1950's America is iconic of domestic gender roles and sexism, the classic image of White Husband coming home at 5:30 pm sharp, putting his hat on the hatstand and sitting down to a hot meal prepared all day by White Wife. We like to think that these rigid gender expectations have relaxed - and to an extent they have - but although we (grudgingly) accept women in the corporate workforce, we continue to assume that household labour is the female sphere.
Last Sunday was Father's Day, and it was no better day to understand exactly how we are conditioned to believe that "men work in real jobs" and "women work at home". As I was walking past the local primary school on Friday, I saw kids carrying their Father's Day artworks - decorated paper ties. And as we know, nothing screams professionalism like a phallic tie. This came at the tail end of several weeks of TV ad campaigns for Bunning's drills sales ("perfect for dad") and half-priced soccer balls. Suits, power tools and sport; the trifecta of masculinity. The message was clear, dads do work. They're earning lots of money doing tough days at the office, and then they're outside playing hard, or in the shed making something really cool. This is in stark contrast to Mother's Day advertising, with perfumes and soap dishes and flowers, which funnily enough are all items for the home. And the primary school kids trot home with decorated paper aprons instead of ties. A lifetime of these messages surrounding us inevitably results in a subconscious - or very conscious for that matter - assumption that domestic labour should primarily be carried out by women.
Here's the thing: domestic labour is labour. Cleaning, washing and cooking take just as much training, skill, and blood-sweat-and-teary hours as sitting at a desk planning new streets, or running administration for an office, or any other middle-range "corporate" job. As indicated by many people's complete inability to categorise laundry by material, or cook a decent meal, domestic chores are work; requiring knowledge, skill and time. Raising children takes the level of labour to the next level - as a "job", it's on par with lawyers, doctors and financial advisors in terms of importance, hours and skill level. However all this domestic labour is associated almost exclusively with women; ironing and booking Billy into Term 2 soccer training is a specifically female role. And worse? It is unpaid labour.
The gender wage gap actually significantly stems from this social mindset. Women are managing to make their way into most realms of the corporate world, and there is an increased awareness of the importance of equal pay and equal job opportunities for women. However on top of their corporate jobs, women are expected to undertake hours of unpaid domestic labour while their male counterparts don't, save the tokenistic drive to Billy's soccer game on Saturday mornings. A woman may be well qualified and eager for a well paid marketing job offer, but the hours are 9-5 Monday to Friday - her kids finish school at 3:10 and she can't afford a 5 day per week nanny. Who would cook or pack lunches or do the laundry? As a result, women take on jobs with fewer hours, lower pay, and hence are viewed by their employers as less deserving of a promotion. This has nothing to do with women "wanting it less", or "prioritising children due to a biological maternal instinct", and everything to do with enforced social expectations. Women who do take on full time jobs instead of doing their household "duties" are characterised as heartless, cruel mothers. Meanwhile, it seems completely out of place to ask your husband to be home at 3 to look after the kids on Mondays - Wednesdays, which is a fair division of domestic labour.
As usual, the most effective way to even the playing field is to re-educate men and recondition their behaviours, rather than burden women with trying to change the world when the world won't listen. Boys need to learn that cooking, laundry and nannying are work just as much as operating an excel spreadsheet. They need to understand that this work needs to be respected, instead of dumped onto the "weaker sex" as menial and worthless chores. From there, domestic labour can start to become un-gendered, and we can build an expectation for men to share household work with their female counterparts. Like most feminist This is How to End Sexism manifestos, this course of action ends up benefiting men, as spending time with your children and being involved in running a household is destigmatised for males, resulting in better family relationships and emotional health.
Women should be able to take on as little or as much work as they wish, and be paid and appreciated for their time and effort.
Last Sunday was Father's Day, and it was no better day to understand exactly how we are conditioned to believe that "men work in real jobs" and "women work at home". As I was walking past the local primary school on Friday, I saw kids carrying their Father's Day artworks - decorated paper ties. And as we know, nothing screams professionalism like a phallic tie. This came at the tail end of several weeks of TV ad campaigns for Bunning's drills sales ("perfect for dad") and half-priced soccer balls. Suits, power tools and sport; the trifecta of masculinity. The message was clear, dads do work. They're earning lots of money doing tough days at the office, and then they're outside playing hard, or in the shed making something really cool. This is in stark contrast to Mother's Day advertising, with perfumes and soap dishes and flowers, which funnily enough are all items for the home. And the primary school kids trot home with decorated paper aprons instead of ties. A lifetime of these messages surrounding us inevitably results in a subconscious - or very conscious for that matter - assumption that domestic labour should primarily be carried out by women.
Here's the thing: domestic labour is labour. Cleaning, washing and cooking take just as much training, skill, and blood-sweat-and-teary hours as sitting at a desk planning new streets, or running administration for an office, or any other middle-range "corporate" job. As indicated by many people's complete inability to categorise laundry by material, or cook a decent meal, domestic chores are work; requiring knowledge, skill and time. Raising children takes the level of labour to the next level - as a "job", it's on par with lawyers, doctors and financial advisors in terms of importance, hours and skill level. However all this domestic labour is associated almost exclusively with women; ironing and booking Billy into Term 2 soccer training is a specifically female role. And worse? It is unpaid labour.
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| Ha ha ha ha no. |
The gender wage gap actually significantly stems from this social mindset. Women are managing to make their way into most realms of the corporate world, and there is an increased awareness of the importance of equal pay and equal job opportunities for women. However on top of their corporate jobs, women are expected to undertake hours of unpaid domestic labour while their male counterparts don't, save the tokenistic drive to Billy's soccer game on Saturday mornings. A woman may be well qualified and eager for a well paid marketing job offer, but the hours are 9-5 Monday to Friday - her kids finish school at 3:10 and she can't afford a 5 day per week nanny. Who would cook or pack lunches or do the laundry? As a result, women take on jobs with fewer hours, lower pay, and hence are viewed by their employers as less deserving of a promotion. This has nothing to do with women "wanting it less", or "prioritising children due to a biological maternal instinct", and everything to do with enforced social expectations. Women who do take on full time jobs instead of doing their household "duties" are characterised as heartless, cruel mothers. Meanwhile, it seems completely out of place to ask your husband to be home at 3 to look after the kids on Mondays - Wednesdays, which is a fair division of domestic labour.
As usual, the most effective way to even the playing field is to re-educate men and recondition their behaviours, rather than burden women with trying to change the world when the world won't listen. Boys need to learn that cooking, laundry and nannying are work just as much as operating an excel spreadsheet. They need to understand that this work needs to be respected, instead of dumped onto the "weaker sex" as menial and worthless chores. From there, domestic labour can start to become un-gendered, and we can build an expectation for men to share household work with their female counterparts. Like most feminist This is How to End Sexism manifestos, this course of action ends up benefiting men, as spending time with your children and being involved in running a household is destigmatised for males, resulting in better family relationships and emotional health.
Women should be able to take on as little or as much work as they wish, and be paid and appreciated for their time and effort.
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Hannah
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