Future of Feminism

The founders of the feminist movement some 40 years ago envisioned a glorious new era of equality for working women. But today more than half of employed parents can't take time off to care for sick children, and day care costs more than tuition at a state university. To be sure, women have made tremendous strides: Most mothers are in the work force today, and women account for half the managerial jobs and half the law-school graduates. But women still lag behind male counterparts in many ways, including wages. Many U.S. jobs are not “mother friendly,” leading some women to opt off of the career treadmill and forcing out blue-collar workers. Some sociologists are asking whether feminism has failed, particularly in its inability to transform domestic life, where women still do the bulk of household chores. Indeed, some disparage women for returning to a 1950s mind-set — when “a woman's place was in the home.” But some young feminists assert that child rearing should be respected work.