Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!aero-c!nadel
From: farmerl@handel.CS.ColoState.Edu (lisa ann farmer)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Housewives...
Message-ID: <14905@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU>
Date: 16 May 91 02:20:29 GMT
References: <91130.021458IO92142@MAINE.BITNET>
Sender: news@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU
Reply-To: handel!farmerl@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU (lisa ann farmer)
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523
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Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org
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Originator: nadel@aerospace.aero.org


In article <91130.021458IO92142@MAINE.BITNET> IO92142%MAINE.BITNET@VM1.gatech.edu (James Gray) writes:
>
>You're going to have to realize that there are women (no womyn)
>out there that *want* to be housewives or want to have children
>and *not* work while raising them.  They want these things.
>
>Well, needless to say she didn't believe me, and started on this
>explaination about how if these women where *enlightened* about
>how they have been brought up wrong.  I was amazed when she said
>this.  She thought that any women that sayed at home with
>the children was *ignorant* and needed to see the other
>side of the fence, and once she did she would leap to greener
>pastures.

>James Gray

As many of us know the other side of the fence isn't so beautiful either.  
Women in the Soviet Union long to be able to stay home with their children but
they aren't allowed.  I think it may have something to do with the forced 
careers - when you don't have options, you always want what you don't have.
Besides the Soviet Union, women in the states are also reevaluating their
careers and are opting to stay home to have children around the age of 35-40.
I think this discussion was brought up with respect to women in science so this
may not apply to women in all fields.  If this is happening it brings up the
question of why.  Academia and industry seem to be ignoring the fact that some
employees are women.  Especially with the information "explosion" a person can't
take a year or two off of work without expecting to "fall behind" their 
collegues.  This sends some messages to women: 1)They can't get pregnant and 
expect to keep up. 2)Having children and being a parent are not important.

I think many feminists promote the idea that motherhood is not important.
Instead we should be trying to get corporations/universities to understand why
it is important to have daycare centers for their employees.  

Sorry that I don't have any sources for the above stuff but I think a lot of 
it came up in discussions.
Lisa
farmerl@handel.cs.colostate.edu

"If people want to make war they should make a colour war and paint each other's
cities up in the night in pinks and greens." Yoko Ono (_Louder than Words_)