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From: smb@achilles.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: A NEW MIND
Message-ID: <618@achilles.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Sep-83 17:02:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: achilles.618
Posted: Wed Sep 21 17:02:33 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 22-Sep-83 04:54:35 EDT
References: <220@FLAIRMAX.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill
Lines: 25

There is no feminist doctrine that says child-rearing is inherently
bad, degrading, or worthless.  What feminism says is that the choice
of who does what should not be made on the basis that "girls [sic] are
naturally suited for homemaking, and men aren't".  It also says that
such work is not highly valued by our society, either financially or
in status -- have you ever heard the phrase "*just* a housewife" [emphasis
mine]?  (Note the difference between "inherently worthless" and "not
valued by society".)

A woman who *wants* to stay home with her children should feel free to,
though as a practical matter (given the prevailing attitudes in our
society) she should consider whether this is what she wants to do, or
what others expect of her.  Similarly, a man should have the same choices,
and he should go through a similar self-analysis -- he shouldn't be afraid
to stay home with his children because his friends think it weird.  Finally,
if a couple together should decide that day care is undesirable, unsuitable,
or simply unavailable for their children, there should be no presumption that
it's the woman who should stay home and delay or sacrifice her career.

The notion that our current set of sex roles are "evolutionarily better" I
find at best unproved, and most likely false.  And of course, most of what
I said above applies equally well to career choices.  That's what
feminism is really all about:  freedom of choice.

		--Steve