If women fought to prove they could do more than be a housewife/mother than why do/did most of them go for....

Question

Than why do/did most of us go for traditional roles in the workplace such as seamstresses, teachers, childcare professionals, nurses, etc?

Answer 1

You are describing the Pink Collar Ghetto and up until the 1970's there were fewer career opportunities available. All the careers you mention - except for nursing - are very poorly paid, low status jobs. It is unfortunate that teaching is so undervalued in the USA, but that's the way it is. Sad but true. Historically, fewer people pursued higher education in general, and women pursued higher education even LESS; they were trained to expect to become housewives anyway, so why bother investing in a fancy education? It would be wasted money and time. Example: my parents cared only about my brother because with a girl child "why bother"?

Answer 2

I think it is because these jobs just appealed to women more than other jobs. I know women who are police officers, in the military, company executives, well about everything. Yet you are right the majority of women do jobs like teach, secretarial work, child care, nursing, and so on. I think the point is that anyone should be able to try and become what they like. We as a society should not say only men can do this or only women can to that. It should be up to the person and their talents. That is what should allow people to get and do jobs. Not if they are men or women, or white or black or Asian, but that is another question and answer for another time. =)

Answer 3

when i became a teacher, i never thought i was taking the women's movement a step back.

my career took an education, dedication, drive, patience, and determination....and i'm sure those others do too. i teach reading, writing, math, science, social science, music, p.e., handwriting, art, and social skills that will carry children into adulthood.

i'm a leader in my community, a role model for those without, and a voice of protection for those children who have none.

i don't cook, i'm single, and i don't have any children....

while others may look at me as having a "traditional role", teachers have always been more than a housewife/mother...and maybe that's why women have chosen it.....

and i would want to sew clothes all day but i admire those who can....and all the other "traditional roles"....

Answer 4

Various reasons, but the most immediate one that springs to mind is that many of these traditionally "female" jobs can either be done from home or have child-friendly hours. Traditionally "male" jobs may be just as accessible now to women as they are to men, but what woman with children would want to work the hours that some of these jobs involve? My sister trained as an engineer, but since having children has moved into teaching because she can be home by 4.30 to cook the children's tea.

And there is still huge bias facing women in some traditionally "male" professions, whatever people say about us allegedly living in a "post-feminist" society where we "already have equality". See the following articles about a female-to-male transsexual scientist who found that his work was taken much more seriously after he published it under a male name.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/13/BAGIDJU67A1.DTL&feed=rss.news

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Transsexual-researcher-finds-bias/2006/07/13/1152637773152.html

Feminsim, as well as encouraging people of either gender to opt for non-gender-stereotypical careers, if that's what they want, is also about raising the status of traditionally "female" work and challenging the culture of family-unfriendly hours which is the biggest invisible barrier to women pursuing many careers.

Answer 5

While men and woman should be considered equal in all respects, people (either man or woman) will pursue what they are best at. Did you notice that almost all of the professions you listed were professions that naturally require a person who is nurturing? A woman, for the most part, is programmed to be nurturing in hopes that she may have offspring that she will care for so that the speices can survive. People choose roles they feel they are best suited for, and while this is all true the other reason that women seek these roles out is because they are traditaionally women's jobs. As time I goes on and the glass ceiling breaks (hopefully) you will see a lot more women in more male domminated feilds then you will today. In fact the rate of woman in traditionally male careers is on the rise.

hope to have helped!

Answer 6

Its about being able to do whatever we want. Making sure that the options are open to us, to do whatever it is that makes us happiest. If traditional roles are what make some women happy, thats great. We don't all need to be factory workers just because we fought for womans rights.

Answer 7

Women can do whatever they want. Not everyone wants to build houses or be a engineer. But there are women out there who do things like that and God bless them for it! Women can do anything!

Answer 8

There is nothing wrong with any of these professions. I get sad when I see women sitting in a cubicle or behind a desk when they can be using their intellect for bigger and better things.

Answer 9

have you ever ask yourself...........
if men could do the work of a woman, then why are there so many women doing it?

i have NEVER seen a man do the work of a woman, that didn't need the woman to redo it.
women has more responsibility on them, [the ones that except it] then men can ever understand.
i have watched my wife over the past 32yrs, and have come to the conclusion, that i just couldn't hold up to perform in the same matter as she. i have worked for 34yrs in the shops, where women was put on so called hard jobs, and done it with ease. women has been pushed so hard, and they just keep coming. wife, home makers, motherhood, maids, cooks, nurse maids to their husbands, doctors to their kids, shoppers for their families, supporters, providers and many more......the man, in some cases, when he become a daddy, it's so hard on him that in these cases, he flee like someone put a hot coals up his "donkey"....
so i'm sick of hearing of this crap as to where women belongs........case closed........

Answer 10

Well it depends on what talents you have. People say men did this invented that can lead, but not all men are einstein or president eithier.