| Subject: Re: Motherhood ambivalence? |
Author:
Scipio
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Date Posted: 20:39:19 07/08/02 Mon
In reply to:
Siannach
's message, "Re: Motherhood ambivalence?" on 15:16:17 07/08/02 Mon
Your comments about pioneer women made me think of that PBS series Pioneer House. Did y'all see it?
It was really interesting to see the one family, a wealthy family from CA, and see how they just didn't seem to handle things well at all.
I don't know what this has to do with motherhood ambivalence, LOL, it's late and I'm tired.
But I think every generation since the pioneer generation has had it easier, and we in the 20th/21st century certainly have it very easy in a lot of ways. We're the internet generation, the instant gratification generation ("what? this page is taking 2 minutes to load! forget it!"). Perhaps that leads to misguided expectations of motherhood, too.
A
>pioneer woman might have worked a thousand times
>harder than a woman of today, but her expectations for
>her life would include that drudgery. Women today are
>much better off, no doubt about it. But our
>expectations for our lives can include things like
>going to university and career, so its understandable
>that we may feel unfulfilled in the crucible of being
>a mother and housewife. We are also a generation of
>people raised in the 70's, where the attitude of the
>day was "if it feels good do it". We are a selfish
>generation. Whether we like to admit it or not, we
>are products of the society that we are raised in. Its
>far nobler to be a strong pioneer woman who
>unselfishly raises 12 children in a one room house on
>the prairie, than a bored suburban housewife. But
>saying that doesn't do anything for the bored suburban
>housewife except make her feel more guilt and
>dissatisfaction with herself and life. She is a
>product of her environment.
>
>>OTOH, I agree that our society makes being a mother
>>much rougher than need be. I blame that on the loss
>>of community, where we shared our child rearing
>>responsibilities with other extended family and
>>friends, and where we socialised without having to
>>leave our dwellings.
>>
>>Astrid
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