blog 8

There has been a bunch of dialogue created in response to Belkin's essay "Opt Out". Some agree with her stance while others disagree. I came across a website when I searched called mothersmovement.org, and one lady said she was happy that finally people were discussing the issue. Much of the controversy lies in the the fact that she never represented minority women or women living in the middle to lower class. Those women surely have no choice in the matter of wether or not they can "opt out". The question is, do woman actually want to become stay at home mothers or are they forced to by the society that we live in (the institution)?
Personally, I think that she was simply presenting the facts about what affluent, upperclass white women who attend good colleges face when making the choice between having a career or becoming a mother. I do not think it is anybodys place to judge someones decision whether they are a working mother or not. It is a personal decision. I do however, think that women need to be given the option to take more time off and have access to better quality childcare. I would like to know who decided that women must give up their careers and not men? Now I struggle with this situation of what to do when I become older because I want a family but I also would like to work. However, my mother is a firm believer that somebody needs to stay at home and take on the responsibility of raising children so I have become accustomed to that idea. According to some women, you cannot be the best mother you can and you cannot give your children all of the attention they deserve unless you devote your time to being around them. That doesn't necessarily sit well with me. I do agree when you choose to have children you need to dedicate time to raising them;however, how do you do that when you have a full time career. Is is being selfish to want to work? Or, are is it wrong for society to mandate you stay at home an raise your children?

In F-Word chapter, the author discussed how motherhood seems to be tied into politics. It is sad that there are so many obstacles working mothers have to face when trying to provide for their families. Feminism is still prevelant today because women are still limited in the realm of careers. Why are women still earning less than men when they are educated? I think it is wonderful that all these women are now seeking college educations. In chapter 9 of FIFE, Hooks talked about how some women feel a little bit angry at the women's liberation movement because they don't have flexible hours that cause them to have long hours. It made me upset to read about all of the poverty that women have been facing because according to her the "white supremacist capitalist patriarchal" society has been trying to "dismantle the welfare system in our society" and "will deprieve poor and indigent women of access to even the most basic necessities of life"(Hooks 51). People do need to have equal access to welfare; however, I also do believe there needs to be some sense of personal responsibility. The government's jobs is not to help everyone forever.