Warning - Political/Feminist Musing

[affreca]

Why do we still have so few women in politics at the national level (in the US)? People talk about how there are not enough women in the hard sciences and engineering, but I've had quite a few female profs (not quite 50%). And I compare it to the number of women I have had a chance to vote for, especially above the local level (local is getting more equal. I suspect it has something to do with local issues like education being "women's issues"). I've been able to vote for 10 years, and I've voted for a woman governor and a third party vice president. That's it for above local level.

It kinda makes me depressed and angry.

Comments

[frith]

We're locked into a patriarchal society. As long as we continue to allow the "nuclear family" to kill cooperative child-rearing and support between female multi-generational affiliations, the subjugation of women by the male power elite will persist.

[affreca.livejournal.com]

And see, that's where it gets me. If I judge society from the people I know, our society is a lot more complex than that. Of the two pairs of friends with children, both currently have a stay at home parent as the father. I will admit, further out I go, and I can count my two high school friends who are stay at home moms. But, I'll admit, my social circle is biased by the type of people I enjoy as friends.

I'm not terribly fond of the nuclear family model either. However, I grew up in a rural part of the country, with few job options. I left so I had more choices (and itchy feet). If I have a child, do I move closer to my parents (who watch my nephew at least one night a week so my sister can go to her second job) or do I stay where I have friends. Then again, I don't really want children. Selfish of me, but I have my reasons.

As for the nuclear family cutting multigenerational affiliations, I think it has more to do with independence. I'm close to my grandparents, even though I spent much of childhood states away. I'm closer to my mother's side, because I find her hoard of sisters fascinating (there's five sisters total, each two years apart).

So, I think it more complex than that. The patriarchal society is changing, but not at an even rate in all areas. Family structure is changing (and anyways, the nuclear family is not the normal through history). Part of the problem is how men and women are perceived differently, even as they do the same things.

It is a puzzle, worth continually picking at. I just wish I didn't like one canidate more than the female one, so I could be enthusiastic (and I'm curious if he'll pick a running mate who is female or has military experience).