Thursday's tutorial on American Indians...

Thank you all for some good, well prepared postings and thoughtful discussion. Well done.
One point of further comment is to recommend the book by Ian Frazier "On the Rez." - a really interesting, humorous and sometimes painful account of current American Indians. Well worth reading.
It also happens to mention the story of the Wampanoag tribe that Juliet posted - the tribe that befriended the whites and participated in the first Thanksgiving. The tribe does , in fact, have its reservation lands; the tribe is thought to have become extinct in the 1800s, but in recent times they revived (how?) their tribal identity, went before a federal court to re-establish their rights to "stolen" land in 1989, and, eventually, after negotiation with Jackie Kennedy Onassis (!), won the right to reservation areas close to Cape Cod.
This is a much simplified account of the whole saga (see pages 78 to 80 in 'On the Rez') but it confirms the complexity of issues surrounding "Who is an Indian"  and the use of lawyers to fight the present-day battles...
Good wishes,
John

Southern Ute Indian Tribe

 http://www.southern-ute.nsn.us/

This is the official website for the Southern Ute Tribe. The Southern Ute are based in Southwest Colorado, and their reservation land area covers a total of 1,058.785 square miles.

The website contains historical and cultural information on the tribe, as well as the latest news for the Southern Ute tribe. The homepage for the website contains basic information about the tribe and their location, as well as where their council headquarters are found. The website also talks about how the Sothern Ute reservation contains a casino and resort, a community centre and a cultural centre and museum.

The history section of the website is very helpful, and contains a lot of information on how this particular tribe used to live, and how they worked as a tribe of people. The cultural section of the website is also very well informed, containing a lot of information on things such as traditional dances, and tribe royalty, as well as a small amount of information on, and links to the sister tribes the Northern Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. The website also contains a lot of information on the tribe’s government, such as the tribal council.

The Cherokee Nation

http://www.cherokee.org/

The Cherokee Nation is one of the largest Native American tribes in the US, boasting a population of 288,749. The Cherokee Nation is based largely in Oklahoma, home to the Cherokee capital, Tahlequah, but tribe members are interspersed throughout Texas, New Mexico, California and Oregon.

This particular website is the official Cherokee site and has a vast amount of historical facts and accounts of the tribe, as well as information about their culture, language and literature. The Trail of Tears has a dedicated section of the site and is described in great detail. This extensive log of information makes this an integral website to visit if one wishes to learn more about one of the more recognisable tribes in America.

The website also has a strong grasp on the tribe's current affairs. The home page feature the latest Cherokee news and the information section also features a look at how the tribe entered the 21st century and is moving with the times. An example of the some of the current news that is covered by the site is the story of NFL quarterback Sam Bradford, a Cherokee citizen, being honoured by the Principal Chief for his massive success in American football, becoming the first ever Cherokee to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, a highly prestigious honour that is awarded to the best collegiate player in America. This also shows the Nation's enthusiasm for young Cherokee role models so that Cherokee children have someone to look up to and to be proud of.
http://www.cherokee.org/NewsRoom/FullStory/2841/Page/Default.aspx

It is the covering of stories such as this that help to establish Cherokee.org as an extremely useful resource for anyone that wishes to learn about the Cherokee Nation.

The Nez Perce (Nimiippu) Tribe

Images of Chief Joseph and of the Celilo Falls before the era of dam construction.

http://www.nezperce.org//

This is the official site of the Nez Perce tribe with many links to the different departments that deal with all aspects of tribal life. The link to the Lewis and Clark Lifelong Learning Project is particularly interesting with its further link to narratives from the expedition.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWjoseph.htm

This site gives a full account of the life and achievements of Chief Joseph. He seemed to be a proud man and also a man who wanted to avoid bloodshed, but when circumstances required, he fought valiantly in 1877. The long march the tribe made into Canada ended in capture and hostage exchange. The tribe were eventually moved to a reservation in Oklahoma.

Celilo Falls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celilo_Falls

Celili Falls retains great cultural significance for native peoples. In 2007, three thousand people gathered to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the inundation of the falls, over which the native peoples were deemed to have perpetual fishing rights. The construction of the Dalles Dam in 1957 flooded the area, consuming the Falls.

Conflicts of interest over the dam illustrate the problems native peoples have in many parts of the country when up against the might of Government interests and the different cultural 'takes' on justice and land rights.

Jill Glazier

The Navajo-

This is the website for members of the Navajo tribe that occupy an area known as Navajo nation in northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico: : http://www.navajo.org/index.htm It is the largest land area assigned primarily to a Native American jurisdiction within the United States.
The land area of the Navajo Nation is 24,078.127 square miles (62,362.06 km2), making it by far the largest Indian reservation in the United States. It is almost exactly the same size as the state of West Virginia; it is slightly larger in land area, but slightly smaller if water area is included 24,096.295 square miles (62,409.12 km2).

The 2000 census reported 173,987 Navajo citizens, 58.34% of all ethnic Navajos, living on the Navajo Nation's territory. The Navajo Nation requires a blood quantum of one-quarter for a person to be an enrolled tribal member and to receive a Certificate of Indian Blood.

The history of the tribe is not as extensive as I expected, however the history of the government and reasons for existance were emphasised: "In 1923, a tribal government was established to help meet the increasing desires of American oil companies to lease Navajoland for exploration. Navajo government has evolved into the largest and most sophisticated form of American Indian government. The Navajo Nation Council Chambers hosts 88 council delegates representing 110 Navajo Nation chapters." I expected to see more about the traditions and origins of the tribe, but there is nothing on it. The history covered is from the 1920's onwards, the government, the flag, involvement in ww2 and the museum reccently built.

The situation of the Navajo tribe today is represented positively, with many successes in government/with laws. "Today, the Navajo Nation is striving to sustain a viable economy for an ever increasing population that now surpasses 250,000. In years past, Navajoland often appeared to be little more than a desolate section of the Southwest, but it was only a matter of time before the Navajo Nation became known as a wealthy nation in a world of its own." However other sources on the tribe reflect a grimmer situation. Taken from http://www.navajobusiness.com/fastFacts/Overview.htm
 (2000 census)

Median Age: 24
Labor Force: comprised of 28% of the population
Median Household Income: $20,005
Unemployment: 42%
Poverty: 43% lives below the poverty rate
Education (for ages 25+): 56% high school degree
7% college degree


The rate of unemployment and number of people living below the poverty level suggests that economically many of those members of the tribe choosing to live in Navajo nation do not have a good standard of living in contrast to the rest of the U.S. The official trive website would want to put forward a more positive view, partially because a large amount of income on the reservation comes from tourism, and a more 'real' portrayal of poverty and hardship would put tourists off visiting.

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe

http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/Pages/index

The Native American Wampanoag peoples have inhabited the South-Eastern area of Massachusetts for hundreds of years. They consist of many different tribes, including the Mashpee tribe of Cape Cod, the Nantucket tribe of Nantucket Island and the Aquinnah (or Gay Head) tribe of Martha’s Vineyard.

The website I have chosen to evaluate is that of the Aquinnah tribe, which includes a page dedicated to their history, beliefs and culture. It states that the ‘ancestors of Wampanoag people have lived for at least 10,000 years at Aquinnah (Gay Head) and throughout the island of Noepe (Martha's Vineyard), pursuing a traditional economy based on fishing and agriculture. The Aquinnah Wampanoag share the belief that the giant Moshup created Noepe and the neighboring islands, taught our people how to fish and to catch whales, and still presides over our destinies.’

The page moves on to talk about the Aquinnah's more recent history involving European settlers and the impact that they had upon its land and people. When considering the treatment of the Native American people by both early settlers and (later on) non-Native Americans, it is surprising that when talking of the European settlers and their impact on the Aquinnah tribe, the website seems rather impartial.

It states that ‘Some 400 years ago Europeans reached Noepe in sufficient numbers to leave a record, and by the 1700's there were English settlements over most of the island. Our presence was quickly felt, and between, the dislocation from land dealings, and the influence of disease, our populations were reduced and our territories constricted… Aquinnah being the most populous and organized, we were able to maintain control over our land, despite intense efforts by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to end our existence. Over the past 100 years more and more native land has been lost as changes in the local economy forced tribal members to sell their lands, move to other parts of the island, or to leave the island altogether… Throughout it all we remain a sovereign tribe.'

Although here it clearly states that the tribe has suffered at the hands of non-Native Americans, it is not done in an angry or accusing way as one might expect. It seems to take a relatively neutral perspective on the history of the tribe, even stating that 'throughout it all we remain a sovereign tribe'.

The website doesn't provide any real information on the current situation of the Aquinnah people other than talking about the governance and lands. It states that ‘The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) became a federally acknowledged tribe on April 10, 1987 through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).’ and that 'In accordance with 1987 Settlement Act with the federal government there are approximately 485 acres of Tribal Lands purchased (160 acres private and approximately 325 acres common lands). The common lands include the Gay Head Cliffs, Herring Creek, and Lobsterville, and the private lands include parcels I, IIA, IIB, and III (see map). Other land owned by the Tribe include parcels in Christiantown and Chappaquiddick.'

As a whole the website provideds a lot of information on how the Aquinnah tribe have evolved since early European settlement and this information is presented in such a way that avoids any bias, in turn allowing the tribe to remain independent.

The Klamath Tribes

http://www.klamathtribes.org/

The Klamath Tribes, otherwise known as the Klamath Indian Tribe of Oregon are a federally accepted confederation of three Native American tribes who traditionally settled in Southern Oregon and Northern California, in the States: Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin. The tribal government is found in Chiloquin, Oregon. The tribe is most closely connected to the Modoc tribe, who historically lived just south of the Klamath in parts of what is now Oregon and California. The Klamath and Modoc traditionally spoke two different dialects of a single language, Klamath-Modoc now extinct.
The Klamath Tribes website displays a list of topics dedicated to their history and the main picture has a slideshow running, with bright and attractive pictures of the tribe and the scenery in Chiloquin.
Their annual Restoration Celebration event marks the anniversary of the return of federal recognition for the Klamath tribes. They celebrate by hosting a big celebration with activities like, fun run/walk, powwow, parade, youth rodeo, vendors and more. This event is very important to the Klamath Tribe as their tribe was terminated in 1954. Twenty years later, the Federal Court ruled that the Klamath tribe engaged its right to hunt, fish, and gather and in 1986 the tribe regained federal recognition. With restoration in 1986 the Tribes began to expand a full range of programs which provide necessary services to Tribal members and the community. Today the Tribes operate with a budget of over $12 million annually, with over 30 different departments and services offered. This turn of event encapsulates the strength of mind the tribe encountered, they overcame huge problems and their hard work laid the foundations of today’s Klamath tribe.

Women at work

This image is a very stereotypical view of "women's work", the stereotypical work of women being doing the cooking, cleaning, washing, and just general housework that needs doing around the home. The image shows this view of women very well as it is a woman who is doing the work, and she is in a kitchen setting doing the ironing, possibly ironing a shirt for her husband. As for the caption "housework rules!" this could be a sign that this is how women thought they should be, at home cleaning and cooking, rather than going out and getting jobs, this was instead left to their husbands.

Whereas this image shows a woman at work in a busy office environment. She is on the phone with lots of paper work and folders around her. This working woman is very different from the working woman seen in the previous image, she is out of the house and is in a paid job, rather than at home working to clean up after the children and her husband. This office job is seen as stereotypical "men's work" and not many women used to work in this environment, however nowadays, it is a lot more common to see a woman in this kind of working environment.

Women's work

Women of the 80's: 'Yuppies'.

I have chosen to examine women in the 80's through the rise of so-called 'yuppie' women & the meaning of the term. Standing for Young Urban Professional, the early 1980's gave rise to a league of head-strong professional women, who were often associated with the term. Urban dictionary defines a Yuppie woman as: " very arrogant well put together young urban professional who you more than likely will find wearing gucci and prada with a large bank account which they love to brag about. You can find them drinking Starbucks, living in a one bedroom apartment in a city where they will pay 1000-2000 a month for and spending another 3000 a month on their credit cards. They brag about their designer clothes and love to flaunt them, as well as their wealth. They look down upon anyone who isn't as wealthy or high status as they are."

That definition makes them sound fairly mocked, but whilst reading it I thought that It wasn't un-realistic to think that there are still many sex-in-the-city type women living that lifestyle today. The yuppie represents that women in the 80's were starting to be considered as 'professional' for the first time, and that young women in particular were seeking to 'have-it-all' in terms of work and family life. The way the women right is analysed represents that women wanted jobs (in offices and management) that would be in keeping with a certain standard of lifestyle and living, a female cleaner wouldn't be able to afford a Ralf Lauren suit as the woman right has, nor would she have any need for it. The way the woman has a suit and running shoes represents that Yuppies tried to juggle work & lifestyle, and the 'rise' of the yuppie and the attention they received (I feel most especially women- as business men were not a particularly 'new' concept, even with yuppie clothes and accessories) shows that a wider range of work became available in more 'high-end' jobs, and reflects the increased child-care availability.

The 80's rise of young professional women spawned the start of the acceptance of women in management and better-paid office positions compared to being receptionists for example. Though the 80's did not allow for complete equality for women it paved the way for women of today, and allowed women job opportunities they had previously never had.

Women in the 21st century: the working mum.


Newspapers and magazines today are full of stories of working mothers who return to work soon after giving birth. In one case, a headmistress returned to her desk 7 hours after the birth of her daughter: (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
news/article-1249063/Headmistress
-goes-school--7-hours-giving-birth.html) "She is determined that the girls at her exclusive school will not be afraid to ‘have it all’ when they get older. Every school day since, she has brought her baby in, breast-feeding her between meetings and letting her doze during the more arduous parts of her schedule." And the backlash to this return has been enormous- just some of the comments: "I'm sorry, but how is teaching children to come back to work seven hours after giving birth in any way providing a "pretty special and excellent role model". Women's groups had to fight for years to gain the right to maternity leave, to do this flies in the face of reason."

Rather than celebrating women 'having-it-all' many stay at home mothers believe some women have chosen their career over their children, and rather than having both prefer to simply have a career and let a day-care or nanny do the mothering. It shows the freedom women have today to work the hours they choose, be that less due to maternity leave and gender equality laws, or more. Women working in managerial roles has clearly been accepted, however it is far from an equal playing field in terms for pay or the range of job types for 21st century women. Though it seems to have become accepted to work and have children (although we may be reaching a point maybe where it is begining to go back slightly due to the extremity of such cases) women in the 21st century are not entirely equal to men.

I feel the majority of women would not feel they live in an un-equal society, (in western socities majoritively however) as the majority of women don't aspire to become a top mechanic or stock brocker, but those who do wish to work in less accepted roles still recieve a degree of prejudice, and although women in management is accepted, it is not 'equal' it still seems to be a male dominated domain.
There are some interesting graphs below documenting global 21st century womens work situations, taken from this report of global employment trends:http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/ilo/P/09275/09275(2009).pdf

I hope you can read the graphs above, the 2nd being most interesting- the green represnts the percentage of males/females employed in service jobs, purple industry, red agriculture. It can be seen in developed economies such as the U.S the trend was that the service sector was dominated by women, and there was more than double the amount of men employed in 'industry' jobs compared to women.

Women in the workplace

Women in the eighties flocked to the business as there were a wider range of career and educational choices. The educational chances women had were pulled women away from finance, especially from the male-dominated arcade of Wall Street. Sexual discrimination seemed to still be a problem and was thought to be a thing of the past in other industries but it continued in finance and in a subtler manner. Wall Street was notoriously known for the lengthy hours and vicious competitiveness. With more career opportunities than ever and a renewed devotion to balancing life and work, more women are taking a pass on finance. With some jobs, women appeared to be wanted more over than men. A woman was believed to pose less of a threat to the local people and especially if a women was single meant that she was unattached with no responsibilities and she would also be willing to work for nothing. Women in the workplace are more observant that tougher men. Feminists who were active from the 50s to the 80s, worked determinedly to convert the role of women in the workplace. The activists battled for a work atmosphere with women succeeding alongside men. Women wanted an environment where they wanted to be respected for their accomplishments with no consideration to their choice of clothes or sexuality. Feminists pictured women educating their selves, choosing a career path and reduce their dependencies on men.

In the 21st century it would seem that women and men have achieved equality. This quite simply is an illusion. We are constantly told we live in a post-feminist age, yet realistically none of the realities society comes up with amount to that view. Inequality in the workplace for women continues but is steadily getting better. Some have questioned whether feminism still has a real case to fight for in modern British society. Women are immensely under-represented. The origin of these divisions between the sexes, are numerous. A recent survey by Natasha Watler author of The New Feminism revealed that a staggering 63% of girls would rather be glamour models than nurses, doctors or teachers. This could be down to the lack of inspiration for young girls. The endless media coverage has been at fault, as they convey women who become famous more for their physical attributes than talent or achievements. It is no longer about saving lives, giving opportunities and choices to children or writing about fantasy, romance or action. Taking your clothes off is more lucrative than these unappealing aspects, and teenagers believe it is a great way of making money and becoming famous. In the workplace it would seem that teenagers would rather be famous for being recognised and a celebrity than achievement with little recognition.

Women in work and the changing ideas behind feminism.

In the last fifty years or so it seems that the idea of feminism and what it means to be a feminist has seen some significant changes. During the 1960s and 70s feminism involved fighting for women’s equal rights and independence, being different and outside of the social status quo. However in today’s society, where it is normal for women to work and it appears there is nothing left to fight for, feminism seems to be more about having a successful career while maintaining feminine qualities such as sex appeal. It seems that most women today aspire to fit into the social status quo, to be the same successful, independent, beautiful, affluent, sexy working woman that they see gracing the covers of magazines or appearing in films – they are aspiring to be ‘Barbie’ as Naomi Wolf suggests.
These changes in the idea of feminism seem to have begun in the 1980s, where over half of married women worked, not only in service or so called ‘un-skilled’ jobs but also in business and economics. These changes caused a shift in the social status quo regarding working women and it became normal to see women in the workplace. This is why during the 1980s various childcare and maternity leave programmes were introduced.

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/AB70615/Taxi

The first image I have chosen is of a stereotypical 1980s working mother. From looking at this picture we assume that she is a career woman working in a well-paid job, most likely in the city. We assume this because she has the same qualities as every other image of 1980s working women that we’ve seen. She is wearing a ‘fashionable’ suit, talking on a brand new mobile phone, her hair is short and neat and she appears to be sitting in an office. The fact that she is holding a baby makes it clear to us that she is a working mother. The fact that this image is stereotypical of working women at this time suggests that feminism had already begun to change, from a fight against the social status quo to a fight to fit in with it - to wear the suit, to have the mobile phone and the hair style etc. However, the image, along with other similar images, also suggest that it is still a ‘man’s world’ that she is working in. We can see this through the fact that she is wearing an oversized plain suit, she is covered up showing no curves or shape, and she is wearing no jewellery apart from a plain silver necklace and little (if any) make-up. She appears more masculine in her work attire than any woman would today.



http://www.theinsider.com/news/1330864_Kate_Beckinsale_talks_about_her_diet_and_body_image_in_Elle_UK_magazine
The second image I have chosen is of the December 2009 cover of ELLE Magazine, featuring celebrity Kate Beckinsale. ELLE Magazine is a worldwide women’s fashion magazine, with the majority of readers being between the ages of 18 and 48 years old with a median household income of around $60 000. ELLE is therefore a magazine which is consumed typically by middle class, affluent women with an interest in fashion and beauty. This issue of ELLE includes a feature on ‘Day to Night Dressing’ which is commonly found in such magazines and focuses on how to dress fashionably for both work and play.
Here Kate is wearing a suit-type outfit but we can see obvious differences between this outfit and that of our 1980s working mother. Although still fairly formal, the outfit shows off Kate’s shape with a belt synching in her waist, the neckline is low and her legs are on show, her hair is long and messy and she is wearing super high heels. She looks feminine and oozes sex appeal at the same time as conveying her success, and although I’m sure most women would not wear this outfit to work, the readers of ELLE will have most certainly tried to mimic this look because of what it represents.
I think as we have moved from the 1960s right through to today we have seen the issues of inequality between men and women diminish, and although there are still issues of inequality, such as that of equal pay, I think that the majority of women today feel equal to men. I think that as a result of this women are more interested in fitting into the ‘Barbie’ stereotype because of what it stands for – success, beauty, independence and wealth.

1980s and 21st century

In the 1980s, feminism had entered a new phase. This was the decade of power dressing and big hair, with high heels and smart suits. An impressive, powerful image was portrayed by advertising and the media; an independent, high achieving environment.

http://www.fashion-era.com/1980s_lifestyle_and_fashion.htm#
The following description from the above website illustrates this point:-
Women Dress For Success
Image of women
The Perfect Suit for the Corporate Ladder
The aim of female devotees was to rise the corporate ladder. John Molloy promoted the idea that the simple tailored wool suit in neutral navy or slate blue grey, worn with non sexual blouses, imitated uniform of rank, which by design was authoritative.
From research he did with specific social groupings, he maintained that inferiors and clients accepted the word of a female dressed in a suit with better grace than if she were wearing a fashion outfit in an exotic fashion colour that highlighted her sexual allure. In other words sober dressing enabled a women to be taken seriously like a suited man might be and helped her shine in the workplace enough to get promotion rapidly. This led to the concept of power dressing and its influence on all forms of fashion when the shoulder pad dominated every female top garment, from power suits to knitwear, to T-shirts to bed attire.

http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade80.html
This website explains the changes in family life in this era, with more divorces and unmarrieds living together and more single parent families. The two earner family was becoming more common and women earned more college degrees and had fewer children.

In the world of work, the above image shows Barbara Berkman, who in 1982, became the first woman New York firefighter, marking a particular shift in an area where women were seen as being totally unsuitable for a job which appeared to require strength and bravery. She successfully sued the New York City Fire Department for gender discrimination.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/takingtheheat/film.html

Attitudes changed slowly so that by the first decade of the 21st century, many more women were accepted into jobs that were previously considered strictly for men.

21st century
Michelle Obama is very much a woman of the 21st century. She has succeeded as a professional and has combined this with being a wife and mother, and now, a First Lady. The following are comments from three different perspectives.

To see Michelle Obama, the great-great-granddaughter of slaves, up close is to finally see America up close [June 1]. Until her arrival, most Americans did not know the White House and Capitol were built by slaves. For those who contributed so much to our nation, the time has arrived for their progeny, the Michelles and Baracks, to receive their just due.
Helen H. Gentry, DETROIT
Why are we unable to build up one woman, without comparing her to others? Comparing Michelle's style with Hillary Clinton's style of sending emissaries to key policy meetings does a disservice to both. Both embrace their roles fully. Calling some First Lady traditions "baggage" diminishes the important work that previous First Ladies have done. Collectively, the First Ladies have made a difference for their country. Perhaps it is time for us to appreciate them for what they are — many different women, all of them remarkable.
Irma Eloff, PRETORIA
Unfortunately, your portrait of Michelle Obama was no more illuminating than the Afro-haired, fist-bumping "Angry Black Woman" that characterized her during the campaign. Brand Obama is what we saw, but we are no closer to understanding the kind of woman who dresses up to plant a vegetable garden or buys $540 Lanvin sneakers and wears them to a food bank. This is a good snapshot of how meticulously Brand Obama is executed but we are going to have to wait for an article that reveals the real Meaning of Michelle. Part of me actually prefers the Afro-haired, angry black woman.
C. Stewart, LONDON
The above three opinions, written in 2009, are comments about a 21st Century First Lady, Michelle Obama, written from different perspectives. They come from Detroit, Pretoria and London. Views of her impact vary:-
The first celebrates the fact that a woman who has slave ancestry is now resident in the White House which was built by slaves and considers she and Barack are receiving their just dues in the light of how much black people have contributed to the nation. This however emphasises race rather than gender..
The second from Pretoria, suggests we shouldn’t compare Michelle to anyone else, such as Hilary Clinton. The writer feels that first ladies should be appreciated for what they have contributed over the years and that calling them “baggage” does them a great disservice. Irma Eloff calls them, many different women, all remarkable.
The final offering is from a contributor in London. They wonder what is the real Michelle? They note she had the image during her husband’s presidential campaign of an “Afro-haired angry black woman”, an image the writer prefers to a wearer of expensive designer clothes, even when performing duties where it might be seen to be inappropriate.
Two of the three contributors are women; the third we don’t know.
I think Michelle might not be seen as a realistic role model for ordinary women on middle or low wages, but she is at least a sign of change. Although she will have much more help with home and family than the average person, she does at least symbolise the need and desire of many women to achieve a home/work balance.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1904072,00.html#ixzz1E1ap3IXw

Jill Glazier

Househusbands

http://www.uta.fi/laitokset/historia/nam2007/Abstracts/Wahlstrom.pdf

This text is summarising a book called househusband, which looks at how the idea of the househusband rather than the housewife has affected the masculinity of many Americans. The article talks about how American manhood was typically associated with an escape from the family and home, whereas now with the trend of the househusband this has changed. The idea of the househusband goes against most, if not all stereotypical forms of masculinity, for example the man is now the one who stays at home, looks after the children and the house, whilst the woman is the one who goes out to work and makes the money. This could be seen as feminising the males of America, however the article states that the book claims that a man can do housework and yet still be masculine.

Many people would feel that men who stay at home and look after the children and do housework are not as masculine as those who go out to work, especially not as masculine as those who work as say builders. However this text argues that these househusbands can be considered to be just as manly and masculine as those men who do not stay at home all day whilst their wives go out to work instead of them.