The other day in class we discussed the role of men and women as parents. As we all know- it is very common for a female to take maternity leave right after she has a child. And, as we discussed, it is also possible for men to take paternity leave after becoming a new father.
I want to ask the men- Would you take paternity leave? Or is it too much of a woman’s thing?
We discussed that in society it is not accustomed to men taking paternity leave, and suggested that that could be a cause for why men don’t take it- because they feel that it is socially unacceptable.
Another reason we discussed for not taking the leave would be- not wanting to leave one’s job. If one is on track for promotion and then disappears for six weeks, it probably would not bode well on his status of promotion. Do we think that if more people took advantage of this right that it would become more acceptable for men to leave their jobs for paternity leave and thus make this idea of needing to be at your desk twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three-hundred sixty five days a year - less of a hindrance?
Do men feel that they would be judged by women if they took paternity leave? If so, what women? I feel as though any new mother would be more than happy to have extra help in the first few weeks of her child’s life- not to mention the fact that she would probably be very happy that the child got to become familiar with his father too.
Is the issue more of a masculinity thing?
I guess really all that I am asking is- what exactly causes this disconnect in our society?
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I agree with this post in that the women taking paternity leave, if they have some sort of spouse, would like nothing more than a little extra help with taking care of the child, and so men should have every right to take the same leave. This is more of a matter of the care of a child and less the matter of female or male privileges in the workplace; that is to say, both the mother and the father are equally the parents of the child, and if it is their decision to share completely in the responsibilities of nurturing, looking after, and all around caring for the child, then both should be allowed time off to establish a pattern of this relationship. There shouldn't be any sort of disconnect, and it definitely shouldn't be the source of ridicule by other men or women. If a men was allowed permission to take paternity leave, and chose to do so, it is merely a sign that he too wants to look after his child and share in the responsibilities, in turn, creating a greater sense of equality.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it has to do anything with masculinity. I believe it goes back to where men (in the older days) were the ones in the house who put the food on the table, and provided for the family. Where as the mother is the one who makes sure the whole family is ready (clean, washed, etc..) to eat when their father comes home from a hard day at work. I believe it is more of a traditional mindset.
ReplyDeleteIf I were given the opportunity, I would definitely take paternity leave. Besides being able to spend time with my family, it would provide me with some leisure time. I would not fear being judged by others because a real man is one that cares and provides for his family.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of splitting paternity/maternity leave. The mom and dad can switch off days of staying home. I brought this up to one of my guy friends and he was just like.. "wait, wait PATERNITY leave? That's soooo weird."
ReplyDeleteClearly this is not an idea that is completely accepted by society.