In her article "The Mommy Tax," Ann Critenden highlights several important and controversial issues that both women and men face when they choose to have children. Despite the article being slightly outdated and sometimes extreme, Critenden makes several points that forced me to think about issues that I realized I wasn't very familiar with. I think many people are familiar with the issue of equal pay between men and women in the workplace, but Critenden's focus on mothers (and parents) provides a new framework for consideration.
I think most government and company policies only scratch the surface of an issue that they should be facing head on. I found it troubling that both Virginia Daly and Cindy DiBiasi - women who fought back against the system - were essentially silenced by the system and the law. For DiBiasi, the process was so draining and overwhelming that she ended up not suing her employer at all. Cases like hers are discouraging, yet this seems to be the norm, not the exception. A lot of women are having to decide between having a career and having a family. For some people, this may not seem like such a big deal. Why not just pick one? Why not have both? It is strange to think that this decision may be framed as a choice. Critenden explains, "Americans have a hard time realizing that such deeply personal choices as when or whether to have a child can be powerfully circumscribed by broader social or economic factors. American women, in particular, are stunningly unaware that their "choices" between a career and a family are much more limited than those of women in many European countries, where policies are much more favorable to mothers and children" (108). The choice may seem simple to those of us who haven't had to consider it - have a career or have kids. But the reality for most parents is anything but simple. The social norms, stereotypes, and laws in the US make it very difficult for parents to actually have both without facing negative consequences - consequences that Critenden says could be prevented if more appropriate laws were in place.
At the Manifesta lecture, several students expressed concerns about the administrations handling of sexual misconduct and assault. Jennifer and Amy talked about how sometimes it can be difficult for people (in that case, the administration) to grasp the importance and/or severity of an issue. They suggested framing the issue in terms of another issue - something that Critenden does with the mommy tax and anti-discrimination laws - a possible step in reducing the mommy tax by expanding antidiscrimination laws to cover parents. She explains that Joan Williams, a law professor, argues that "the design of work around masculine norms can be reconceptualized as discrimination" (107). Perhaps in this light, more people would realize the significance of the issues faced by mothers, fathers, children, and families in our country and begin (or hopefully, by now, to continue) to work together towards positive change.
The realities of women today, and "how far we've come" is something that still has a lot of groundwork to cover. As much as the feminist movement has made strides improving the lives of women, societal constructions have still placed roadblocks in the way for women to achieve equality and a desirable lifestyle in today's world. The personal accounts from Hakim-Dyce and Rangel show the reality and weight of the issues at hand for women trying to make ends meet. We are often stuck in this bubble at Colgate, surrounded by many privileged kids who will never be forced to think about these life situations. However, this is the minority, not the majority. These harsh realities are facing women everywhere. Having children, like in the case of Rangel, where she is living at the whim of the government, is becoming more and more difficult with the increasing government regulations.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the message in the Manifesta lecture when it was mentioned that regarding legislation surrounding women's issues and rights, many strides have been made. However, the hardships remain in the homes, where the real change takes place. I think these two cases, as well as the "Mommy Tax" article and Barbara Ehrenreich's article illustrate the point that internal change must come about for social justice to occur.
"Maid to Order" discusses the same theme of power structures and gender relations that Ariel Levy discussed in Female Chauvinist Pigs, and the power struggle that remains at the center of the women's rights debate that we have been discussing for the duration of the semester. The notion of the maid not only touches upon gender distinctions, but also those of class and race. Incorporating Lorde into her article, Ehrenreich shows she has done her homework in researching feminist literature and writing within the feminist movement itself.
Parenting and careers come up in the majority of the readings for today. The Mommy Tax is a harsh reality that females will be living with for a long time until sweeping change comes about. On the surface, the statistics look good. As Nora mentioned, Critenden provides yet another framework to look at inequality in the workplace in relation to parenting. Coming from a family where my mom worked full time for the majority of my childhood, these issues are close to heart. Both of my parents had to put the time in in order to give my sister and I the lives that we are lucky enough to have today. However, this came with many sacrifices, numerous babysitters, and a dynamic where both mom and dad couldn't be at every social function or sporting event growing up. This is a mild case among many realities that American families are forced to deal with. Comparatively with other nations, I think the United States needs to take an introspective look into the system and the fundamental flaws that plague women's rights as women and as human beings.
I think both Nora and Katie provide valuable critique and examination of Crittenden's stance on inequality in the workplace. The idea of a 'Mommy Tax' is an important issue that is faced solely by women and this tax often presents the case where a woman is faced with either continuing or ending her career. This is clearly a problem with the structuring of the workforce and workplace today and is persisted by the perceived expendability of women in the workplace that is seen today. I feel this article from the Maroon News does a great job of providing an focused look at this issue and how certain circumstances can provide varying capabilities to have flexibility to avoid the Mommy Tax. Strawberry labels Coming from a Colgate Alum this message is much more relatable and in her article Chao even presents views from the opposition surrounding a book she read in book club, which lend to strengthen her overall message that working after having children was exactly the right thing for her to do. Although Chao acknowledges that every situation is different I do not feel that she acknowledges the advantages her education provided her in re-entering the workplace after maternity leave. This is a major shortcoming in her article because as a Colgate Univeristy and Columbia Law educated individual she possesses a trump card, in her supoerior education, over many of the both men and women in her field. I know I used the analogy for immigrant women in our healthcare system but I think the slipping through the cracks notion is also applicable in this case. While Chao's education allowed her to make and act on her own choices and to stay afloat there are also those countless women who are brushed aside or who experience far greater difficulty in re-entering the workforce than Chao experienced. This is the issue at hand that Crittenden explores and that is evident today. In our society we should not place career and family as mutually exclusive ideals, for by placing the female in the position of deciding to give up her career in order to have children and a family we are simply persisting a flawed system of gender inequality. Aside from the discrimination between economic classes Chao's article also highlights in dealing with the 'Mommy Tax' it also shows how every woman is not equal and is eventually faced with this issue. In the pursuit of equality we should attempt to provide the secretary or truck driver with the same capabilities to raise a family as the corporate lawyer or physician when faced with bearing children, a reality that continues to threaten the jobs of women and not men.
ReplyDeleteStrawberry Labels refers to the 'How to Post a Link in Your Comment on Blogger' article that I used to aid me in the process of embedding a link. It is in fact the link to the article I referenced in my comment. Sorry for the confusion and the seemingly random inclusion of the phrase 'Strawberry Labels.' Enjoy the post above!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunatley there is a disconnect in American socioety between business and family. Our society promotes extreme competition and cut-throat capitalism, yet we also place a high importance on family life. People need to be successful workers to support their children and spouses, but doing so also takes them away from their families. Women face an even larger plight because they must deal with strict regulations over maternity leave. If we standardized maternity leave across occupations and businesses, perhaps some of these issues can be alleviated.
ReplyDeleteStandardization of maternity leave is certaintly an interesting option. However I think the idea of paternity leave could also be very useful. This way, both parents can have the flexibility to be home with the children and that way if the mother is being pressured to go back to work, the option of paternity leave is available so that the child can stay with a parent in the first few weeks of its life.
ReplyDeleteAs Nora points out in her post, the articles we read for class highlight the discrepancy between male and female wages and the availability of desirable jobs within our society. While Critenden focuses her article on the struggles of juggling parenting and working, Aisha Hakin-Dyce described a personal anecdote to convey her message. The author’s experience of almost becoming a go-go dancer depicts the reality of our capitalist society – “simply that we are sometimes faced with crucial choices that are limited – and that are neither easy nor simple to make” (125). Dyce’s article expresses the difficulties of being a young and colored youth within America today. Although economic demands may sometimes seem too much to manage, Dyce implies that compromising one’s personal integrity is not worth the trade-off. While the author began debating alternative work as a realistic option she began to record audio clips of her thoughts. Once time had passed since this phase, however, Dyce was able to recognize ways in which her personality began to transform. Rather than her usual intellectually-curious and proactive self, Dyce found herself placing blame on others for her unfortunate circumstances. Similarly, when speaking with several go-go dancers the author observed, “they expressed satisfaction with their income but were cynical about people in general and men in particular” (125). While such types of alternative work may seem necessary in the face of economic crisis, Dyce implies such opportunities should be seen as a last-resort.
ReplyDeleteI found this short narrative very interesting especially when viewed from the perspective in Levy’s Female Chauvinist Pigs. I think that Levy and Dyce ultimately would arrive at a similar conclusion and ultimately disapprove of sex-work type jobs. Although women are faced with the difficult position of being the “inferior” sex within the work world, I think both authors would advise the trade-off of doing such work is not worth it. By “objectifying [herself] for a price” (123), Dyce comes to the realization that she has been shocked into a numbed existence. Despite the financial struggles we face so often in today’s world, maintaining one’s self-worth should take priority.