Tuesday 20 January 2009

Men

The BBC today are running two articles on men and childcare.

Which is a nice change. However, the first of these articles highlights two major problems related to sexism. Firstly, people working in the childcare sector are massively underpaid, especially when they are reasonably skilled workers. This is linked to the fact that the majority of these workers are women and women are massively underpaid in a patriarchal system, but also linked to the idea of 'value' for the 'role', I suppose. Secondly, pushing for men to go into the jobs and actually providing encouragement is a massive job, not something one slips into a statement from an organisation. Paternity time has increased under the Labour government, which I'm vaguely thankful for, but until a more equal scheme comes into play in which mother and father can divvy out a pool of parent-time between them, I don't see how men are going to be actively encouraged into such a job, or indeed encouraged to care. Sad, really.

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Back to the salt mines.

Christmas and New Year are over, 2009 is so far treating me well. I had a mock exam on Wednesday, which went relatively smoothly, although it formed a warning. The warning: Examiners talk bollocks. When I read the mock answers, I mean. I will have to bear this in mind.

But no, obviously I'm still alive. Not much to say, but I'm sure I will do once this new term starts rolling along.

I was going to comment on how much I dislike non-socialist feminism today, but am too happy to moan. I'm sure I'll wax lyrical some other time.