Employment and Women : The Pressure is One Way
By Tina Wingfield
THE MAJORITY OF British 'establishment' political and social commentators subscribe to a consensus view with regard to the issue of women and employment. The 'consensus' sees the increasing involvement of married women with young families within the employment market as wholly desirable; an event which must be facilitated and encouraged by all means possible. Without exception, media comment on the employment issue is based on the 'truth' that all women yearn to break the 'chains' which tether them to home and domesticity and step 'freely' into the world of work. Few deviate from this dominant view, fearing an accusation of 'sexism' if they dare to question the truth of the consensus. As with a number of political and social issues, however, opinions and assumptions which dominate the minority clique of 'agenda-sellers' controlling the media and communications industry, do not accurately reflect the real opinions of the majority of British people.
In truth, the majority of the British people -men and women - oppose the continuous campaign to propel women with young families into the employment market. They do not believe, as the establishment appears to, that the traditional work of women with families carried out within the 'private' domain of the home is less valuable or desirable than work within the 'public' world of paid employment. On the contrary, the majority see the 'nurturing' role of mothers within the home as the most valuable kind of work there is. Many are, in fact, perplexed by the assumption that women should consider the type of convenience employment that mothers tend to take up as personally fulfilling than their 'job' of rearing a family. Why on earth should it be assumed that watching a giant conveyor belt, making a bit of a television set or cleaning up other peoples' mess constitutes a more personally satisfying or socially valuable experience for women than being queen of one's home and the 'world' to one's children.
The explanation for why such an absurd assumption should have so successfully cemented itself as the 'dominant' view within British social politics lies with the ascent of capitalist ideology and the entrenchment of political correctness' within Britain's political and social institutions.
The Thatcher-inspired ideological revolution which took place during the 'watershed' years of the 1980's has left Britain with a social philosophy based on 'the market'; the principles and ideals of which have permeated throughout society. This extreme-capitalist ideology, which takes fiscal criteria as 'the' measure of value has forged a new range of dominant assertions, such as the idea that the welfare state is unworkable, that the individual pursuit of wealth is the ultimate goal, and that only paid work is valuable. In addition to this extreme capitalist economic outlook, the politically correct lobby has gained sufficient power to enforce their particular set of social assumptions. Much establishment 'comment' is therefore coloured by a somewhat contradictory coupling of capitalist ideology and PC doctrine. That the hearts and minds of the majority of the British public continue, however, to remain 'closed' to the establishment accepted tenets of capitalist ideology and PC propaganda is evident. Most continue to hold firm to the belief that state welfare for all is desirable, that a social conscience is essential and, most significantly, that home and family are of paramount value.
And it is this cherishing of home and 'the family' as of fundamental value, the core to which all other interests must conform, which puts the British public at odds with the establishment over the issue of women and employment. The view held by the majority of British people - that forcing family-women into the public workforce is wholly detrimental to the long-term interests of the institution of 'the family' - is illustrated by an ever expanding pool of male unemployed, a continual increase in levels of crime, a high incidence of divorce, a growing problem of juvenile delinquency within one-parent families and the academic under achievement of children in families whose mothers are absent from the home.
For the steady increase of women within the labour force has not only resulted in a squeeze' in the unskilled employment sectors, exacerbating the level of male unemployment, but the subsequent 'tailoring' of jobs within the market to fit the feminine influx, carried out by employers with an eye to cost culling in labour expenditure, have served to undermine the numbers of wage-protected, full time and benefit covered jobs secured during the years of union representation.
The male workforce has been squeezed because the unskilled employment market, into which women have largely entered for reasons of convenience, is finite and can only sustain a workforce relative to its requirements. The recessions experienced during the 1970's and 1980's along with technological innovations, have resulted in a decrease in the market-sustainable requirement of unskilled labour.
In addition to this is the significant shift in the nature of employment towards light industries. Women dominate in the fast growing, traditionally female service occupations such as residential care, computer and data processing, health services, waged child care and business services. In contrast, the fastest declining sectors are in the traditionally male areas of heavy industry such as shipbuilding, coal mining and manufacturing.
Moreover, employers have moved away from the provision of union regulated full time employment 'packages' towards low paid temporary and part time work, which again favours women workers. Women are more likely to move in and out of the workforce (demanding lower levels of employment benefits than men) and are also more able to accept low paid work as a supplement to the family income while men, traditionally the family 'bread-winners' must seek full time, benefit protected employment sufficient to provide the 'primary' family income.
Thus, as more women enter the unskilled employment market many men, in consequence, are forced to exit it. Their departure is creating a pool of unemployed men which, in turn, is causing a breakdown in the institution of 'the family'. For unemployment, especially among young men, destroys the web that ties together work, family and law-abiding behaviour. It destroys the institutions that encourage and enforce acceptable social behaviour. While women of working age are accustomed to being outside of the labour market, men are not. In contrast to women.
This article first appeared in the now defunct 'vanguard' magazine, issue 51.