Women have better options
by
QED
05/12/2008, 12:26 PM #
Face it: science & tech jobs in business are demanding, stressful, and most of the time very boring. It's not like doing general research for the betterment of humanity, we're trying to make a profit for the shareholders (or most likely the CEO and bilking the shareholders).
And if you're not a superstar in your field, an "expert", then job satisfaction is generally low. The only reason why we stay in this field is the pay is generally good, which allows a decent standard of living.
Women, however, have the option of leaving the out-of-home-workplace, and can instead provide a better life for their children than some prison care or nannysitter. And better educated moms will have smarter, better adjusted children.
I don't understand why we as a society place the pinnacle of personal development as the advancement of a career, especially in a business environment, working for someone else. Personal development can also be done through having a balanced life with varied interests that don't involve making cash.
My wife and I had our first child last week, and after her 12 weeks off she's going back part time to work (she's a pharmacist). Believe me, if I were the one producing milk, I'd gladly be the one staying home. Instead it's actually harder for me to find a more fulfilling job because of the greater importance of the aforementioned standard of living.