20 replies to this topic

[Azat]

-2 Million Stay-At-Home Dads In U.S.
-1/3 Of Working Women Earn More Than Spouses
-But Wage Parity Is Still A Long Way Off


(CBS) For many people the expectation remains to this day that it's the man of the house who brings home the big salary.

Well, don't be so sure, reports CBS News Correspondent John Roberts. A growing number of working mothers have salaries bigger than their husbands'.

Like most working moms, Susan Goldmark struggles to make time -- both for the work she loves and the family she loves even more, husband Kai and son Joshua.

"I regret not spending more time with my son," she says. "I regret that Kai gets to go to the soccer practice because I can't leave work at 3:30."

As a project manager for the World Bank, a typical workday for Goldmark is twelve hours long. With a six-figure salary, she's the breadwinner in the family, and has been for nearly all of their 25-year marriage.

"When I grew up in the 1950s and early 60s, that was the expected way, that men would earn more than women," she recalls. "Those were my expectations and deep down that was kind of what I wanted: to be taken care of financially."

Yet Goldmark's husband is a stay-at-home dad. He spends his days doing chores and working on his fourth book.

"I count myself lucky," he says. "I can sit at home and do what I like to do, which is write biography -- and that I'm married to a highly educated, smart and beautiful woman who earns a lot more money than I do."

According to the Census Bureau, there are two million stay-at-home dads in America. And fully one third of working mothers -- ten million -- earn more than their spouses.

Bernadette Grey, the editor-in-chief of Working Woman, offers an explanation: "What we're really seeing is the first generation of women who moved through corporations, women who have been diligent and have worked so hard in order to break barriers for all the women who have come up behind them."

Nationwide, there are nine million businesses owned by women. It is the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. economy, generating more than $3.6 trillion in sales.

The top 500 women business owners in America were honored at a gala dinner in Washington last week. Their companies generated over $88 billion last year.

"Women are starting their own businesses because they believe in the American dream," says Bernadette Grey. "They want to make more money."

These changing gender roles have been hard for some men to accept -- and women know it. Fifty-three percent of women in a recent survey believed that earning more than their husbands created marital problems. "I've been married twice," says Barbara Corcoran, who runs a multi-million dollar real estate company in New York. "My first husband had a very hard time adjusting to the fact that I was the breadwinner."

Earlier in their relationship, Goldmark and her husband said that they had difficult time with their non-traditional roles. But now they believe they were ahead of the curve and both accept their version of modern life.

"I think that I can understand better than most men the difficulties of raising a child and running a house and it's a lot of work," says Kai Bird.

"I can relate to wanting to come home and have a beer and just veg out in front of the television and just not talk to anyone and not do anything," Goldmark says.

Despite these changes, true wage parity is still a long way off. Thirty-seven years after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, women still earn, on average, only 73 cents of every dollar a man makes. Among minority women, the gulf is even wider.

http://www.cbsnews.com

[Azat]

The reason why I posted this was because on my way to work today I heard on NPR that over 50% of couples the female is earning more money than the male in Southern California. In searching for that stat I found this report, but was unable to locate the original. Once I get my hands on it I will post it as well.

[wh00t]

Very interesting.

[ThornyRose]

Do men and women get equal pay in the U.S.? I heard that they don't in the army and a few other places. Not so here. I wonder what the facts are over here. Probably not very cheering.

[dragon]

Can you tell me Rose, where can women get paid equal as men for the same work they do?

Is there such country on earth?

[ThornyRose]

Yes, there are. Turkey is one, for instance.
The "not cheery" part I am talking about is how many women work and what kind of jobs they do when I say I wonder about the facts here. You will notice that I said it (getting unequal pay) is not the case with the army here, i.e., women do get equal pay in the Turkish army (and anywhere else)...

[ October 25, 2001: Message edited by: Thorny Rose ]

[dragon]

this was the latest joke I ever heard. ''Turkey for instance''? no way!
May be you're right about ''elsewhere'' where women get paid MORE than men in Turkey yeah, that is part of your culture, isn't it?

[Arturian]

There are few countries:

Armenia, Georgia : ))))) Oh yes i almost forgot... Chechnya... : )

[ThornyRose]

Grow up, Lizard.
You wanna talk about culture? The flippant and "laubali" attitude you exhibit is Turkish enough - but I'd rather not have it. Keep it all you want - claim it is stolen Armenian or something. I'd rather not.
I live here; my father's female colleagues get as much pay as he does, so weep.
As for what you meant with the "Turkish women elsewhere getting paid more than Turkish men in Turkey," it has been noted and will not be forgotten (though you, with the way the women in your country go abroad in hordes for exactly that, should not be in a position to even entertain the thought of getting away while making fun of such - and our women don't go abroad for that, so help you your twerp-ness). It is not funny and the least bit decent - more and more, you resemble conservArtur who mentions his Turkish friends who would "satisfy" me or something... Keep/stick with your ilk to yourselves, yuck!

[Arturian]

They are not turkish... Caucasian ... Kafkas : ))))

Don't get confused there is big difference between a turkish guy and caucasian guy.

BTW have you ever had caucasian boyfriends?

And also why Turkey is so excited about the caucasus???

I mean it seems like Lezginka is the most popular music in Turkey. And there was a song, hit for months.

One taxi driver when i told him that I am from Armenia... he was like, Oh really... i am also from Kafkas : ) I asked serious? He was: Yes yes! I asked where from. He told me Kars :: ))) Hahaha ... Kars... eastern Turkey... however i am not sure if geographically it is Caucasus, but the guy was so proud : )))))

C ya!

[ThornyRose]

Why do you care (or why should I care)? Yeah, my [now] ex-boyfriend is part Circassian, so? Are you Caucasians supposed to be good in bed, Smilie conservArtur? How do you know and where did you get the comparison from? Perhaps you would like to enlighten us? Are they supposed to be different for my benefit or are they just dweebs who prove their "manhood" by patronizing women?



A lot of people have ancestors from that part of the world. So do some in Kars. Being proud of it must be like being proud of being a "highlander" (WOW!!) or something.
At other times it is Arabesk music, others at other different other times... ("Other" repeated on purpose.)



Yes, my uncle says Turkey can also be in the category of Caucasian countries ("Kafkas ülkesi") - the guy is so strict about definitions, I'm sure he believes he's got a point (and so do I)...

[Azat]

Thorny, I do not know it for a fact about military pay in US but would almost be sure that it is equal. However I know it for a fact that women in my field(Comp Sci) earn just as much as men do. In fact it is not uncommon to see non-manager females earning a six figure salary.

[Azat]

Dragon what is your point? USA is one example where women are starting to get paid as much as men for the same work.

[Azat]

Artur, are you smoking something? In Armenia women get paid as much as men for the same work? Maybe in the Soviet days, but in the last 10 years we have evolved backwards in terms of women in Armenia.

[khodja]

In Southern California, I NEVER told odar women that I was Armenian. Neanderthal monkeys like those who have just posted ruined the reputations of Armenian men overall.

[Arturian]

Azat, it supposed to be a joke... well you didn't get it : ))

But in Armenia none are getting paid. Neither men nor women. The situation when the av. sallary is somewhat a bit higher than 10 dollars, then you can't call it a sallary. Moreover, people don't get that for months. The situation is a bit better in Yerevan rather than in other cities, but it is still very difficult... But from the GOD's will everything will be fine!

[Azat]

Sorry I am an idiot

[ October 25, 2001: Message edited by: Azat ]

[Arturian]

I don't think so : ) i mean first of all, there aren't caucasian mountains in Turkey... and second of all, there isn't pretty much left to steal from the caucasus... i.e. culture, music, traditions... so, don't even try...

BTW Kafkas Ulkesi, means the Greater Caucasus, right???

[ThornyRose]

No, Kafkas ülkesi was used in the context of any country located around the Caucasus - which reminds me - exactly what part of that range is in Armenia for Armenia to be called a country of the Caucasus, anyway? Turkey is just as Caucasian if you think of it broadly enough to include Armenia, I suppose.
And don't hand me no crap about stealing cultures (how do you steal a culture? what were the owners doing? you get patents for cultures, too?) and mountains, because the uncle that told me this opinion of his is the one from my mother's side (i.e., 100% Circassian, always politically and grammatically correct), not the one from my father's.

[ThornyRose]

I dunno. But I do remember reading something about this women's gathering - women in the military, that is - and Turkey's were among those who were given equal opportunity (including pay) in everything except where physically strenuous or something... And these weren't the majority of the countries. I don't know about the U.S. in specific. But I get the feeling that it has been a hot debate until even recently (from the way it is often uttered here and there, even when talking about Adam and Eve and ribs and what-not)... Here, it is not an issue - nobody ever thinks about it. In the private sector, of course, that could be another story (in the U.S.)... It is always the public servants that seem to be ignored in some way or form... (Just like women have to wear skirts and cannot wear pants in public service here - well - that is on paper only - those working in some ministries are allowed to wear pants if they wish to - but some enforce the rules strictly - everything de facto, as usual. Gimme a break, which is supposed to be the more enticing?)