Women Can Be In the Kitchen... If They Want To.

In the prologue of Coming Apart, Murray discusses the disparity between the rights of men and those of women in 1963. We have seen tremendous growth in the opportunities and rights provided for women in America, with one caveat. The push for equality has led to the societal discouragement of women in the home. Growing up, I was told that I would go to college. I was told that since my teachers said that I had the potential to do well in school, I should ride that to a career and that work opportunities would present themselves if I studied hard enough and got into a good college. This seems to be a trend in American society. A focus on careers and money and competition to have the highest salary when you grow up has stunted what I believe is the reason for working. I believe you work for one of three reasons: you need the money for survival or to support your family, you love what you do, or you believe what you're doing makes a difference. The disgusting emphasis on materialism has led to a cutthroat environment in which these goals reasons have been replaced by greed and selfish pride. I don't think that I have to have the most money to be happy or successful. Yet for my entire life, I've been told that a career oriented life is the one worth living. But I disagree. I acknowledge the fact that working is a necessary step to establishing and sustaining one's life, but that's not my goal. I want to get married and have children. That's my number one goal in life. And I'm disappointed that the drive for gender equality has created a society that considers me as less successful if I choose to stay at home, cook, and take care of my family. The decision to become a stay at home mom is now considered unusual or odd amongst those with higher educations, but didn't the fight for equality glorify a woman's right to be whatever or whoever she desired? The choice to become a stay at home or part time working mother does not equate to the condemnation of the opportunities provided by the fight for gender equality. Kudos for the female CEOs, attorneys, and surgeons, but also kudos to the women raising the next generation. Mostly, kudos to men and women who do what they want, and live their lives according to their own standards.