I personally disagree with Hilary’s statement that the topic of women in the economy is “uncomplicated” as it has “nothing to do with personal feelings or familiarity.” Perhaps I am misunderstanding Hilary’s point, but I believe that women in the economy is an extremely personal issue. Growing up with divorced parents, both of whom played an active role in my upbringing, my mom and dad both juggled full time jobs with separately taking turns raising my sister and I. With my mom the majority of the week, she was forced to handle all of the every day responsibilities of having two daughters as well as manage all of the responsibilities associated with her job. While she did a wonderful job juggling a full time job and raising two children, not all moms and children have as good an experience as I did. Also, there were times for her where the responsibilities she faced felt too daunting. I think that part of the reason why women in the economy is such an important issue is because it is so personal. Women in a position that they have to figure out how to support not only their own life, but also that of growing children are truly faced with a daunting task. While many women in this position do succeed, others find themselves lost, stuck, and unable to survive.
I believe that if it were not personal growing up for any of us, it will be personal in a few years when each of us are battling for jobs, a salary, and survival. Further I find the issue of women in the economy very complicated as it depends on marital status, sexuality, education, success of the parental generation, absence or presence of children, etc. With many different circumstances and situations, some women feel the crunch while others don’t really at all. However, eventually, most of us will find ourselves in a position where we can no longer rest of the support system we have grown up with. Further, given the setup of our society, we are going to have to truly fight to succeed.
I do agree with Hilary in her thoughts regarding Anne Crittenden’s The Mommy Tax. As Hilary noted, if male CEOs had more personal experience and understanding of the economic and occupational setbacks that result from maternity leave, the problem would definitely see at least recognition and understanding, if not change and improvement. I too saw a connection between Crittenden’s essay and the “Manifesta” lecture. As one of the speakers noted, the value of motherhood is extremely important. She mentioned that she learned this from a young age as her mom would “go on strike,” avoiding doing laundry, the dishes, and other household tasks that often are taken for granted but simultaneously absolutely crucial in the proper functioning of the household. I thought this concept was really funny but also definitely a clever lesson to ensure kids realize the true value of their mother’s (or father’s) household work.
I also thought the point made about the value of wifehood was very important too. As Hilary notes, many extremely successful CEOs would be paralyzed if they did not have a wife to iron their clothes, cook them dinner, and keep the house organized. Obviously many men are capable of these tasks, however it must be noted that the value of a wife who completes all of these tasks for her husband must not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
As far as the readings in Listen Up, I thought that “Reality Check” by Aisha Hakim-Dyce was a very interesting and thoughtful essay displaying the terrible position many women are put in when looking for work and trying to survive on their own. As she notes, she was absolutely out of money and desperate for work. In order to accept a job as a go-go dancer, however, she was forced to “distance” herself between her job and her psyche “in order to deal with the decision.” (Hakim-Dyce, 121). She had to abandon not only her reservations but also her values and moral foundation in order to survive economically. Obviously, such a situation is not acceptable and although Hakim-Dyce was able to obtain another job, many women are not so lucky.
In consciously attempting to abandon her moral and mental foundation, Hakim-Dyce felt like a “nonentity.” (Hakim-Dyce, 121). She lost her confidence, her identity, and even her humanity. Obviously a situation like this is hard to handle for anyone. However, I think it is important to note that men, too, experience jobs in which they feel demoralized or inhumane. However, is the degree to which women are objectified in the workplace more intense than men? Is there a way to avoid such situations or will there always realistically be women who are put in situations like Hakim-Dyce’s? How is it okay, in a country successful as ours, to put people in a position in which they are made to feel like animals, void of humanity or identity?
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