Vexing Questions
Last week, Elizabeth at Half Changed World asked a tough question: how will men break through the domestic glass ceiling? Elizabeth isn't sure that will ever happen, and she's not sure the usual prescriptions thrown about (and usually supported by men), like paid leave and better part-time jobs, are likely to boost the number of men playing a large role at home.
I'm more optimistic. Two things need to happen to allow the majority of families to consider dad as a primary caretaker/key player in the household. One is the usual policy laundry list of better care options, more flexible work schedules and so on. But as Elizabeth rightly points out, this alone is not sufficient. That's why I spend a lot of time on this site talking about the soft societal changes, over-analyzing Swiffer ads and tracking every burp of prime-time TV characters. There needs to be a change in the expectations of fathers when it comes to home life. Work hours are a component of that, but I'm interested in looking in even more general terms. Do fathers see active involvement in the lives of the family as a key part of who they are.
This is a harder battle to fight, because no progressive legislature or HR department can make it happen. There needs to be a society-wide shift. We're making progress, I think. More and more fathers would hypothetically consider at-home fatherhood, and fathers in general are doing more around the house than ever before. I don't know dads in my neighborhood who aspire the old-school fatherhood, in which children are seen and not heard and who retire to their den with a glass of Scotch after dinner.
The emergence of the new-school "Action Dad" (Dan Klass's term) probably can't be entirely linked to the emergence of family friendly policies, but the existence of those policies -- even if they're used mostly by women right now -- will be crucial in breaking that glass ceiling as those social expectations shift. I haven't been a father that long, but that ceiling has already begun cracking noticeably in the time I've been watching.
I'm more optimistic. Two things need to happen to allow the majority of families to consider dad as a primary caretaker/key player in the household. One is the usual policy laundry list of better care options, more flexible work schedules and so on. But as Elizabeth rightly points out, this alone is not sufficient. That's why I spend a lot of time on this site talking about the soft societal changes, over-analyzing Swiffer ads and tracking every burp of prime-time TV characters. There needs to be a change in the expectations of fathers when it comes to home life. Work hours are a component of that, but I'm interested in looking in even more general terms. Do fathers see active involvement in the lives of the family as a key part of who they are.
This is a harder battle to fight, because no progressive legislature or HR department can make it happen. There needs to be a society-wide shift. We're making progress, I think. More and more fathers would hypothetically consider at-home fatherhood, and fathers in general are doing more around the house than ever before. I don't know dads in my neighborhood who aspire the old-school fatherhood, in which children are seen and not heard and who retire to their den with a glass of Scotch after dinner.
The emergence of the new-school "Action Dad" (Dan Klass's term) probably can't be entirely linked to the emergence of family friendly policies, but the existence of those policies -- even if they're used mostly by women right now -- will be crucial in breaking that glass ceiling as those social expectations shift. I haven't been a father that long, but that ceiling has already begun cracking noticeably in the time I've been watching.
posted by Rebel Dad at
5:53 AM
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