Image by of Kris Timken/Corbis
About a month ago, Time Magazine published the results of a landmark survey gauging where America stands on the battle of the sexes. The results show that women are much more powerful than they were 40 years ago. In the 60s, one-third of all workers were woman. Now half are. Almost 40 percent of women are the primary breadwinners or are contributing substantial income for the household budget. And according to a Mediamark Research & Intelligence survey, women make 75 percent of the buying decisions in the home. You know the telemarketer who asked for the decision-maker of the house? Apparently it’s the wife.
Women’s power extends to the academic world, as well. Author Nancy Gibbs explains in “Time” that half of Ivy League presidents are women, and the female dropout rate has been cut in half since the 70s. Also, the ratio of 60-40 of men and women on college campuses has reversed. Moreover, half of all law and medical degrees go to women.
But they are stressed, anxious, and not as happy.
Why?
According to the poll results, both men and women say that the government and businesses haven’t adjusted to the revolution and need to do more to help families manage it all. For example, 54 percent of women and 49 percent of men say businesses need to be more flexible with work hours and schedules; they also agreed that companies need to give more paid time off, better or more day-care options, and longer school days or longer school years.
But are women really less happy than they were back in the day we wore pearls with our aprons and greeting Dad at the door when he arrived home from work, the turkey roasting in the oven?
Gibbs writes, “It may be that women have become more honest with the same pressures and conflicts that once accounted for greater male unhappiness. Or that modern life in a global economy is simply more stressful for everyone but especially for women, who are working longer hours while playing quarterback at home.”
I think she nailed it there. It’s comparable to therapy. Before you sit yourself on that couch, you think have a few problems, but you’re not sure what they are. Then the therapist starts prodding you, and yikes! You got yourselves a lot of bloody problems.
From my perspective, I do think I have a more fulfilling life in that I have to use my head for more things than figuring out why the Bendaroos we ordered from the infomercial sucks in comparison to what they promised us. But my job does bring a considerable amount of stress. So I’m happier in one sense, and much more anxious and stress in another. Like Gibbs says, I am probably experiencing the male stress–the pressure transforming ideas and brain power into cash to buy dinner–than many women just simply didn’t experience 30 or 40 years ago.
This is the part in a post that I usually say something that makes you feel better. Like, oh but it’s going to get easier next month.
I don’t have any answers. But I’m glad someone at least asked the question because now I know I’m not alone in feeling like I’m one lousy juggler.
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4 Comments to
“The State of the American Woman”
But, Theresa,
You left out the part about women making less money than men doing the same jobs. And the “pink ghetto” jobs many women are still stuck in today. And how biology – women’s child bearing role – allows American companies to keep women in a “mommy track” while men who have babies never have to make sacrifices in their careers.
And worst of all, how all these things combined mean, necessarily, that older women live in poverty at a far, far greater rate than men do!
Doesn’t sound like a great deal to me. Some power! We work harder, due to the two full time jobs required – at the work place and then at home being mother and homemaker. So, we’re more stressed than ever, (completely ignored in this article.) And then, we get to live our “golden” years in poverty, deciding whether to buy our medication or pay the electric bill this month.
This is not what power is. This is not what equality is either. This situation is still the way it always was. Nothing has changed. We have no “real” power. It’s superficial. It’s a joke. And we women are the butt of the joke – as always.
It’s time to get real. Because, until we do, nothing will ever change. Stop sugar coating life’s realities. Until women’s real situations are vocalized – as they really are for the masses, not the few – we will continue to be held in second place. And that is not equality.
Peace!
Well, I had quite a hard time finding this article again to add more. Not surprising, I guess….but, disappointing…
And, therefore, it’s no wonder that there’s no other responses! Not when the article is buried. So discouraging.
But, the facts will still remain the facts.
And denial is not just a river in Egypt. ;>)
I’ll wait to add more. No use wasting my time, when it will only be buried. :>(
Peace!
this was a grate post. I think that whil it is good that wemen have work advancment and we have the respect in the work world that we asked fore i also think some aspeces of us wening the baddle of the sexces have caused us to louse the wore so to speek. I am meaning that we have more problums with boddy image now than we did before. Men are wanting stick pens insted of women. I think that our rights and work advancements are grat we wone that. However, we have lost our selves. This is because there are no no more focus on the family as a because every one is working. Because they must. It is sad how minny peopl must work and there kids must grow up on there own. I will say that i am glad fore the movment how i weep fore these other problums thart came up. thanks fred
I can relate…personally.
What good does it do society to prevent women or parents from raising our children appropriately? Can’t take off an hour or three here and there for parent-teacher conferences, sports events, kindergarten plays…the worst experience for my child was having to repeatedly send my ILL child to the day care center because there were no other choices for those of us who do not have family support or the money to pay an on-call babysitter because the majority work during those hours.
Why do women still have to choose between a career and raising their children adequately?
It’s ridiculous that school hours have not yet adjusted to family dynamics that have changed decades ago. How many of us workers can be home at 3 pm to greet our children from school? Some other nations parallel school hours with work schedules-with after study programs that benefit both children and their parents. Not in the archaic U.S. I agree policy makers and businesses can do a much better job.
Today’s children are tomorrow’s employees.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 16 Nov 2009
