The Second Coming of the Housewife

**wilpuri** · March 22, 2007, 04:39 PM

I like it.

Whaddya'll all think?

**Manji** · March 22, 2007, 04:47 PM

I like it too.
The problem is that modern society (and namely women) look with contempt at those who decide to take the role of housewife instead of pursuing high salary careers.

**Cato the Younger** · March 22, 2007, 04:51 PM

Luckily for me, that's exactly what both my girlfriend and her mother believe.

Not that I'm against women with careers...

**Gwendylyn** · March 22, 2007, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Manji

I like it too.
The problem is that modern society (and namely women) look with contempt at those who decide to take the role of housewife instead of pursuing high salary careers.

I really honestly think this is a made up concept about modern society. Beyond some of the extremists that are on par with Ann Coulter or Michael Moore, the only real stigmatism I've ever seen has been men telling house-husband types that they aren't manly for making that choice. Stigmatism on housewifery basically comes from males who traditionally paint it as inferior to what they could do for themselves (career), regardless of how they phrase it, or from those handful of feminazis that tend to ruin it for everyone.

As to the article, meh. I'll agree with other posters and say that its personal decisions, and whats ultimately best suited for both oneself and one's family. The article itself paints it all from one point of view, which made me immediately doubt it. Until I looked up the author and her book.

Originally Posted by "author

"I believe, we women should shut up more often," German TV news presenter Eva Herman said in a recent interview. "Why do we always have to have a say in everything?"

In her book she claims the 'emancipation of women" (read: birth control pills, gender equality practices, and ability for women to get divorces) has caused the degradation of society, and that all women want to be housewives, but society pressures them into pursuing empty unfulfilling careers. If it had been a man who said that, people who be up in flames about it. But since its a woman somehow that vindicates her argument.

**Giorgos** · March 23, 2007, 02:58 AM

Originally Posted by Gwendylyn

In her book she claims the 'emancipation of women" (read: birth control pills, gender equality practices, and ability for women to get divorces) has caused the degradation of society, and that all women want to be housewives, but society pressures them into pursuing empty unfulfilling careers. If it had been a man who said that, people who be up in flames about it. But since its a woman somehow that vindicates her argument.

It does. Because her comments come from a different place than where our comments come from.

**Gwendylyn** · March 23, 2007, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Giorgos - Zahos

It does. Because her comments come from a different place than where our comments come from.

Its perfectly possible for a woman to be mysoginist. Its perfectly possible for a black to be racist against blacks. Giving people almost holy authority to say things just because of their gender or skin color is an appeal to authority fallacy.

Instead of agreeing because she is female, people should look at her argument irrespective of gender.

**Bwaho** · March 23, 2007, 12:24 PM

I'm just going to say this: the housewife society, love it or hate it, works better and is the best way for a nation to maintain stability and development.

**Giorgos** · March 24, 2007, 03:35 AM

Originally Posted by Gwendylyn

Its perfectly possible for a woman to be mysoginist. Its perfectly possible for a black to be racist against blacks. Giving people almost holy authority to say things just because of their gender or skin color is an appeal to authority fallacy.

Instead of agreeing because she is female, people should look at her argument irrespective of gender.

I never said that i agree with what she wrote. Either way, she is more qualified to speak than any of us. Whether one agrees with her or not is a different matter altogether.

**RZZZA** · March 22, 2007, 04:57 PM

It just depends on what you find important in life, money or chilbearing? Personally I find money to be more important, I dont care if I ever have a child. I refuse to believe that every woman wants to have a child just like I refuse to believe that every woman wants to have a career.

Man, what I wouldnt give to be a house husband. I'd stay at home and clean while my wife went out and made all the money in her high powered attorney career, representing criminals and rapists and drug dealers. Man...wouldnt that be great?

Sitting on your ass and doing basically nothing is every persons dream, man or woman.

**Manji** · March 22, 2007, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by RZZZA

Sitting on your ass and doing basically nothing is every persons dream, man or woman.

Then you clearly have no idea what "housewife" means.
It's nothing about staying at home sitting on your ass.
My grandmother raised 3 daughters, she had to cook for the whole family, keep the house in pristine condition and not to mention the other stuff she did.
Housewives (and househusbands) aren't all day at home sitting on their asses, that's what a teen usually does.

**RZZZA** · March 22, 2007, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by Manji

Then you clearly have no idea what "housewife" means.
It's nothing about staying at home sitting on your ass.
My grandmother raised 3 daughters, she had to cook for the whole family, keep the house in pristine condition and not to mention the other stuff she did.
Housewives (and househusbands) aren't all day at home sitting on their asses, that's what a teen usually does.

No I already said that I didnt want any children. Then all being a "house husband" entails is cooking and cleaning. And I can do that, thats easy compared to being a lawyer.

I was speaking generally though, sitting on their ass doing nothing is every persons dream, man or womans. Thats everyones goal, to work hard whuile theyre young so they can be sitting on their comfortably rich asses in their later years.

**Cato the Younger** · March 22, 2007, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by RZZZA

And I can do that, thats easy compared to being a lawyer.

RZZZA, I can envision you sweeping up the jury with a passionate speech... and then calling them dillholes.

**LoZz** · March 22, 2007, 05:11 PM

my mum is a teacher, but she was quite happy to be a housewife when me and my bro where babies and i think she still would be if we didnt need the money.

i dont think this will be the last re-invention of feminism, i think it will go back and fouth, the problem is that all human beings are diffrent and each want diffrent things, some women will want careers, some a family, some both and when you get one of those groups telling the others their wrong and this is how you should live your life you will almost certanly get a backlash.

as soon as feminist realise that
a. it is not nessicery any more, its just an excuse for sexism towards men
b. feminism is supost to be about choice, women can chose what they want to be, be it housewife or career girl.

though i do here alot of career girls regreat it when their 50 and all alone because they spent to much time a work and have no partner or kids and their maternal instincts are very strong, alot of depression, it was in a show on bbc1

**Skyler** · March 23, 2007, 03:50 AM

Anti-feminism... how nice.
one woman has seen the light and the rest.... cannot follow.

A lot of women got to college to study to get good jobs later on in life otherwise their studies would be less effective being just a plain housemother. You just have to find a blance between work and private life, if a woman and a man want to have children they can both agree to step down a rung on the ladder and work a bit less, both part-time if you will.

The problem with that are the employers and often enough the said families who do not want give up the extra cash that comes with working full-time.

Anti-femenism? Sound more like a womans midlife crisis.

"I believe, we women should shut up more often," German TV news presenter Eva Herman said in a recent interview. "Why do we always have to have a say in everything?"

No thank you, I would like my girl to speak her mind when she wants to.

Since then she's been spreading her new-found wisdom in literary oeuvres like "The Joy of Breastfeeding" (2003)

If I had a child I would enjoy breastfeeding my child too.

**Sadreddine** · March 23, 2007, 04:24 AM

Nice to hear that. I consider that to be unavoidable in humanity. Equal rights for everyone, that's for sure. However I do not consider myself equal to a woman. Which does not mean I'm better or worse overall, I'm just different. Different in my views, in my feelings, in my attitudes. This is something modern western society has forgotten due to angry feminist movements. We see it in the media, it's everywhere: and it is called oficially "positive discrimination". Now, is there any "positive" discrimination? I doubt so, and not certainly in this case.

I can't be, refuse to be, a good mother. My girlfriend will hopefully be. I prefer to stick being a good father. Seems more natural to me.

I'm sure my girlfriend will be happy getting a partial-time job or whatever if we have children for the sake of rising her children. She is very eager for that moment. That did not prevent her for studying a carrier (she's actually studying 2 at the same time). She cooks like an angel, I do the cleaning. No big deal.