Do marriage and children prevent women from achieving social equality?

Question

Reasons?

Christ, Kate, it was a joke. Did I hit a nerve?

Answer 1

Women still have a much larger role in raising children, and children are a frequent result of a marriage, so I would say that the time and energy needed to raise healthy children still removes women (moreso than men) from the workforce enough to be part of the barrier.

But there are many other factors.

One thing is certain, however. For centuries, our techlology has been developed to devalue the role of men. The agricultural revolution devalued their role as hunters. The industrial revolution devalued their role as the strong farmworkers whose muscle was needed for the plow. The new technology continues to threaten the "manly" role that actually helps keep gender relations on a more even keel. "Sexism, gender inequality, etc." are simply responses to this, which you'll see if you read up on your history and philosophy, and you'll see that men really have a reason to freak out. Women are as important as they've ever been, but men are having a harder time feeling biologically useful.

The funniest part is that men are starting to take away from the woman's role more than ever before. The family man. The stay-at-home dad. While this is seen by some as a mere reaction to women's greater role in the workplace, it is a very beneficial thing for men themselves to have a role that is truly biologically valued again.

Answer 2

I don't think so. For women who do chose to get married and have kids, I think it's a good place for them to start gaining equality. And I want to emphasize that I am not saying that all women should get married and have kids. I'm just saying that I find the best way to start a pattern of change in social consciousness is to change people's minds one on one, one at a time. My husband was never a misogynist, but he wasn't exactly fully aware of the depth and array of current women's issues. Now, he is a full blown feminist. Changes like this are possible for everyone who lives in a domestic partnership. And the best way to instill ideals of equality is to set an example for the next generation and raise them with those ideas. A child who grows up in a home where the mom and dad are equal and preach equality, is extremely likely to see that as normal and continue the practice.

Answer 3

Marriage: no, Children: yes. Of course, marriage usually leads to children, especially where there is little access to birth control.

Why is this? Because one person usually can not physically care for a child and, at the exact same time, make money. Some home-based businesswomen are doing this, but I'm talking about in general. So this requires a partnership with someone else who can either help with the physical caretaking, making an income, or some of both.

In most situations, the other partner is a husband or boyfriend, although it sometimes is a babysitter or even a government check. If the partner is a husband, and the woman is the one who cares slightly more if the child starves, she is one-down in the relationship. If the guy could theoretically leave and abandon her, she is not equal in power if she can't say that she is just as likely to abandon the child.

Multiply that situation times 10,000 or so families, and you'll have an entire gender that is likely to hold at least slightly less power than the other. When one gender cares more about the survival of a child, that is the gender that is going to get shat on.

The poster above is quite right in linking the rise of agriculture with the rise of male domination. As women began to have more babies, and as male strength became even more important, women's rights eroded. Women used to have 4-7 kids over the course of a lifetime, and her and her sisters could almost provide for all of them, especially with high mortality rates. That changed, though. If your very survival depends on your husband's ability to use a plow, that changes the dynamics quite a bit.

Answer 4

It's all about choices.....how can people sit here and say children are preventing us from equality? No wonder so many people have no problem shipping their children off to strangers in day care all day long. By God, they are getting in our way! (what rubbish)

I feel equal, in my daily life I feel it's all matter of determination and motivation and choices. I can do what I set my mind to doing. I chose to have children and make them a priority in my life (a choice made with my husband).

I chose to start and help run a small business (a choice made with my husband).

Take responsibility for your choices and make the things happen that need to happen and quit looking for things to blame. Don't blame marriage and children for not achieving social equality, it's shameful.

My husband is my biggest supporter in all things that I want to try, do, goals I set etc....and holy smokes, he's a male, and I'm chained to his and his offspring like a slave.

Utter nonsense.

Answer 5

Well there's the whole theory of marriage as colonization of women, but I'm not smart or deep enough to know what the hell that's all about, so I will just say that marriage, traditionally, is about wifely servitude and that expectation is not quite dead yet. As long as certain things are seen as "women's work," then women are always going to have a larger burden than men, and will never acheive true equality. This is why I will never, ever date someone who is even remotely conservative... I'd rather live alone in a condo with a little dog and have lots of friends and casual sex. I don't need a full-grown man for a child.

Answer 6

Social equality understood in westernized terms..or according to the capitalist stablishment...but...more than having a career and being the boss, there are plenty of non materials things that actually give happiness to a person, being male or female.

I spent many years just working, "having fun" spending all the money in me, or saving it, eating in fancy restaurants...ahh but too much freedom is also too much lonelyness and selfishness...

I want to die in somebody´s arms and I want to be meaningful to somebody as well...I am married now and I really enjoy it.

Answer 7

The reactions of men and women to having children tend to not be equal, therefore the results will not be equal.

Many feminists will say that there is no difference in how women and men react to babies, but that is just not the case.

Especially during babyhood and early childhood, mothers tend to have a stronger urge to "be there" for the baby if only one can or if only one is needed.

That's a wonderful thing to desire and do, but it does not score points at the office.

Fatherhood tends to motivate men to work even harder in their careers, as they feel a greater responsibility to care for not just a wife but children.

Answer 8

So what if it does?

Social equality is an artificial construct. Men and women have different roles determined by different biology. Yes we can choose within our culture how to deal with aspects of life NOT dictated by those differences, and the consensus view has changed over time, but we can't deny the difference.

Answer 9

super question & an exceedingly fresh one at that. regrettably, that's actual that relatives is extremely devalued on the instant. many truly think of that's okay to % to be single mothers which in actuality robs the new child of a mandatory male effect. adult adult males have been very devalued in the previous say 4 many years or so. accountable the decline of jointly families merely on adult adult males who abandon their families is a gross exaggeration that some feminists consistently hark on. Can all people ask your self why lots of adult males on the instant are puzzled as to what their roles are whilst they have been sent lots of mixed alerts & many have had no adult males to coach them? I even have considered many ladies people who're in my age team who believed the feminist propaganda which you've gotten all of it & are as depressing as would nicely be. Many postponed marriage & having youngsters & now they're over 40, & have neither a mate or youngsters. yet, some are so delusional they nonetheless think of that they'd have each and every thing bypass their way whilst the records for sure practice that it is not healthful to have youngsters so previous due & no longer having a male effect in the youngsters lives is extremely unfavorable. I even have basically regular a million gal who's pleased together with her profession & no longer having a mate & youngsters. yet, in her case she had an exceedingly undesirable first marriage. in my view, i think of all people{of the two intercourse} who's that egotistical to even think of that they should have all of it is a narcissist & mentally unwell.

Answer 10

Trying to impose marriage and children on a woman who doesn't want it stands in the way of her equality. But if she chooses to marry and have kids, more power to her.