Dean's World

Defending the liberal tradition in history, science, and philosophy.

Examining the Conundrum:

Cathy Young says:

If there is a solution to this conundrum, it is greater flexibility of gender roles in the home. But to move in that direction, we need to get past the notion that the only obstacle to equality in parenting and homemaking comes from sexist men clinging to patriarchal privilege. Women are just as likely to regard child-rearing as their turf and to regard the freedom to choose between various options of work-family balance as a female privilege. Yet few feminists have confronted the hard truth of this female version of sexism. What's more, all too often, feminism—academic feminism in particular—has been inclined to treat men as "the enemy" rather than potential equal partners. Until that changes, feminists are doomed to wring their hands over young women's abandonment of equality.

What conundrum? She examines it here.

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Ken Hall (www):
Why so much fuss over what some presumably sovereign and able-to-decide-for-themselves adults choose to do with their lives?
9.28.2005 5:46pm
Dan F. (mail):
Sounds to me like they put a familiar dingy ol' carrot and an expensive well-cooked steak in from of a rabbit...and the rabbit chose the carrot. Now they are worried that the steak they hand-picked and cooked with such care may rot.

I personally think these people have focused so much on one group, they've forgotten that groups are made of (for better or worse) capable decision-making individuals with their own life goals.
9.28.2005 6:25pm
lindsey (mail):
The last sentence seems to imply that Cathy herself thinks they're abandoning equality, but how are they doing so if it's freely chosen?
9.30.2005 12:09am