Posted on 04/26/2002 9:12:13 AM PDT by Korth
WOMEN have become unhappier as a result of concentrating more on their careers than the family role they once fulfilled, an academic claims in a new book.
Prof James Tooley believes the feminist revolution of the 1960s and 1970s brought about huge changes in attitudes which have not be conducive to motherhood.
In his book, The Miseducation of Women, published next month, he suggests many professional woman would have been more contented by staying at home and bringing up children.
He draws comparisons with the film character Bridget Jones, a love-hungry young woman in publishing who becomes a television presenter and craves a stable relationship rather than being left "a singleton".
Prof Tooley, professor of education policy at Newcastle University, considers that the role of housewife has been "desperately undervalued" in society.
He argues that schools should allow girls to concentrate on the arts and domestic science rather than being pushed towards subjects such as engineering and computer science in an attempt at sexual equality.
Prof Tooley, 42, who is single with no children, said yesterday: "The Bridget Jones effect is growing in society. Women find themselves successful in their careers and unhappy in their lives.
Domesticity has been degraded over the year, particularly by feminists in the 1970s who used the phrases 'parasite' and `leach' to describe the housewife.
"I expect career women will react very strongly against me and to even suggest women would be happier in the home has become almost a taboo. We need to cull a few sacred cows and start a debate on the subject. That is what I am trying to do."
He describes his book as "largely a think piece", based on a study of more than 100,000 men and women in Britain and America by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Its findings led him to examine the way the education system was shaping the way women lead their lives.
Among his assertions are that women who were pushed into science as pupils and embarked on careers such as law and accountancy are unhappy by the time they reach 30.
Prof Tooley, from Rothbury, Northumblerland, said: "I'm not suggesting we ban girls from the labs, but my research shows that 30 per cent of young women are unhappier with their lives than previous generations were, while young men now seem happier than previous generations were."
Prof Tooley believes the "Bridget Jones generation" was spawned by the feminist revolution.
"Feminists went right to what they thought was the root of the problem. They looked at schooling to change the situation. The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 and the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1988 are, in a way, products of that, and they've transformed what is taught in school.
"But this means that the curriculum is now designed according to the feminist idea that girls should be following the model that was set down for boys. That is, pursuing a career at the expense of all other things.
"I suggest that this is pushing girls in a direction they don't want to take and there's a whole generation of working women who don't want to be there."
I don't know, but on my Form 1040 this year, I listed Mrs. N's occupation as "domestic goddess".
I'm looking for a rich woman too proud to let me work. Know any takers? ;-)
Heh heh. Yeah, pretty much. I was just expanding it a little... I don't think men are "turned off" by successful women if they meet the other qualifications in the femininity and attractiveness departments - much as women might cut slack to a guy who comes up short financially if he exceeds basic looks and "protector" requirements.
My point was this-the Maureen Dowds of the world are bitter and angry that their "success" does not have the same attractant power that men's success has to women.
For this, they blame men (of course)-"afraid of strong women", "wants a doormat", "abuser, neglecter, and infecter", etc, etc ad nauseum.
Of course, what is going on herre is the projection by "succesful" women of their own requirements in a mate onto men.
It isn't that a successful woman is unattractive-some are, some aren't. It's just that success is not in the top ten things men are interested in.
The result of this is that successful women are competing over very few men, while successful men have many, many women to choose from-including, but not limited to, "successful" women.
Carolyn
I agree. The "Power Couple" seems to be the exception, but all to often, I see women who are "successful" professionally rush to marry whatever will have them as they kareen headlong into their childbearing years.
Well, it's about time Liz Taylor found another husband, isn't it? :-)
With a Master's in Engineering, you'll have the opportunity to be an excellent financial provider. Why not fall for a great guy who will be a stay-at-home dad who raises the kids while you work, advance your career, and pay the bills???
What a hottie!
Wait a minute.
This isn't 1952?
It's actually 2002???
Uh, well, uh, nevermind!
The feminist movement pushes the illusion that men who are autocratic, domineering bosses are "respected", and that therefor if an autocratic, domineering woman boss is not respected, it must be due to discrimination against womenhood.
The flaw in that theory is that autocratic, domineering men are not greatly respected as bosses, they are reviled...as thousands of country songs will attest to.
Actually, "whining and sitting on your @ss blaming others for your choices and feeling sorry for yourself" is an excellent definition of feminism!!!
What if you meet and then fall in love with a wonderful man whose dream for himself is "to get married, have kids, and stay home with them."
Then what? Would you be willing to offer what you would ask: to support your spouse so that he could be a stay-at-home father?
True... True... (nodding head)
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