Posted on 05/14/2004 6:56:16 AM PDT by qam1
London, May 13 (IANS) :
'What's mine is mine, and what's his is mine!' New research says this is the maxim of GenX women who want to be housewives who don't really work.
Young mothers are rejecting equality in the workplace and preferring the idea of becoming full-time housewives - but not ones who actually do housework.
This is the overall conclusion of research among 2,100 British adults that says women are happy to abandon the workplace but not if it means spending all day at home cooking, cleaning and looking after children.
Instead they want to play the "role" of housewife with a little help from, for instance, a nanny, and someone who does the ironing. Unlike Kylie Minogue, they don't want to do any dusting either.
The report, by Marian Salzman, chief strategic officer of Euro RSCG Worldwide, the world's fifth largest advertising agency, describes these women as princess-style "domestic divas" who effectively exploit their husbands.
"Today, 'women's lib' means wanting to be liberated from the intense pressures of the modern-day working mum," she said.
"And what we're seeing is a serious gender divide regarding women in the workplace. This time around, it is the women who want to stay at home and the men who want to keep them in the offices and factories."
Salzman, 45, who does not have children, is well known in the United States for spotting trends before they go mainstream. She predicted the rise of 1970s fashion nostalgia and, on the eve of the "Bridget Jones" phenomenon, spotted that single professional women would become the new, free-spending yuppies.
Her report last year, "the Future of Men", predicted that "metrosexuals" - straight men who care about fashion, food and grooming - would be the new target of advertisers.
She said 69 percent of women thought it perfectly acceptable for females to be housewives and not to earn a salary. In contrast, only 48 percent of men felt that women should remain outside paid employment.
Her research suggested that the motivation to spend more time at home was "self-centred" for some women. "There are many women who choose to stay home out of concern for their children's quality of life," she said. "But there are plenty of others who are paying lip service to being the 2004 version of the perfect mum.
"In reality they are domestic divas who want the flawless kids, courtesy of the nanny; a spotless home, thanks to a cleaning service; and a reputation for being a fabulously put-together homemaker.
"These are the women who are becoming a target of disdain and rage on the part of spouses who didn't expect to be shouldering the financial burden single-handedly."
She said she was not talking about mothers with very young children but those whose offspring were older and in full-time education.
Jill Kirby, the chairman of the family group at the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank, said: "It's very clear that women who have the choice between working and being at home with their children still want to prioritise their home life and life with their children."
LOL! Unfortunately, my husband's owner employer follows him home, sometimes even if he's not here. But we "appendages" don't ever follow him to work, isn't that strange ...
Yesterday one of his coworkers called while I was ironing, wondering why my husband wasn't in some meeting. "I'm sorry, this is the house phone," I said, in my best Executive Secretary voice. I'm NOT happy with the fact that some unknown number of clueless nerds have my home phone number!
Ridiculous.
Note this article focuses on British women, not Americans.
I still think if a wife is capable of working, and kids aren't in the picture, she should work.
Why? This implies that a wife's value or contribution to her husband is only (a) cash income or (b) child care.
Imagine what a pleasant home life a man would have if his wife were able to devote herself largely to supporting him and meeting his needs. A clean, quiet, well-decorated home ... a woman with time to dress nicely, exercise, and fix herself up to look good just for him ... carefully prepared, un-rushed meals ... household matters taken care of without his attention ...
If she's a typical modern girl who's been brought up to be clueless around the house, she could be learning to cook and sew, learning to care for children, etc. She could be contributing to the community, making nice to the in-laws, developing friendships that both spouses enjoy ...
Your opinion seems to reflect a strictly material view of the marriage relationship - that economic values are what matter most.
Ha! Ha! I do so much secretarial work for him that I told him I expect something for next Administrative Professionals Day.
Safe to say! I pay for our full-time nanny, a housecleaner, and a yard guy. I'd much rather have pleasant time with my wife rather than hear moaning about her being tired.
Anyone who purchases a new car each year can do all of the above, too (simply by holding off on the car purchase).
Well said.
And yet I'm still drawn to these threads like a bug to a lightbulb...
The problem I have come across a lot of time isn't the daytime hours. It's evenings and weekends. Of course, husbands work hard all day and should be able to relax when they get home, but sometimes a stay at home mom wants to get out. Even worse is that if he wants to go out and do something, but kids aren't allowed it's no problem. After all, there is always the built-in babysitter. In my more upset times I sometimes do feel like nothing more than a glorified babysitter.
We don't get a new car EVER, but we could re-prioritize to afford help, if it was truly important to us, and I expect many families could.
That does get to me sometimes, too. I had to draw a line in the sand very strongly, just to get to a Weight Watchers meeting once a week! And most of the time I take at least two kids with me!
I know, I know this job is hard and it feels like I'm invisible and boring too. I used to have a great job, making beautiful flutes. Everyone thought I was interesting. I cant tell you how much I missed my kid..now I have two. I also worked as a machinist. That is hard, on your feet all day work. This is better. Between all the noise and contstant "Mommy watcha doin?" I get to know my kids. Then they willl grow up and be gone forever.
A "This should be an interesting thread to read later" BUMP!
47 - "Upper-middle to upper-class women have never had to work.
Here's a great example: what did the mother of Mary Poppins' charges do all day while her banker husband was away at work? Remember, she had a cook, maid and governess."
Good observation.
British ideals are different than American ideals - sort of the difference between 'Upstairs. Downstairs' and 'Little House on the Prarie'.
American women want to be 'equal'. British women want to be 'ladies'.
And believe me, the 'lady of the house' is different than a 'house wife'.
Right. It's just a matter of priorities. One of my employees just had to have a new car, and bought one on credit first, only to then learn that he and his wife (with child on the way - now here) couldn't afford to buy even the smallest of homes...took him another year to get into a house. That's an example of mismatched priorities. He got what he *wanted* first, rather than what his family really needed.
People do that all of the time. They'll gladly spend $2,500 for a vacation trip or a plasma TV, but they'll complain that they can't put $500 a year into a college savings account for their child. It's just priorities. Most people *could* save, but they simply choose to spend their money on their current lifestyle.
But hey, it's a free country. People can do what they want, even if it means that they are acting stupid with their precious resources at hand.
The realities of human psychobiology do not change, simply because we wish things were different.
Hey I've got an old John Deere rider that needs rewiring. Come on over
No way, But then again I think every guy says this but many woman just know how to wear a guy down to the point where the guy finds it easier to just give in instead of dealing with it.
I tend to ß¡†©¶ proof which is probably why I'm still single, Either the woman wants to treat you like crap or she wants to be treated like crap by you, It's hard to find a happy middle.
But as they say the biggest problem in marriage is immediately after a couple gets married the woman wants her husband to change but the guy wants his wife to stay exactly the same.
BTW- FWIW- I am not at all like the above, and I am VERY alarmed for our generation, and even moreso for our kids!
With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow.
Wedding Vow, Book of Common Prayer
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