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Women's New Role
by Dushaun Stanley
Women have been taught that if they were to venture outside there define roles then they will fall out the edge. Women today are much more capable then simply being the stay at home mom who cooks, cleans, and does the laundry. Although more doors are open to women today, there seems to be a so-called "glass ceiling," a level above that women do cannot rise above.
According to an article in “USA Today” by Dennis Cauchon, nearly 25% percent of women out earn their husbands. A number that is significantly higher than 30 years ago when it was just 5%. This shows that more women are “bringing home the bacon” for their family in an increasing number of American families. The role of women in our society has changed significantly. Women and girls have many more opportunities and face different challenges. The playing field is not level, but the gender bias is not as great as it once was. The changing role of women is one of changing options. Women are now having the option to things that were once restricted to men only. If a little girl said she wanted to be a mechanic or racecar driver, ten years ago she would have been dismissed. Today women’s options are much broader than what they used to be. These changing roles for women are a good thing. Aren’t they?
Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women's most significant professions. All of this has changed with the switch to the 21st century. We see more women doing the “men’s role in society. What exactly is that you might ask? It’s basically being the major “bread” winner in your household. Today most men don’t mind their wives doing this. However, women, more than men, are still the keepers of the house, the planners of family events, the bill payers and errand runners. Mothers, more than fathers, are the ones who stay home with sick kids, join the school PTA, plan school dances and banquets and field trips. This is changing as we more men starting to take this role and that’s actually ok.
More women have graduated from college with a degree in the last ten years then men. Women now receive three Bachelor’s degrees for every two earned by men, but you would never know that. Now however women are starting to take over the some of the highest paying jobs in society. In fact, women are now dominating some of the jobs that used to belong to men, according to the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. Women are doing better and earning better in positions such as, veterinarians, many medical fields, and some high ranking CEO positions. Women these days are more independent than in the past. They demand more from their lives and choose how they want to live. You see women leaving the captivity at home where they are dependent upon the workingmen for the bread and butter. They leave to earn their own living in the male-dominated work force where they are expected to be and act like men. Women are no longer want to and should be held back from the rest of society and watch just the men succeed.
Women do not have the same position as men, though much progress has been made in the society to bring women to a stage where they have equal rights, equal pay, equal independence but still it is not achieved. There is a lot of work that still needs to be done, but women have come along way from the 50’s era of stay at home mom. Women have a voice if not a even bigger voice than men now. One example was the recent reelection of President Obama. Women were the prime targets in many ads and speeches the president made to win his election. It just comes to show that women are the ones who might have the upper hand in society. When women truly get equal pay a major progress in women's life will have been achieved. This would not only have a great impact on women but on society as a whole.
Men's New Role
by Andy Luong
In modern society, there has been much arguments saying whether or not women or men should stay home and work. I believe that men should remain home and work instead of just the women that stay. Men deserve to stay home and work and as well as spending time with their children just like their mom. The child needs a good relationship from their father just as the same with their mother. If the mother is able to take care of the child, it should work the opposite way around. It is not always the woman's job to take care of the family. She can do whatever she wants and nothing can stop her from doing it.
To address why men should stay home and work. Its not always the woman's role to take care of everything. For example, the child needs both mom and dad to have an equal connection with their parents when they grow older so they don’t have any emotional problems in the future. To add on to this statement, if the husband gets enough money to uphold the house, then he should be allowed to stay home look after the home. This allows the wife to either go out and work or stay and care for the family together. The father has more outside experience that they can teach to the child, so that when they are able to go out by themselves, they have skills that they have already learned in their childhood and common sense on what to do and what not to do. If the child encounters something that seems dangerous, they would know to walk the other direction and completely ignore that person.
In comparison to this statement, the women have freedom to do anything they want. They can do anything they want in their life and have any occupation no matter what it contains. She can earn money by herself and be independent in her work. If you think about it, it almost feels like discrimination. Ask yourself this question, would you rather have your daughter work for you or support you? You might think this is silly, but if you put yourself in this position as a female, you would immediately want to oppose the opinion that women should stay at home and men should go out. This is the modern times now, it is not the past where people were imbalanced because women are just as capable to work and look after their kids. This depends on the decision of the women, it is not societies choice to say whether or not it is.
On the other hand, some people might say it is dangerous to leave the kids alone while mothers are working outside. This may be true, but in reality the children need to know what it is like to be left alone so they can develop a stronger emotional control. In some cases, they don’t have to be at home by themselves, they can stay at a daycare. The people in there that take care of your children are most likely to be mothers themselves. To make it even more safe, the fathers are home to look after them as well. It is guaranteed that your children will be in good hands even when mothers are not at home.
In conclusion, there is much controversy debating whether women or men should stay home and work. It is a clear shot to say that men should be the ones staying home and work because they are capable to complete the work that women do.
Guest Editorial
Guest Editorial (Women’s View)
by Loan Do
Women should stay at home and be responsible for doing their tasks of cleaning and cooking; leave men to the task of going out and working for the family. Children at home need motherly care along with support, and all the hard work and duty should be left to the men of the house. Katrin Bennhold stated in her article The Stigma of Being a Housewife in The New York Times that “in the 1950s, women were expected to stay at home, and those who wanted to work were often stigmatized.” Some women actually want and would rather stay at home instead of going to work because we are way more comfortable at home with the children or just simply cleaning or cooking for the family. Like Bennhold stated, its hard to maintain a balance between romanticizing and not stigmatizing housewives. Its understandable if the household is in need of both parents working and income to support the family, but if it’s not necessary, the mother should stay home and take care of her children especially if they’re still young and in need support at all times at home, instead of another person like a babysitter or anyone to care for the child.
Men want to come home and see dinner ready on the table and the children are ready to eat, which is why it’s more convenient for women to stay home and make an outstanding meal for the family. A lot of women learned to cook from their mothers to be a great housewifes for their husbands who made the income for the household. Women feel that if the kids are alive and healthy, food’s ready on the table, and everything is clean when their husband gets home from work, then hey, they’ve done their job. It isn’t true that working women get more respect that housewives. They get the equal credit because it is believed that housewives can be just as hard as working outside the house and having a career. A lot of men like the women to stay at home and take care of all household problems while the men protect the family and almost make money. If both parents are out working all day, there’s no one to provide proper care for the children and the house would be a jumble of chaos.
A good number of women don’t have a choice but to stay home because of lack of education, but it’s fair enough because they can go to school part time and get their education slowly but surely. and still be a housewife at the same time. Back then, housewives used to be call homemaker according to Jessica Grose, a Slate contributor, in her article “Stay-at-home-moms? There must be a better Term.” She also indicates, “their usage reflects the notion that the most important thing that the woman who stays home actually does is to focus on her children and foster their development, with an increasing emphasis on intellectual/cognitive development.” Children with care from their mother feel more comfortable and behave well with their mom around at home.
After decades,most British women have admitted to want be a housewife rather than having a career. The author of Majority of British Women Would Pick Being a Housewife Over Having a Career, in the Daily Mail, Lucy Waterlow, claimed that, “In a recent poll of 1,582 women aged 25 and over, all of whom were in a relationship and in full time employment, 62 percent admitted they secretly wished to be a housewife rather than have a career” . Being a housewife is a big task and isn’t as easy to do at all, and we’re just women and can only handle and do so much. Some women are sick of hearing that there are no strong roles for women. but being a housewife is a huge role right there. Being a housewife and a mother is the biggest job in the world, but if it doesn't interest you, don't do it.Guest Editorial
Men's View
Women who are going against their God-given gender roles have led to total dysfunction of families. This is especially true in Western societies where women have forsaken their "God given" roles of being nurturers, home keepers, of marrying and loving their husbands, and of teaching their children to do likewise have led to a total breakdown of the family unit. Boasting of the number of women in the workforce is not a plus for women. What has happened is that women are now doing the jobs men have traditionally done and have taken on the role of being the providers for their families. Which is the complete opposite of what God appointed.
Delaying childbirth and opting instead for corporate careers is not a plus for women. Instead the health risks of childbirth at a later age are great. Increased risk of genetic abnormalities, miscarriages, pre-eclampsia, multiple births, and infertility are consequences that women who wait to have children at a later age will face. And even if the pregnancy goes through well, and the child is healthy, if the mother continues to work, she will be neglecting her child. Its better to just get married.Working women climb the corporate ladder only to jump off it into motherhood anyways.
Now men are uncertain of their roles and can not find employment because women have now taken their jobs. Out of despair and hopelessness, men are driven into lives of crimes and total confusion. Men that do find work,and are going against our gender roles, are now more likely to be paid less, since they will want to have work conditions that are convenient for their children. The men wanting to take care of the children, when that is the woman’s role.
So how about this for progress. It is evident that we need to get back to the "God ordained" gender roles surely our society is no better because of some women's obstinate quest to prove that they are equal to men when indeed they are not. What women should seek and pursue is equal respect. Respect for the work they do within their "God ordained" roles.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Regarding “Why I Regret Being a Stay-at-Home Mom”, I agree that mothers are wasting their time at home and should be spending it outside for more beneficial reasons. I commend wives that venture out and truly do something to keep up with their household. I don’t understand why any parent wouldn’t pursue their dream instead of doing housework. Why should you stay home when you can use your educational skills and acquire a better paying and well deserved job? All your time should be towards using your knowledge you learned in school and applying it in a real world situation such as a job. But when you are a housewife, you will be occupied to getting groceries and running errands for the family. She is letting the generation of women down by not taking advantage of what she has and expanding it to something better. This disappoints all the women in the world that have dared to do something big.
Women are not slaves; men are just as important as women are. There is no difference between the two, they both have equal rights and are free to do whatever they want. Although staying at home with your children is good, but it is a necessity to live your life to your full potential.There is so much controversy arguing whether or not you should be a stay at home or an outside working mom. To add to this statement,there are more positives to being a mom that works outside such as giving you more confidence, less worry, and widening your world meeting new people, than being stationed at home. That is why I believe going out and working is good, while staying at home is detrimental.
- Andy Luong, Houston
Dear Editor,
Concerning “Should mothers stay at home and look after their children?”, I agree that mothers should be staying home instead of going outside to work. It is judgmentally better for them to stay home because it reduces the risk of danger and is best for the child. Mothers should stay home and take control their children because if both parents go out and work, who will take leadership in them? The household needs a mother to take care of everything. If you take her out, the home will fall. They teach their children basic skills and knowledge such as doing laundry and taking out the garbage for both male and female.
House Mothers who stay home have are better aware of what their children are doing at home. They are able to see if they are late from school and notice any problems in the day. They’ll also be able to see all their accomplishments in life. Therefore, the children will have a better experience in their childhood and make good decisions when they grow up. Staying at home is one of the rewarding jobs you could have as a mother. Not only does it have to do with children, women can stay home and work as well as taking care of their children. That is why I believe it is extremely important for mothers to stay home and work and let the men do the outside work.
Satirical
Women are obviously inept at the jobs and roles of a man. They simply cannot function at it. Despite being physically capable, we all tend to think their brains simply cannot understand the material brings a new edge to a job that woman can't. Men bring an illogical edge that women can't bring due to at hand. Of course, our biased opinion is correct. They may qualify at all ends but masculinity prevails above all qualifications. They could work at an office job however a male’s fingertips are obviously more powerful at striking the keys of the keyboard. That little extra brawn can certainly make a difference in the decision to hire a male or a female.
Males on the other hand can’t take care of children. Their incredibly masculine hands could bruise the children. Such a delicate job requires the presence of a woman who is apt in taking care of the children with her feminine touch. Men cannot cook either. They would starve to death before being able to boil a vegetable to feed themselves. It’s just how their brains work. It’s not like they could even attempt to complete the duties a woman should do. Their minds are incapable of it.
The duties of male and female should best be left alone to what they are currently. Of course, the possibility of them changing the economy and society in general is incredibly slim. A patriarchal society is obviously the greatest form of society we can achieve and will ever achieve.