Working Women by Denise Morris on 01/18/2007 at 10:23 AM

I thought I'd take some time to promote one of my own articles. I'm pretty shameless.

Some of the college students on TrueU.org were talking about the dilemma many women face when it comes to careers: Should I continue to work once I have children? Is it OK for me to make more money than my husband? Why am I wasting all of this money on tuition if I won't even have a career? (Candice has addressed this issue on Boundless as well.)

I decided to explore this idea myself, since it's something I've thought about in regard to my own career. What I discovered is that there are some biblical women who have "careers" of sorts. But there is also biblical instruction for men's and women's roles within marriage. What I believe is that it basically comes down to our attitudes about the situation -- how can we serve one another and glorify God through the way we approach our careers?

Anyway, I can't give the entire article away! If you'd like to check it out, that would be great. And if you agree or disagree, please come let me know in the related discussion.

OK, I'm off to work!

Working Women by Denise Morris on 01/18/2007 at 10:23 AM

I thought I'd take some time to promote one of my own articles. I'm pretty shameless.

Some of the college students on TrueU.org were talking about the dilemma many women face when it comes to careers: Should I continue to work once I have children? Is it OK for me to make more money than my husband? Why am I wasting all of this money on tuition if I won't even have a career? (Candice has addressed this issue on Boundless as well.)

I decided to explore this idea myself, since it's something I've thought about in regard to my own career. What I discovered is that there are some biblical women who have "careers" of sorts. But there is also biblical instruction for men's and women's roles within marriage. What I believe is that it basically comes down to our attitudes about the situation -- how can we serve one another and glorify God through the way we approach our careers?

Anyway, I can't give the entire article away! If you'd like to check it out, that would be great. And if you agree or disagree, please come let me know in the related discussion.

OK, I'm off to work!

Comments

[1. Mike Theemling said the following at 10:32 AM on Jan 18:]

1

Reminds me of an awesome book I'm reading (Yes, I know, it's primarily for women but is a good read nonetheless).

It's entitled: "Midlife Crisis at 30" by Lia Macko and Kerry Rubin and talks about among other things the tension that older women face between their desire for workplace success and desire for a stabler domestic life (a husband, children, and more time with them).

I hope that Boundless does a book review of this.

[2. Brad said the following at 11:17 AM on Jan 18:]

2

There's a lot more to education than merely having a career. We live in a very complex world. Ask anyone with cancer how easy their health insurance paperwork is to figure out. Women need to be educated just to be able to teach their children how to survive in a modern economy and how to value their place in the human condition. While it's true that women who don't intend to work should avoid student loans, there is no reason to avoid learning how to operate in the world of ideas. It is wrong to think of college as only to get a "job."

[3. Candice Watters said the following at 3:07 PM on Jan 18:]

3

Mike, we reviewed this book a few years ago on Boundless. You'll find the review, "A Crisis of Our Own Making," http://www.boundless.org/features/a0001006.html" TARGET="_blank" > here .

[4. Becky F. said the following at 3:38 PM on Jan 18:]

4

I think this blog has similar ideas as the Pelosi article that was published today, and I'll get to that in a minute.

I think you have it right, Denise, in saying that your reasoning for doing things a certain way, when it comes to women working outside the home, is pretty important. If the woman is working because the husband cannot make enough money on his own to support the family, then I think that is ok. If she is working because her children are in school and she doesn't need to be home alone all day, that is ok. A college education, though extremely expensive, is probably rarely a waste of time and money. Increasing your knowledge base is great.

Now to the ideas that the Pelosi article invoked in my mind.

I think Matt Kaufman made a very good point in reference to Nancy Pelosi going "from the kitchen to the congress". He said: not because women should be confined to the kitchen, but simply because it was one of many valuable things people do close to home, with their families, where real life takes place.

I think the feminists have it wrong in thinking that women have been confined to home and housework and that working means freedom. Their idea of freedom equals money. Having money is great, and necesary for a lot of things, but money is not freedom. Financial "independence" is not freedom. I feel much more confined in a world where my job dictates where I'll be and when. Workers are not free to be and contribute whatever they feel like whenever they want to at their jobs. But being a stay-at-home mom (at least before the kids are all in school)?

Staying home with your kids, you have the freedom to be however you want and contribute whatever you want to your children (granted, this can be done to the detriment of your children's development, but that's beside the point). Women who don't work (at least not full-time), even if they have kids, probably have more time to pursue the other things they love to do.

Making a contribution to society through a company is great, but most people are not going to make but a dent in their workplace. Making a difference in the life of a child and raising children to be good, responsible adults makes a much bigger difference in the world than in a business that most people have probably never heard of.

Granted, Kaufman's article was talking about American government, but how many people are politicians? I don't have any numbers, but it's a much smaller proportion of a county's population than the prestige of the position implies.

Sorry this was kind of a rambling of different thoughts!

[5. joshMshep said the following at 1:31 AM on Jan 20:]

5

Also relevant to these questions might be Moms on the Job, a book from the founder of WorkingMom.com

The author has tips in this article.

peace,
-joshMshep

[1. Mike Theemling said the following at 10:32 AM on Jan 18:]

1

Reminds me of an awesome book I'm reading (Yes, I know, it's primarily for women but is a good read nonetheless).

It's entitled: "Midlife Crisis at 30" by Lia Macko and Kerry Rubin and talks about among other things the tension that older women face between their desire for workplace success and desire for a stabler domestic life (a husband, children, and more time with them).

I hope that Boundless does a book review of this.

[2. Brad said the following at 11:17 AM on Jan 18:]

2

There's a lot more to education than merely having a career. We live in a very complex world. Ask anyone with cancer how easy their health insurance paperwork is to figure out. Women need to be educated just to be able to teach their children how to survive in a modern economy and how to value their place in the human condition. While it's true that women who don't intend to work should avoid student loans, there is no reason to avoid learning how to operate in the world of ideas. It is wrong to think of college as only to get a "job."

[3. Candice Watters said the following at 3:07 PM on Jan 18:]

3

Mike, we reviewed this book a few years ago on Boundless. You'll find the review, "A Crisis of Our Own Making," http://www.boundless.org/features/a0001006.html" TARGET="_blank" > here .

[4. Becky F. said the following at 3:38 PM on Jan 18:]

4

I think this blog has similar ideas as the Pelosi article that was published today, and I'll get to that in a minute.

I think you have it right, Denise, in saying that your reasoning for doing things a certain way, when it comes to women working outside the home, is pretty important. If the woman is working because the husband cannot make enough money on his own to support the family, then I think that is ok. If she is working because her children are in school and she doesn't need to be home alone all day, that is ok. A college education, though extremely expensive, is probably rarely a waste of time and money. Increasing your knowledge base is great.

Now to the ideas that the Pelosi article invoked in my mind.

I think Matt Kaufman made a very good point in reference to Nancy Pelosi going "from the kitchen to the congress". He said: not because women should be confined to the kitchen, but simply because it was one of many valuable things people do close to home, with their families, where real life takes place.

I think the feminists have it wrong in thinking that women have been confined to home and housework and that working means freedom. Their idea of freedom equals money. Having money is great, and necesary for a lot of things, but money is not freedom. Financial "independence" is not freedom. I feel much more confined in a world where my job dictates where I'll be and when. Workers are not free to be and contribute whatever they feel like whenever they want to at their jobs. But being a stay-at-home mom (at least before the kids are all in school)?

Staying home with your kids, you have the freedom to be however you want and contribute whatever you want to your children (granted, this can be done to the detriment of your children's development, but that's beside the point). Women who don't work (at least not full-time), even if they have kids, probably have more time to pursue the other things they love to do.

Making a contribution to society through a company is great, but most people are not going to make but a dent in their workplace. Making a difference in the life of a child and raising children to be good, responsible adults makes a much bigger difference in the world than in a business that most people have probably never heard of.

Granted, Kaufman's article was talking about American government, but how many people are politicians? I don't have any numbers, but it's a much smaller proportion of a county's population than the prestige of the position implies.

Sorry this was kind of a rambling of different thoughts!

[5. joshMshep said the following at 1:31 AM on Jan 20:]

5

Also relevant to these questions might be Moms on the Job, a book from the founder of WorkingMom.com

The author has tips in this article.

peace,
-joshMshep