In case you missed it, political pundit Hilary Rosen made news last week when she told Anderson Cooper that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney should think twice about relying on his wife to tell him what women really care about. Rosen went on to say that Ann Romney, “had never worked a day in her life. ” Ann Romney, a stay-at-home mother, quickly took issue, rightfully making the point that this “job” is hard work. I might add it is work that often goes unnoticed and tends to be undervalued.
What are we to make of this comment? First, it is not a Republican versus a Democratic issue as some have made it out to be. Nor is it news. This type of hidden bias has infiltrated the thinking of many men and women for decades, irrespective of political affiliation. Even though some may pay lip service to the challenge and difficulty of being a stay-at-home mom, how many of us give this role the utmost respect it deserves?
Like other hidden biases, this type of thinking may leak out, unconsciously. Comments like, “Are you just a stay-home mom?” speak to this bias. Or comments like Hilary Rosen’s.
But as some stay-at-home moms remind me, they are not in it for the “props.” Rather, this role is rewarding to them, more rewarding than any paying job, no matter how lucrative or prestigious it is.
Given the diversity of women today, and their increasing importance in terms of the upcoming Presidential election, both Obama and Romney would do well to move beyond the working mom versus stay-at-home mom debate. And they would benefit from reaching out to many women from very different backgrounds , and listening to their stories, concerns and needs.
Pat – I am finding that it can work both ways. There is now a growing group of SAHMs (stay-at-home moms) that tend to look down on those that “work” outside the home as if they put the needs of their children behind those of themselves. Though you are right that I do find a lot of the “you don’t work?” attitude from those who are uneducated. I am a taxi, an entertainment director, an educator, a cook, a nurse, a spiritual advisor, a referee, and a maid. And I do it for love NOT money 🙂
Pat – I am finding that it can work both ways. There is now a growing group of SAHMs (stay-at-home moms) that tend to look down on those that “work” outside the home as if they put the needs of their children behind those of themselves. Though you are right that I do find a lot of the “you don’t work?” attitude from those who are uneducated. I am a taxi, an entertainment director, an educator, a cook, a nurse, a spiritual advisor, a referee, and a maid. And I do it for love NOT money 🙂