Hirshman Strikes Again (Again)
Posted on 25. Apr, 2007 by Brian Reid in General
Ahhh … my favorite writer on parenthood, Linda Hirshman, is at it again, penning a New York Times op-ed piece on (surprise!) why women should work. She ends up making a thoughtful and nuanced argument for changing the tax code** to remove a disincentive to work, but before she gets there, she drop this:
We could make an effort to change men’s attitudes. Sociologists have found that mothers (rich and poor) still do twice the housework and child care that fathers do, and even the next generation of males say they won’t sacrifice work for home.
This is a bit disingenuous. I am not sure that there is any evidence to support that “even the next generation of males say they won’t sacrifice work for home.” In fact, all of the surveys I have seen say the exact opposite. Now, there is an argument to be made that the next generation is talking the talk but maybe not walking the walk (I don’t buy that argument, but still …), but let’s be clear — the next generation of males say they are more interested in sacrificing work for family than any post-industrial generation.
** The tax code arguments, both Hirshman’s and others, are well worth thinking about … more on that soon.
RebelMom
25. Apr, 2007
…I’m sure RebelDad saw this coming, as we talk about this often but here goes…..
This is my pet peeve.
Men may be more willing to sacrifice now than before, but it is still no where near equal to what women do or are willing to do.
Why do we feel like we have to say “thank you” and give “good boy” pats on the back for behavior that may be positive but still falls far short of equitable?
This coddleing business has got to stop. It is insulting to women and to those men who are equal partners because it devalues their contributions.
IMHO, women need to stop b!tching about inequity and refuse to accept it. Period. If more than 1/2 the population says “we’re not going to take it” the other less-than-half will fall in line. And part of this may be, as LH says, women abandoning the home entirely only to return when men are true equal partners.
chip
27. Apr, 2007
There she goes again lumping housework and childcare together.
Given that she sees childcare as beneath anyone with half a brain, I’m not sure why she thinks men with more than half a brain would ever agree to do any of it…
By reinforcing this masculinist view, she’s just reinforcing the whole problem for women. But I’ve ranted enough on her elsewhere.