Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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THIS WEEK WITH MARGARET Women: Bringing Home the Bacon by MARGARET DICKSON It strikes me as both interesting and ironic that at the same time American women — and some men, too — ontinue to debate Sheryl Sandberg's concept of "leaning in or leaning out" in the workplace; a record number of American women are now the primary or only breadwinner in their families. Yep. You read that correctly. More than 40 percent of American households with children are now supported primarily or totally by the bacon brought home by Mom. This is a stunning increase from the modest 11 percent of such moms in 1960 when the Ozzie and Harriet phase of American history was in full swing. The Pew Research Center, which released the study results late last month says two demographic changes are at work here. One is our declining marriage rate. Fully 40 percent of American babies are now born to single women, meaning that most of them are going to be raised and supported by Mom for at least part of their childhoods and possibly until they reach adulthood. The other is the growing achievement levels of American women. More of us now have bachelor's degrees than do men, and more of us are in the workplace than ever before with women making up 47 percent of the American workforce. Adding to those demographic trends is the sad fact that A recent Pew Research Center study has found that increasingly women are bringing home the bacon. traditionally-male jobs in manufacturing and construction were hard hit during the Great call only mothers even though the father may demographer from the University's Kenan Recession, meaning that in many families, Mom's be listed as the primary point of contact, of Flagler Business School expound on the earnings mean more than ever. fathers in parks and playgrounds with their little "graying" and "browning" of North Carolina. He These are the facts, according to the Pew ones being thought of as, at best, odd, and, at explained that our state's population is getting Research Center, but it also found that many of worst, a possible pervert and of only mothers both older as the Baby Boomers head into senior us are not comfortable with them. The women's being asked to volunteer for or to monitor some citizenship and less white as people from other movement which cranked up in earnest in the childhood activity. ethnic heritages have more children than our 1960s and "leaning in" notwithstanding, many This working mother remembers well the angst state's white residents do. Americans continue to long for the Ozzie and and guilt of not being the mother on the field Most of those listening were more likely Harriet model of family life and earning. trip and sending in the cookies instead of taking to be grandparents than parents of young But we are conflicted. them myself. I remember only one or two fathers children, and several clearly disagreed with the An overwhelming number of us, 79 percent who came to school for anything other than an demographer. Finally, one man, a fellow in his according to the Pew study, reject the suggestion occasion, not because they do not love their 60s, blurted, "I just don't believe you!" After that women should move back into a traditional children but because their presence was simply several shots at explaining, the demographer, homemaker role exclusively, but we still worry not expected or requested. clearly frustrated, said, "Look to your left, and about whether mothers in the workplace instead My guess is that these patterns are changing then look to your right. Are any of you people of tending the hearth is a good thing for families slowly with younger generations but that there going home tonight to have a baby?" and for society at large. About three-fourths of is still a long way to go. Pew reports that while He made his point. us own up to wondering whether the growing most Americans find single motherhood "a big Facts are facts, neither positive nor negative. number of working mothers has made it more problem" — I am in this camp — more than half They are just facts. difficult for parents to raise children. More men, of young adults find unwed motherhood a small They are facts no matter what any of us think 57 percent think so than do women, 45 percent. problem or none at all. about them. What is more, our society continues to behave All of which reminds me of a day a decade as if Harriet were still at home and Ozzie were ago when I sat in a classroom at the School MARGARET DICKSON, Conin his office somewhere off-site, expected to of Government at the University of North tributing Writer, COMMENTS? return in time for a home-cooked dinner. Carolina at Chapel Hill, listening to a prominent Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. Pew cites anecdotal examples of schools that Daily Specials Fresh Seafood Hand Cut Steaks Homemade Desserts Italian & Greek Children's Menu Banquet rooms available up to 100 guests 8 JUNE 12-18, 2013 484-0261 1304 Morganton Rd. Mon-Sat: 6am-10pm Sun: 7am-2:30 pm Serving Fayetteville Over 50 Years! WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM