Comments on: Positive Housewives http://www.thenewagenda.net/2009/07/02/positive-housewives/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:06:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: sister of ye http://www.thenewagenda.net/2009/07/02/positive-housewives/comment-page-1/#comment-19958 sister of ye Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:05:58 +0000 http://thenewagenda.net/?p=11796#comment-19958 <i>millennia of patriarchy kept women shunned in their homes and denied them honorable jobs.</i> Um, no. Look down lower than the top economic/social levels of a society and you'll see that women have always worked. They have been hunter/gatherers (generally hunting smaller game), merchants, field laborers, maids, governesses, factory workers (back in the early days when factories were really unsafe), craft workers, midwives, and a host of other occupations. What women were denied is higher paying, prestige work, and to keep their own money and get credit for their accomplishments. Feminism has been about enabling women to get the prestige work, and also to fight for dignity and better wages for women's jobs on the lower economic rungs. millennia of patriarchy kept women shunned in their homes and denied them honorable jobs.

Um, no. Look down lower than the top economic/social levels of a society and you’ll see that women have always worked. They have been hunter/gatherers (generally hunting smaller game), merchants, field laborers, maids, governesses, factory workers (back in the early days when factories were really unsafe), craft workers, midwives, and a host of other occupations.

What women were denied is higher paying, prestige work, and to keep their own money and get credit for their accomplishments. Feminism has been about enabling women to get the prestige work, and also to fight for dignity and better wages for women’s jobs on the lower economic rungs.

]]> By: bruce nahin http://www.thenewagenda.net/2009/07/02/positive-housewives/comment-page-1/#comment-19777 bruce nahin Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:10:23 +0000 http://thenewagenda.net/?p=11796#comment-19777 Check out the very strong women, all housewives on Army Wives Check out the very strong women, all housewives on Army Wives

]]> By: bruce nahin http://www.thenewagenda.net/2009/07/02/positive-housewives/comment-page-1/#comment-19776 bruce nahin Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:09:04 +0000 http://thenewagenda.net/?p=11796#comment-19776 Check out the very strong women, housewives, all of them, on Army Wives Check out the very strong women, housewives, all of them, on Army Wives

]]> By: samanthasmom http://www.thenewagenda.net/2009/07/02/positive-housewives/comment-page-1/#comment-19757 samanthasmom Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:15:35 +0000 http://thenewagenda.net/?p=11796#comment-19757 I think that you can go back a little further. In the show with the sexist title, "Father Knows Best" Jane Wyatt played a housewife with a mind of her own. She dropped the June Cleaver charade of doing her housework in pearls and a shirtwaist for jeans and a head scarf. Although she looked to her husband to be the head of the household, she offered her ideas and had them respected. My favorite episode was the one where she ran away for the day. She just left the mop and broom and went shopping. While she was out, she bought herself a new hat and had her portrait done in the park. The family is left worried, but when she returned, she offered little explanation. Her husband saw the portrait with the new hat and a new expression on her face and asked if he may have the portrait. This show was "pre-the Feminine Mystique" era, and it was bold of them to hint that maybe doing the housework wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Also, it was clear that the oldest child, a daughter, was the most ambitious of the children, and "Father" supported her in her quest for college and career. Breaking ground in 1954. Although the characters were in typical gender roles, this show began on the radio in the late 40's and moved to TV in the 50's, and for its time made a few strides forward. "Margaret Anderson" and "Marion Cunningham" would have been friends. I think that you can go back a little further. In the show with the sexist title, “Father Knows Best” Jane Wyatt played a housewife with a mind of her own. She dropped the June Cleaver charade of doing her housework in pearls and a shirtwaist for jeans and a head scarf. Although she looked to her husband to be the head of the household, she offered her ideas and had them respected. My favorite episode was the one where she ran away for the day. She just left the mop and broom and went shopping. While she was out, she bought herself a new hat and had her portrait done in the park. The family is left worried, but when she returned, she offered little explanation. Her husband saw the portrait with the new hat and a new expression on her face and asked if he may have the portrait. This show was “pre-the Feminine Mystique” era, and it was bold of them to hint that maybe doing the housework wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Also, it was clear that the oldest child, a daughter, was the most ambitious of the children, and “Father” supported her in her quest for college and career. Breaking ground in 1954. Although the characters were in typical gender roles, this show began on the radio in the late 40′s and moved to TV in the 50′s, and for its time made a few strides forward. “Margaret Anderson” and “Marion Cunningham” would have been friends.

]]>