Darcy Lockman conducted interviews with 50 women about the division of labor in their households, and she heard a lot of anger and a lot of gratitude. The gratitude concerned her — here's why:
"It was actually a way of walking back their own anger," she says. Women would express legitimate grievances and then say: "But I know women who are in worse situations, so I don't want to complain too much."
In her new book, Lockman demonstrates why women have every right to complain. All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership explores how American mothers and fathers are far from 50/50 when it comes to childcare and domestic responsibilities.
Women told Lockman they were grateful their husbands weren't as bad as other husbands. "That attitude really stops women from advocating for themselves as fully as they might," Lockman says. "There's always going to be someone whose husband is doing less."
In a recent New York Times op-ed, What 'Good' Dads Get Away With, Lockman cites a study that estimates that at the current rate, it will be another 75 years before men are taking on half of caregiving and household responsibilities.
[To read more, please click here.]
Comments (0)