Women in the Workplace

Working Women in the United States

How have changing attitudes towards women working outside the home affected your family in the last two or three generations?

There have definitely been noticeable changes in the attitudes towards women working outside the house in the last few generations. Just in a short span of time, it seems that most women went from an opinion in which they were expected to perform most of the household duties, to one in which they were mostly out of the home altogether. The attitudes found among women a few generations ago would accept the stay at home mother as something of a norm. Women were expected to perform the domestic duties as well as predominantly raise the children. However, over the course of a few generations, this attitude has become more of an exception than a norm. Women are now expected to contribute more the household finances that ever before.

One explanation for this could be that money has become a growing concern in the household. Generations ago it was possible to live a comfortable lifestyle on just a husband's income and his income could support most of the entire family's needs. However, in today's culture and within the modern household, there is a greater emphasis placed on consumption and activities that require more money to support. For example, there were no iPad's or iPhones available in previous generations which represent major purchases and pretty much everyone in the family wants them.

Therefore, the modernization of technology and the price of goods have demanded that families have a bigger income. It's not just technology either. Although the desire to purchase more expensive goods has definitely grow, so that the prices of certain goods and services that every family must have. Health care is probably one of the best examples of this. Healthcare is something every family must have and the costs associated with healthcare have skyrocket exponentially over the years in the United States (Munro, 2012). It is often the case that more members of the family have to work to support the rising costs in basic expenditures even if they are not necessarily after the latest gadgets.

Figure 1 - U.S. Increasing Healthcare Costs (Munro, 2012)

How have the women in your family felt about working?

The attitudes about working have certainly changed as well. It is quickly becoming expected for women to work when it was formerly more taboo. A few generations ago if a wife was forced to work to support the family then this could have been viewed as an embarrassment for the family or the inadequacy of the husband are the primary income earner. However, now the attitude about women in the workplace has changed and women working are considered completely normal. Furthermore, on average, when a women enters the workplace today she is more educated than her male counterparts (Pew Research, 2013).

Figure 2 - Women in Education (Pew Research, 2013)

Did they want to work?

Yes. Today most women seem to want to work. I think it may something to do with a quest for independence. If a woman can support herself on her own then she won't be dependent on a man like was the case in previous generations.

Did they have to work?

Yes. Most women feel like they have to work these days. It's either because they want their own independence or they just want a better lifestyle for their families. Even if they don't have to work for financial reasons, many women still choice to work because they enjoy socializing and being out of the house.

Did they see work as a short-term or a long-term objective?

Today women seem to view work as a long-term objective than ever before. Most women that are working are career oriented and are actively trying to achieve long-term career goals. In previous generations women would be short-term oriented and only take jobs as they needed to in order to support the family.

What evidence is there that the women in your family worked a Double Day?

Yes. Many women, especially those with children, have to work a "double day." Once the workday is done at the employers, they often have a separate set of responsibilities within the home. For example, after they finish work out of the home, then they will have to come home and cook diner, do laundry, and clean the house or other similar chores. If there are kids in the household then they will have to take care of all their needs as well.

How have their ideas differed from how the men in your family have felt about women working?

It seemed like it was more of a shock to a man's ego if he needed help supporting the family. He might have been viewed as inadequate or as a failure by his peers. However, now the culture has changed and many women work for different reasons and this is becoming more socially acceptable. Therefore, there isn't the same stigma about women working outside the home from the man's perspective as there has been in previous generations.

Has "Americanization" affected ideas about working women in our family?

Yes. The effect of Americanization has definitely changed over time and change the culture of American families as well. The families of the previous generations were more patriarchal and there was a stereotypical image of the ideal American family that emerged. The men would work while the women would stay home and support the children. However, more competitive pressures are put on women today and just staying home and being a mother is no longer considered as a career. Most women do not actually want to stay home anymore because it almost seems like it is socially unacceptable.