what about this whole “women earn .78 on the dollar earned by men” stuff? That seems to be the primary rallying cry about the obvious sexism in America.
Except it’s not as simple as that, obviously, since we all probbably know in most work situations the guys aren’t getting paid a third more than women int he same jobs, or generally rapidly being promoted over women. there’d be more lawsuits if it were that obvious.
it seems commensensical that it’s got to be a complex issue, just liek our lives are complex. and that it’s not just sexist or downright misogynistic employers who are shortchanging women.
no it’s life choices, career choices, taking time off and out of the workplace, etc. not “sexism” per se.
You could argue that the whole system is sexist, that there should be mroe time off, that people shouldnt be punished careerwise for dropping out, that men should drop out to do chilcare in equal numbers as women…
well, maybe. maybe systemic changes would have unintended consequences that punished other groups. but i dont think systemic changes would change who we are deep down.
as to child care, in my limited experience, women who have babies that they dont want to put in childcare are not likely to be satsified by their husbands staying home with them. they a re literally dying to get out of work an d be with their baby. i don’t see the same phenomenon among men. men tend to be happy to drop the little guys off at day care and pick them up later. they dont pine to be with them all day long. they dont drive themselves nuts with worry.
im speaking in generalities of course. but im not persuaded that men have the same hormonal drive to be with that baby nor care in the same way for it. not that they cannot do the work, or don’t like doing the work, or that they dont love their kids; id estimate ive changed the same or more diapers than my wife, due to her work schedule
it’s just, men, they are not similarly powefully hormonally driven to be with that baby 24/7. while I see women quit their jobs with little regret to spend to be with the little one. I doubt most on track successful career guys, or even a small sprinkling of them, would feel regretfree about such a choice.
you can argue to me all day till youre blue int he face that society made the guys that way, that women were socialized to care for babies ina million different ways, beginnign with being forced to use pink paper, but I am not buying it. and im pretty progressive, generally.
men can care for babies, rhonda rousey can obviously kick my ass in a few short seconds, but push comes to shove, women love babies ina way that men dont. it could be evlutionary, that women have more invested in the offspring than men do, who knows. but i cannot ignore the reality ive seen in the last half century on earth.
is that “sexist”
i think yeah. women have utueruses. is that sexist to say? they are filled with strange and different hormones. sexist again. they’re different. it might be a blessing, it might be a curse, but a woman is just not a man.
