History of Feminism
In reply to the discussion: Ann Romney and raising children: [View all]iverglas
(38,549 posts)Choices like these, in our time and place, are largely determined by factors other than pure personal preference.
Until women HAVE choices, meaningful, non-binary, choices, it is ridiculous to talk about what choices they should or shouldn't have.
If, in some perfect all other things being equal world, women in significant numbers chose to isolate themselves in their homes with their children for years, well, then I'd have to scratch my head.
At present, we need to be talking about working conditions, wages, social supports, economic supports, etc., that make it possible and reasonable for women who have children to have jobs as well. And recognize that women who stay at home with children are not all doing it out of pure personal preference, if only because of the strength and pervasiveness of the patriarchal stereotype of women.
Why the hell we are not recognizing all of this is absolutely beyond me. Carrying on and on about the marvellous important admirable "work" done by women who stay at home with children is what is divisive, since it both (a) implicitly disparages women who do not have that choice and have to work to support their families, along with women who make the choice to have jobs because that is their preference, and (b) contributes to the pressures that keep women in the home and exclude them from the work place and other spheres of life.
typo