Blog #13 - Gerson, Hakin-Dyce

In today’s society women are faced with difficult issues surrounding family commitment and economic autonomy. It seems that obtaining a balance between work and family has become an unattainable goal among many working mothers. In her article, Moral Dilemmas, Moral Lessons and the Transformation, Kathleen Gerson discusses the ways in which women’s roles in the “male-breadwinner, female-caretaker” family dynamic has changed in the second half of the twentieth century. In nineteenth century traditional American society, women were considered morally superior to men and therefore better fit in the home as the primary caregiver. This idea of moral superiority was used to justify the creation of two spheres in society in which women were isolated in the home, or the private sphere, and the men were in control of the public sphere, or the corporate workplace. Women were considered to pure to venture into the corrupt public sphere, and men were considered morally inadequate to raise children in the private sphere. This family paradigm persisted until the early nineteen seventies. At that time women began to challenge the traditional family model by venturing out of the home and questioning women’s moral superiority. When analyzed, it is apparent that this idea of moral superiority was a socially constructed idea that was meant to perpetuate gender inequality. By putting women on a moral pedestal, men were “inadvertently” oppressing women by confining them to the home. The concept of two separate spheres for men and women began to collapse when people realized that gender is not inborn but rather a social construct. Gerson writes “It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that using gender in this way is more prescriptive than descriptive.” In this quote Gerson is stating that gender is not an inherent trait but a characteristic that is assigned to all individuals.

Today women are faced with the moral dilemma of choosing between their careers and their families. Gerson explains this moral dilemma as a catch-22 situation in which women are forced to make “irreconcilable choices between caring and self sufficiency.” These choices are extremely difficult to make and almost always end in some form of societal disapproval. Despite the fact that the model of two spheres has largely been rejected, its ideals are still rooted in society. Women are almost always considered more responsible for household obligations. In some form or another, the traditional family dynamic is still present in our society. Women are expected to carry the bulk of the child care and household chores while men are primarily concerned with their careers. Another problem faced by working mothers is the inflexibility of employers. Most do not cater to the needs of working mothers who need to devote a large amount of time to their families. Having a balance between a woman’s family and career is made nearly impossible by the fact that many employers expect complete dedication from their workers. Gerson explains that there is a growing crisis among families who try to “balance the need to provide economic support with the need to devote time and attention.”

Aisha Hakim-Dyce’s article, Reality Check, relates to many issues discussed in Kathleen Gerson’s article. Through her own experience Hakim-Dyce illustrates how our society works on systems of privilege in which people are forced to make extremely difficult decisions. In Gerson’s article, she describes how it is nearly impossible for both men and women to balance there careers and their family lives. This is because employers expect so much from their workers and do not offer many exceptions for working mothers. Lower class women are at a disadvantage because most of the time they will be forced choose their careers over their family so that they can provide financially for their children. On the other hand women in the upper and middle class can work less hours because they have more financial stability. A balance between their family and their careers are more attainable for women of a higher socioeconomic status. Hakim-Dyce is also forced to make a tough choice between a job and her college education. Like Hakim-Dyce many women cannot afford a college education because they need to work full-time in order to support themselves financially. Women who come from middle or upper class backgrounds are able to afford a college education without having to worry about supporting themselves. These women can graduate from college and find higher paying jobs that are reserved for college graduates. Women who are forced to drop out of college, due to financially reasons, are forced to work in lower income jobs and therefore can never escape their financial instability.