Please write a reply to the following student on this discussion board they init
Please write a reply to the following student on this discussion board they initiated regarding the following – the media has made a big deal out of the “working mom” versus “stay-at-home mom” debate for years. Women often debate with one another about what is the “right” thing to do. Taking what you have read about health, reproduction, family systems, and the information from the videos, identify at least two institutionalized factors that may contribute to the imbalance of equity (ability to work for pay, domestic labor, care tasks, mental load, etc.) in the family, society, etc. for most women and how might those barriers be overcome to allow more equitable forms of “choice”?
STUDENT INITAL RESPONSE::
Remember to information from the course content to support your answers. This is not a place for unsupported opinions but identifying and accounting for your own socialization can help bridge the gap in understanding that we each have based upon our own intersectionality (i.e. My personal perspective is that of a middle-aged, cisgender, white female raised in a repressive evangelical religious structure while living in poverty).
The working mom versus the stay-at-home mom is something I have seen being talked about on multiple occasions. It often depends on the cultural or hardwired aspects that have been taught to certain individuals. Some believe that they must be stay-at-home moms, and conform to societal norms. Others are put in the position to work and therefore lead the “double life” of work. There are many factors as to why each is put in such a category. For example, the stay-at-home mom is expected to take care of her children and nothing more, possibly regarding traditional ideals. However, she may have simply chosen the option herself and felt that was in her best interest. The working mom, on the other hand, could have been put in a position where she had no choice but to work, to help financially provide for the family. However, she also maybe just wanted to pursue a career and have just as much of a right to work as her partner.
Two institutionalized factors that contribute to the imbalance of equity for women are medical institutions/healthcare and the workforce/economic opportunities. In the healthcare system, it has become an evident thing, time and time again that women are not taken seriously, nor are they attended to in the same aspect as men. On page 324 of the textbook it states, ” Medical research has tended to focus on men (mostly white cismen), overgeneralizing the results of this research to others.” This allows us to see that many medical studies, trials, medications, etc. center around the usage of men and what works best for them, completely ignoring the way it would affect women. The value and center of medical attention have been highly placed on white men and therefore, has continued in our present day. It becomes worse knowing that women of color fall on the very opposite spectrum of what white men receive in the healthcare system. The textbook states on page 320, ” They have higher mortality rates, including maternal and infant mortality rates, and their reproductive health is threatened by limited access to basic reproductive health care. These issues are both historic and ongoing concerns for people whose rights to emotional and physical health and well-being are severely hampered by the discrimination and violence of intersecting systemic oppressions. ” On top of gender bias, racial bias also plays a significant role, tying the knot in intersectionality. More specifically, black women are ignored at much higher rates and it is far more common for them to be dismissed for their issues. This all in all causes late diagnosis/misdiagnosing, delayed care, improper treatment, etc. This is a big issue, as the lack of understanding regarding women’s health detrimentally affects all of our health. A way for these barriers to be overcome is to first include women, specifically a diverse selection, to participate in clinical trials and studies. This creates an understanding of how the effect of certain medicines, works differently on men than women, and overall a better treatment plan. Another way to overcome these barriers is to have gender-sensitive and racial-sensitive care practices as required training for healthcare workers. It’s important to destigmatize and get rid of bias, that prevents people from getting the proper healthcare they need. This most importantly gives women the option and choice of going to medical providers, without the restrictions of what they have to choose, in worry of not being listened to. Continuing, the workplace also caters to the comfort of men and benefits their lifestyles much more. Workplaces do not offer much flexibility to mothers, and this makes it difficult for them to adjust to their schedules. This shows that this societal expectation doesn’t include the consideration of those who have to take care of their children, as that task usually is the women’s “job.” This consideration isn’t included because of the stereotypical ideals that the man is the one who works and “provides”. So when a woman gets introduced into the equation, besides being the caretaker, and now is in the workforce, it’s overlooked. Therefore, these needs are not met by those who need a flexible schedule for their kids. A supporting statement from the textbook on page 380 is, ” This means, for example, that working-class women’s lack of flexible work scheduling affects how families can meet their needs, as does the lower pay of working-class family members, making them less able to afford quality daycare. ” On top of that, not only does the wage gap exist, but the qualities that are expected of women at home, are also sought out in the workplace. Women are expected to perform certain tasks that aren’t likely expected from their male counterparts. It’s important that these are overcome and a way that could be done is to promote a balance of work and life in society, provide leadership opportunities to women and have them represented in decision-making, and finally enable flexible work schedules. If women feel more comfortable and accepted not only by the workplace but by society to work, they won’t feel as much pressure to make a decision that feels out of their control. It’s important that options are always available and that choices can be made out of desire, not out of force or desperation.