Housewives vs Working Mothers
Stay-at-home Mothers versus Working Mothers
Natalie Greeley
CHFD225 I004 Fall 12
Professor Glass
December 8, 2012
Stay-at-home Mothers versus Working Mothers A stay-at-home mother is a married woman that chooses not to work so she can stay at home to raise the children. She also maintains the cleanliness of the home while preparing meals daily. Working mothers are employed outside of the home to help provide supplementary income. They also sustain responsibility within the home. There are many differences between stay-at-home mothers and working mothers. For some, the reason to be a stay-at-home mother is lack of good childcare options, while others it’s the desire to be the one attending to your child’s day-to-day needs. They value the chance to share their child’s developmental accomplishments. The work of a stay-at-home mother is repetitive and limitless. Although stay-at-home moms often complain about extensive hours of housework, the importance of knowing they’re in charge of their child’s care is guaranteed peace of mind. According to Aulette (2010), “since the housework is unpaid, the work is devalued; furthermore the workers who perform the unpaid housework are devalued and have low social status” (Ch. 7, p. 167). Three different groups decide why working mothers entered the work force. Those groups are supply side, demand side, and social structure (Aulette, 2010, Ch. 6, p. 141). The quantity of women available to work outside the home amplified placing pressure on the labor market to open jobs for women. Careers such as nurse, beautician, and teacher have been a high demand for women so they can become employed. Improved birth control and increased lifespan are two features of social structure that have been acknowledged as main factors in relation to the increasing number of women in the work force. Carrying out the role of a stay at home mom, leaves many women susceptible to the beginning of depression because
Natalie Greeley
CHFD225 I004 Fall 12
Professor Glass
December 8, 2012
Stay-at-home Mothers versus Working Mothers A stay-at-home mother is a married woman that chooses not to work so she can stay at home to raise the children. She also maintains the cleanliness of the home while preparing meals daily. Working mothers are employed outside of the home to help provide supplementary income. They also sustain responsibility within the home. There are many differences between stay-at-home mothers and working mothers. For some, the reason to be a stay-at-home mother is lack of good childcare options, while others it’s the desire to be the one attending to your child’s day-to-day needs. They value the chance to share their child’s developmental accomplishments. The work of a stay-at-home mother is repetitive and limitless. Although stay-at-home moms often complain about extensive hours of housework, the importance of knowing they’re in charge of their child’s care is guaranteed peace of mind. According to Aulette (2010), “since the housework is unpaid, the work is devalued; furthermore the workers who perform the unpaid housework are devalued and have low social status” (Ch. 7, p. 167). Three different groups decide why working mothers entered the work force. Those groups are supply side, demand side, and social structure (Aulette, 2010, Ch. 6, p. 141). The quantity of women available to work outside the home amplified placing pressure on the labor market to open jobs for women. Careers such as nurse, beautician, and teacher have been a high demand for women so they can become employed. Improved birth control and increased lifespan are two features of social structure that have been acknowledged as main factors in relation to the increasing number of women in the work force. Carrying out the role of a stay at home mom, leaves many women susceptible to the beginning of depression because
References: Aulette, J.R. Changing American families (3rd ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Chapters 6 & 7. Nolan, V. & Surujal, J.J. (2010). Participation in physical activity: An empirical study of working women’s perceptions. African Journal For Physical, Health Education, Recreation & Dance, 16(3), 355-372. Sidle, S.D. (2011). Career Track or Mommy Track: How Do Women Decide?. Academy of Management Perspectives, 25(2), 77-79. Spendlove, D.C., Gavelok, J.R. & MacMurray, V. (1981). Learned helplessness and the depressed housewife. Social Work, 26(6), 477-479. Williamson, M. (2009). Gender, Leisure and Marriage in a Working-Class Community, 1939-1960. Labour History Review (Maney Publishing), 74(2), 185-198.