GWS posters: Your opinion on women's roles in home and career please?

Question

What do you feel should be women's roles when it comes to career and the home? When home and career conflict, which do you think should take priority?

You can answer here or, if you wish, do so here: http://www.tigersurvey.com/survey.php?survey=6300

Either way works, the survey is just easier to calculate data from.

Answer 1

The one I love is the question about who should look after the kids, with the option 'they should be with a non-working relative'.

And suppose you haven't got a non-working relative, or what if your non-working relatives have better things to do with their time than look after your kids?  What then?

I love the way women who say "Ooh, I couldn't stay at home with the children, I'd be bored" nevertheless expect other women to NOT be bored looking after their children.  does it never occur to these women that if they find their own children boring, they're likely to be even more boring to other people?

Answer 2

There is no clear cut answer to your question.  

There are too many variables, to just say...home should come first...or career should come first.  It isnt that simple.

What if she is the primary bread winner?

what if one of the childern has special needs?

or heaven forbid she be one of the many women who go insane after a few months at home alone with kids.

Answer 3

Instead of " roles " why don't we go with peoples talents and preference for once.

We are not playing parts in a play, but living a real life.

Answer 4

I'd hope that ones children always come before their career!

Also, it seems to me as though your always posting about this sexism stuff, and no offense, but you're always the one being sexist it seems...

Answer 5

i don't thing anyone should have assigned "roles"

do what you're best at.

Answer 6

Nice soundbite Rio, the problem is we can't do what we want because we are limited by the structures that are in place. I agree that women (and men) ought to balance career and family in whatever way they wish, but modern society doesn't allow them to do that.

Our society does not cater for those "maternal" women who would prefer to work part-time or not work at all. The two-income family is the norm - only the affluent (or those prepared to be poor) could afford for one parent to stay home. Feminists have supported this shift (because they are made up of those who want to work). This is a part of why women who are less career-orientated generally aren't feminists - they are (rightly) suspicious of feminist rhetoric of "choice" - seeing it as lip service.

A more egalitarian system - that properly taxed the rich, accorded greater maternity (and paternity) leave etc - would allow an actual choice. This will not happen but it should.

Answer 7

I would say, particularly once you've made the choice to have children, the home should take priority over career for both women and men.

And out of that stems many possibilities. As a couple of previous answerers have pointed out, there are many different situations, with different people who have different gifts, with different variables coming into play. We each need to work out what works best for our family. But we need to look inwards, to each other and ourselves, first, before we start getting our heads in the "career" cloud.

Answer 8

The fact that you had to ask which takes priority is scary.

Someday feminists will have to admit they placed too much emphasis on career and too much guilt on women that chose anything else but their career.

Unfortunately society will continue it's downward spiral and more children will be raised by TV and daycare until more women reject the narrow feminist world view and begin to think for themselves.

Answer 9

I completed the survey, thanks for the chance to do that.

One point though, none of the questions factored in an alternative for 'negotiating' how things would work between a couple.

Some people probably do just act from the point of socially assigned roles, but in this day and age surely there would also be some who would say "Well, what if the kids get sick, what will WE (as a couple) do then?"

Sometimes it would be way easier for dad to race home and care for the kids, at other times mum could do it ... it beedn't be even a half and half thing, simply part of an ongoing discussion about how the relationship will work this week.

Nothing ever stays the same, why would relationships?

Cheers :-)

Answer 10

Here what I had.

Women's Roles in home and career



1. Are you male or female? (Required)  

    Male

2. Do you believe the woman should have to do all or most of the housework? (Required)  

   The woman should only be responsible for cleaning up the messes she makes.



3. If a child is in the household, should the woman take time off her work to care for the child? (Required)  

   No, while the parents are working the child should stay with a non-working relative so they can bond with the rest of the family as well.



4. Should a women who has no children put caring for the home before her job? (Required)  

   Only if she wants to.



5. In a household of two working adults without children, who should be responsible for cooking the meals? (Required)  

   The woman and the man should take turns cooking the meals.



6. If the man and woman earn the same income, who should have more control over the home's budget? (Required)  

   They should have equal control



7. Who should be the head of the household? (Required)  

   They should play an equal part in leading the household

8. How do you feel about women who decide not to have children in favor of furthering their career? (Required)  

   Whatever floats her boat.  

9. How do you feel about women who work in careers that require hard manual labor (ie: Construction, oil field, etc)? (Required)  

   I think she shouldn't choose that line of work. Women are not as strong as men when it comes to physical strength.  

10. How do you feel about women who prefer to work while their husbands stay home and tend the house? (Required)  

   I wouldn't mind a sugar momma. Since we are married, the income is split. What is hers is mine. I wouldn't only clean. I'd probably research and write on history or philosophy.

Answer 11

Women can do what they want; men can do what they want; there will need to be some compromise, but a strong marriage can handle that; the kids should come first for both. Done.

Answer 12

WHATS WRONG WITH A MOTHER BEING A MOTHER

Answer 13

My children are my priority but there are times I must go to work when they would be better off having me home. It is a dilemma I dread.

Answer 14

If she's married, I think it should be both. You can't just focus everything on just work. You need people that you love and love you to be there and actually gets the attention they deserve. If single, career definitely. When you get married, both of you need to compromise. Career, home life, towards each other, etc.  Try to just coordinate that both parties get the same responsibilities.