If I think that women should not pursue careers, does that make me sexist?
A2A.Yes, as stated, it does. That is, the "thinking" is sexist. If you are what you think, then you would be a "sexist."It is entirely possible to think that some women will be happier, for example, being mothers and maintainers of a home, and that thought isn't sexist. Key, "some.""Should" demonstrates a judgmental attitude, and it is here applied without discrimination (the useful kind of discrimination) to "women."That's stereotyping. Some women might be quite unhappy if they don't "pursue a career," and there is another problem here: motherhood and housekeeping are careers. They are respectable. Very respectable, in fact. Notice that the thinking doesn't say what women "should" do, if not career. And some women do that (have children at least) and also pursue careers, perhaps at different times, sometimes at the same time. The thinking in the question is primitive and regressive and just not wise.Then, is it possible that "most women" would be one way or another? Maybe. But if we have this idea of "should," we probably will not think clearly, our opinions will be colored by our sexist judgments.It has become a social consensus is that the one who says what a person "should" do, in matters like this, is the person himself or herself.There is another source of "should" here that I will mention. It may be thought that children need a full-time mother, that, then, mothers "should" fill that role. It is arguable, but also shallow. First of all, not all women have children!As well, children need intensive care for a fairly short time. Beyond that, they need sustained love and care, but this can be distributed and shared. They also need "fathering." If a woman has the skills to hold down a good job, for example, better than what a father can do, can a father be a "stay-at-home Dad"?Of course! But men aren't so instinctively nurturing, that's the stereotype. Sure, maybe not, but everyone is different, and some men can learn to be more nurturing than some women. Stereotypes inhibit recognition of individual differences, creating expectations that limit our ability to create lives that work, and our ability to raise children as healthy and responsible.If a man and woman -- or any kind of couple -- are working out what to do, sexists standing around telling them what they should do is not useful.
Why should mothers stay at home and not work?
Why?To keep the children and family they are building going. In their way. And themselves too. In their way.Because they have an ability and talent for using themselves to help build others.This is their accomplishment.How?Because the children will look back and remember the food made with their own hands and the lunches they packed just for them.The children always remember that you clothed them with your own hands and that you did all of the runs to school and back.You see their faces when they come out of the school door at 3 pm? They are happy and lucky to have you there. Just for them. That will stay with them. Always. "My mother is here to get me. Everyone can see. I feel so lucky and special."The children remember when you knew to hug them, set them down on the stoop, freshen their faces and hand them a Popsicle. Because the solution was simply just to get to a smile again. Problems are small.We can do this. Together.Taking a lot of time to do these little things adds up. It means something.You feel the sum total of being able to do all of these things with confidence, because the ease is not always there.Knowing that you do these things confidently, without resistance, and reflexively creates a unique motivation that helps you keep going.Stay at home mothers are building a family and a human's character with their own two hands.Fine if women want to maintain outside career work to their accomplishments. They too feel their children are part of their accomplishments as well.However why should people able, willing, and motivated for staying home to largely focus on building a family let other people take it over for them?I can't understand why we get so stuck on this question or think it's normal to put this under a microscope.And I think the same goes for dads.
Why don't women like to stay home anymore?
Some women do still want to stay home....but generally speaking, the change occured when women entered the workforce and started being able to have jobs that provided them with an income high enough to support themselves... Up until say late mid 1960s (or a little later) the norm was for women to not be employed outside the home...some women did work, and it wasn't uncommon for single women to have jobs, but typically when a woman married it wasn't considered appropriate for her to work outside the home...her "job" was to care for her husband and upcoming family... However, in those days women were often trapped in marriages...they had little or no means of supporting themselves if they were to leave their husband, so quite a few stayed in marriages where they were unhappy or even abused... Nowadays, it's foolish for a woman to not at least have a skill that she can support herself with, even if she chooses to be a stay-at-home wife/mother...the divorce rate is high, women (and men) are waiting until later in life to marry, and cost of living is such that even after marriage it often requires 2 incomes just to get by... Unless you are in your 50s or older, you couldn't have much knowledge of what you are calling the "good old days"....those days weren't good for everyone...
Why are women always primary caregivers for children?
I read a lot of posts here about people who are angry with women who put their children in daycare to return to work. I want to ask these people why they are never critical of the fathers of these children. Why are the mothers always responsible to provide care for children. Do fathers not love their children? How come noone asks the question, how can dads put their children in daycare? You do realize that a lot of kids in daycare come from families that have a dad and a mom. Maybe you need to spread the blame around a little. Also, I have worked just as hard at school and work as my husband. Why is it that if I choose to go back to work I am a ***** and my husband continuing to work after the baby is born is looked upon as a the glorious provider? Can we please move into the 21st century. Just FYI, before you guys start shrieking at me, my baby will have its grandparents caring for it for the first year and then it will go to daycare after that.