Mothers Back to Work: An Urban Myth?
Well, this week's story on mothers going back to work isn't quite as egregious, but it certainly is in the category of dubious trend. The fact that mothers are trying to return to the workforce is nothing new. (Divorce and boredom sent many of my friends' moms into the workforce in the 1970s and 1980s.) The writer doesn't even bother citing any hard numbers to support this as "new."
Her larger claim--that these women may be finding some success--is also supported by the flimsiest of evidence (authors hawking books and a few anecdotes).
Last week, Lisa Belkin wrote a piece about mothers returning to the workforce. Again she relied on "hopeful" stories from a handful of women she interviewed....but then acknowledged that it might not portend a trend at all.
Why these stories are dangerous is that they present an unrealistic view of what the labor market now offers for mothers. Certainly, employment gaps are not the death knell, but spending five years at home is going to mean rusty skills, especially in a world in which new technology is forcing change in nearly every field. And high-paying, meaningful part-time work still is the Holy Grail--highly sought after, but very hard to find.
Stumble It!
posted by pam at 10:53 AM
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