A problem in society and American economics today is the balance between work and family. Society is still changing slowly from what it was almost three decades ago on women in high profile careers. The view that was seen in previous decades was that it was uncommon to see woman in a career driven role and the men helping more at the home base. Men in that era were viewed as the main breadwinner and women as the main caregiver. Today more women are leaving behind that stereotype of being the caregiver and entering more time demanding careers. This leaves the question of who should work the long hours away from home and who should tend to the children. The real question is how can we balance having our desired careers and still maintain a balanced home life with children.
The Atlantic Magazine featured an article called Home Economics: The Link Between Work-Life Balance and Income Equality written by Stephen Marche. Marche argues that the central conflict of domestic life right now is not men versus women, mothers versus fathers rather it is family versus money. He writes that the question for most families today is “How do I survive”. I think this suggests that people are not as worried as they were decades ago as to who made the money rather that the bills were paid and there was food on the table. Marche argues that American fatherhood has evolved almost beyond recognition in recent decades. A decade ago the male was the breadwinner and chief of the family and the women were known to stay at home with the children and take care of the house. Marche speaks about how women today are receiving better paying jobs how things have since changed now that there are more husbands staying home with the children and more women working. He writes about a Pew study done in 2008 asking cohabiting male and female couples, “who makes the decisions at home?”. In twenty six percent of those households, the males did however in forty three percent, women did. Marche incorporates his own personal experience when faced with the decision to move to Toronto, Canada with his wife when she was offered a better high salary job. Marche writes that in his marriage the decision came down to “brute economics”. He gave up what in his father’s generations eyes was a big deal to support his wife who would be earning a higher pay, as they would have better financial success in Toronto with her pay and the free schooling and healthcare. Older generations work related decisions were a question of power, whereas today it comes down mainly to money. Marche also writes about families having to find daycare for their children and the unaffordable prices they face. However, that is a different argument on its own. This supports his main idea that today it should not be man versus woman, mother versus father rather family versus money. I agree with Marche that the fight between who should be the breadwinner may continue but in the end, it comes down to who is making the money to take care of the families.
In his article, Marche speaks about Anne-Marie Slaughter and her similar article Why Women Can’t Have It All. I decided to fully grasp Marche’s argument, that I would use Slaughter’s article as my second source. Just as Marche talks about his wife and the iPad in the delivery room used to email work, Slaughter had her own personal experience in being torn between work and family. Slaughter writes that at an event hosted by President Obama and First lady Michelle Obama, while she should have been celebrating and drinking champagne she could not stop thinking about her sons back home her teenage son that started the eighth grade just a few weeks prior. Slaughter’s mind was preoccupied as her son had started to create a pattern of not doing his homework, disrupting classes, failing math and tuning out the adults that would attempt to reach him. Her husband held down the fort back home in Princeton, New Jersey while she came home only on the weekends and midweek emergencies. Marche is like Slaughter’s husband as they are both very supportive husbands that spend more time with the children.
In today’s society women believe they must choose between having a career vs. having a family. Slaughter writes about women she has met such as Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and other female government officials that balanced having the career they desired and a family at home. Mary Matalin stated, “having control over your schedule is the only way that women that want to have a career and a family can make it work”. I agree with both Slaughter and Marche that it shouldn’t be a matter of who is the breadwinner or the caregiver but rather are things being taken care of. I think we need more men like Marche and Slaughter’s husband who support their wife’s careers and take care of the children at home.
Cite page
Marche, Stephen. “Home Economics: The Link Between Work-Life Balance and Income Equality” The Atlantic July/August 2013.
Slaughter, Anne-Marie. Why Women Still Can’t Have it All” The Atlantic July/August 2012.