Brillant.
This is (part of) why it is ludicrous that anyone in the Republican Party can say with a straight face that they are pro-family. If they were, that would mean that we would have good childcare for families that needed two earners, tax policies that supported family growth and stability and a better all around policy for growing the middle class.
Genius, Scientist.
Thanks for this post. I've been meaning to read The Price of Motherhood for a while now, so now I'm more eager to get to it.
I agree with all of your comments. I've always had a problem with many of the practices in this country as being so narrow minded and business oriented. I think it should be possible for a married couple to each hold a part time job and still come up with a way to have health care benefits, similar to the few academic couples who "job share." I know there would be extra paperwork, but I think that occasionally free market business needs to be regulated by the government in order to help people's lives be more enjoyable. This is my husband's and my dream: that we could each work part time while we are raising kids. Husband has his own business, so if that works out, he'll be fine, because he can work from home and set his own hours. Me, on the other hand, I would most like to have a part-time academic job while my kids are young. But because of all of the career consequences of such a decision at this point in America, I'm not sure if I see that happening or not. It may be a choice, what to do, but it doesn't NEED to be such a difficult one, with so many trade offs and sacrifices. It isn't even as bad as it is here in many countries in Europe and even in South America!
I think the Republicans do believe they're for family. They're for an upper-middle-class WASP marriage of two straight virgins, followed shortly by children and the wife staying home. And honestly, if viewed in this light, at least they're consistent. There's that nutso rep (female) who doesn't think women should vote, too. The irony appears to be lost.
FM: Do read it! But prepare to be depressed. The truth, it is depressing.
Maybe by the time you go on the job market, there'll be more than, oh, five schools with part-time faculty jobs. We can hope. I predict it'll still be oversaturated, though- it's going to take at least 10-15 years for the NIH budget decreases to have that effect.
And let's not forget that the women who make that "choice" often pay for it yet again when they no longer have a husband to support them and their children. Even loving husbands can die young, as my father did, and then the woman is dumped into the job market with no recent experience, and sometimes no degree.
Maya's Granny, you make an excellent point. Even barring divorce, there's always illness and death to change the consequences.
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