FREE ESSAY ON IS A WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE HOME?

IS A WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE HOME?

Is A Woman's Place in the Home?
Glynis R. Hay Rickards
Is Woman's Place Is In The Home?
I glanced at my watch; it was 3:30 p.m. I logged off the computer picked up my car keys
and signaled to my boss. He knows the meaning of that familiar signal. It means I am
dashing off to pick up my kids (ages 10 and 13) from school. After picking them up I will
take them home and leave them to perform the familiar routine that they have been
practicing for years. First they will have their bath, then take the microwave able
containers with the specific day labeled from the fridge, placed it in the microwave
oven, have their dinner, complete their assignments then head to the baby sitter. The
baby sitter being none other than the good old television set or their video games. I
would call from my office occasionally to ensure that everything is okay. They have
strict orders not to open doors to strangers, and all emergency numbers are at their
fingertips. This routine has taught them to be responsible and independent children. At
approximately 7:00 pm I would drag myself home, check their assignments, have a little
chit-chat with them and then head off to bed. 
I compared this to the days when I used to get the bus home from school and would be
greeted by my mother with a smile on her face and a cool drink in her hand. She would ask
us the familiar question, which we sometimes forget to answer. "How was school today? Did
you enjoy you nice lunch that I packed in your lunch kit"? After our bath we would sit at
the dining table and enjoy a nice warm meal while sharing the days events. In retrospect
I can only ask myself this question. "What has happened to those good old days"? Why did
women abandon their place in the home?
Prior to the Industrial Revolution which took place in the Eighteenth Century there was
no place for women in the work world because most tasks required manual labour and
therefore women would not be considered for such tasks because physical strength was
required for effective performance. The advent of the Industrial Revolution, which can be
described as the historical transformation of traditional into modern societies, saw the
birth of mechanization for manufacturing and other processes. Machines were invented to
perform most jobs and the need for women to operate these machines became apparent. Piece
work shops and textile factories along with other factories were established and women
became a part of the workforce. It was noted that most women joined the work force out of
economic necessity. The ability to earn wages provided them with a better standard of
living, independence, and mobility, and also self esteem, since they were now able to
contribute to the world's economic development. 
While they enjoyed the status of being independent they had to deal with the negative
aspects of being a woman in the working world. Women were forced to deal with the lack of
amenities. For example proper rest rooms were not available. Their home life suffered
because they had to deal with working a full day in the factory then returning home to
perform their domestic chores and looking after their family. They would sometimes
perform similar jobs to men but would receive less wages and also had to deal with the
pressures of sexual harassment. Women received high praises for their performance on the
job, but they were deprived of promotional opportunities and rewards because of their
gender. 
The process of socialization can be negatively affected by the absence of women in the
home. While men are seen as the head of the family the women are often responsible for
providing the foundation for primary socialization to take place. "Socialization is the
process by which individuals learn the culture of their society". (Haralambos, 1990, p.
4). Primary socialization is the most important factor of the socialization process as
this takes place during infancy. During this process, which can be described as a
"getting to know you" period, the child develops a bond with the family. The child copies
the behaviour of the parents, respond to the approval and disapproval of the parents and
also learns the language and develops social etiquette. While the father helps in this
process the mother is instrumental because of the natural bond which exist between mother
and child. 
Psychoanalysis, Erikson (1973) research on psychosocial development proved that; "During
the oral-sensory stage which is between birth and eighteen months, the basic crisis
centers around the development of either trust or mistrust". A child is completely
dependent on others for the fulfillment of his needs e.g. feeding. If these needs are
consistently satisfied and if he receives love and stimulation he will develop a sense of
trust, not only in others but also in himself. If, on the other hand, his needs are not
satisfied regularly and he receives little love, attention and stimulation, he will
develop a sense of mistrust. The presence of the mother at this stage of development is
important because of the mother child relationship and it is therefore easier for the
mother to successful guide the child through this stage of development. 
The deterioration of family norms and values has been attributed to the absence of women
in the home. When a child enters society they must learn specific guidelines, which
determines acceptable and appropriate behaviour within a culture or society. In short
they must learn what is right and what is wrong. These "rights and wrongs" are the norms
of a society. The child would be taught general social conducts i.e. appropriate and
inappropriate behaviour. Again the mother is normally the chief individual who ensures
that these norms are upheld and failure to do so would result in the use of positive of
negative sanctions, which are actually rewards and punishment. Values on the other hand
are beliefs that there are thing, which are good and desirable and worthwhile striving to
achieve. Values can be compared to materialistic achievements, thought it appears
materialistic it also takes on the disguise of ambition and self confidence. For example
aiming to be first in your class, being a doctor or a lawyer. These are all values that
are instilled in us because we are a part of a family, and we are taught that the
accumulation of material possession is a symbol to determine ones' achievement. 
The birth of Generation X has been blamed on the absence of the mother in the home to
provide continuous inspiration. The group of people born between 1961 and 1981 who are
now viewed by society as having little hope for the future because they lack values and
suffer from the lack of vision to need to achieve success.
Should women search for their aprons and cook spoons and reclaim their rightful place in
the home? Or continue wearing linen suits and step boldly in leather high heels? Can
women effectively contribute to society by playing the double role of homemaker and
executive? 
While it can be argued that initially women left the home because of economic necessity.
Overtime they have established themselves as being a necessary part of the workforce and
have even infiltrate areas that were once dominated by men.
Women are now decision makers in large organization and have placed their mark on society
from as early as 1911 when they entered the field of aviation a predominantly male area.
There have also been female inventors who have contributed to the development of the
country. For example a woman invented kelvar, which is a material, used to make
bulletproof vest. Previously the only office job opportunities opened to women were steno
typists and other clerical positions. Today women are a dominant force in large
organization such as Hewlett-Packard, Bank of America and Colgate Palmolive. 
Women have taken the skills of managing their homes into politics and they are now
leaders of government and other figures of authority in their country.
Being in the forefront of top organizations is an indication that women have gained
confidence and respect in the working world and her strength as a leader and as an
individual who has a contribution to make to the world's economic growth is now
recognized. Studies have shown that women in business tend to be more productive,
reliable, and conscientious and pays greater attention to details. They make crucial
decisions and are not intimidated by the fact that they have to compete with men for top
positions.
It is my opinion that women make better managers because the egotistical effect is not a
prominent feature of the female species. Academically more women are successfully
pursuing higher education in University than men. 
Despite strides towards gender equality women are still being victimized and denied
promotions because they are seen as "not tough enough" for the position. A survey done by
the International Labor Organization revealed that women's overall share of management
jobs rarely exceeds twenty per cent. There have also been litigations and various
organizations have been established with the main aim being to end institutionalized
discrimination against women. 
The shifting role of women in the society and the fact that women still desire to be
wives, mothers and professionals has made the phrase "Working Mom" an acceptable part of
our culture. The establishment of day care center cannot replace the home environment,
but they have effectively assisted with the psychosocial development of children, bearing
in mind that women who are sometimes mothers often manage these centers. Successful
professionals who had the experience and benefit of being the child of a working mom will
attest to the fact that they were motivated to succeed because they observed their mother
efficiently balancing her two roles. It is therefore difficult to say a woman's place is
in the house because a woman's rightful place is anywhere she believes she can
effectively contribute to society. 
Bibliography
References
Anderson, M. (No date). Introduction to Erik Erikson's 8 Stages. (Online). Available 
http://snycorva.cortland.edu/~ANDERSMD/ERIK/stageint.HTML (2001, January 27)
Creswell, Julie, & Bass, Dina (1998, December). The 50 Most Powerful Women in American 
Business. Fortune 500 pp. 76 - 82.
Fanovich, Souzanne. (1998) . Introduction to Sociology. Barbados: University of the West

Indies Press (Original work published 1978).
Haralambos, M, & Holborn, M. (1991). Sociology Themes and Perspectives. London: 
HarperCollins. 
Wirth, Linda. (1998) . Women in Management. Will the Glass Ceiling Ever be Broken. 
World of Work: The Magazine of International Labor Organization. (Online) Available 
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/magazine/23/glass.htm (2001, February 1)