your path to happiness. 85% of the people gave "having a relationship with my minor children" a "10" in Importance in Personal Satisfaction and Fulfillment. Take that, non-breeders!

4. If you're unhappy in marriage, get a fucking divorce already. Especially when there's kids involved. Kinda ironic, though, isn't it? It's okay to divorce (and thus become a single parent) if you're already married, but it's NOT okay if you were never married to begin with. Have I got that right?

Freakin' public. Who are these people, anyway?

Strollerderby : Pew Research Center

More Power for Women in the Household: Feminist Progress or Yet a Third Shift?

Public Says Children Better Off When Unhappy Parents Divorce, and Single Moms Suck