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Women less happy as a result of feminism? Bah, says Ariel Gore – author of “Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness” — in an interview over at Salon.com.
Last spring, the blogosphere lit up with a study claiming women were not only less happy than men, but less happy than they had been a generation previous.
OK, sure, Gore admits, but in other studies women test as happier than men. Plus, she says, other factors besides the Women’s Movement could have caused the alleged drop in happiness levels:
“…the first rule of research is not to confuse correlation with causality. What else has happened in the past 40 years? Well, hey, maybe women have replaced the time we used to spend talking with friends with TV watching. When you study postpartum depression, there is a very clear understanding that in communities where you see more support, there is less depression. How come nobody said, “Oh, women are unhappy because of TV!” It’s at least equally plausible.”
Do you feel less happy than your male counterparts? Or maybe you just want to fully recognize the happiness you have? Gore’s most recent volume might be for you. (At the very least, skim the interview.) She describes ”Bluebird” as a “study of living — an adventure into the feminine history, science, and the experience of happiness — intent on discovering the secrets of joy.”
Gore is a mom, an author of six books, and founder of the Web site “Hip Mama.”
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Just because you asked…I think overall I am as happy as my male friends ^^
I think I have less general entitled malaise than my average male friend. With the exception of my gay cousin who is possibly happier than anyone I have ever met, which I assume is because he is gay and very hot.
Well but of course, he’s gay (pun intended) :)) hehe
I feel that I am generally quite a happy person compared to most people (male and female). But there could be many, many factors for that.
I am ridiculously happy. People who know me constantly remark that I’m always smiling. And it’s not that my life is perfect and that I don’t have things to complain about. But I’ve decided that complaining is a waste of time, and I find a great deal of joy in the little things. Plus, I’m very happy that I’m able to pursue my dreams (whatever they may be), that I wasn’t pressured to get married and have kids instead of having a career (like my grandmothers were), and that my husband and male colleagues treat me as an equal. So I guess you could say that feminism has made me happier!
conversly, the inordinate amount of well meaning to plain agressive people who berate me on my choice to quit law and be a stay at home mother make me unhappy.
….and here I will give a shout out to former colleagues, former clients, and the good people at Services Canada and Revenue Canada.
I, personally, applaud your choice, and I’m sorry that not everyone does so. I’m having a great time pursuing my career right now, but whenever I do choose to have kids, I want to actually be there to raise them (otherwise what’s the point of having kids?). My mother was a wonderful homemaker, and I plan to be so as well when the time comes.
Cheers Harriet.
I totally think its an elitest thing – if I were a cashier then more people would applaud my descision.
I hate that. I’ve had so many people tell me that I’m wasting my mind and that I should be using my brains to cure cancer (failing to note that I’ve never taken a single biology class) or build a better space shuttle. Apparently being a housewife should be beneath me. I guess only stupid people should breed.
No, no, Rhonda. Smart people should breed.
But they should hire stupid people to raise their kids…
Oh, come on. We going there again?
No one said they were wrong for staying home – quite the opposite. It’s wonderful.
The problem came in when they declared that NOT staying home with your kids was wrong.
Say it’s wrong for you, personally and I support you 1000%.
Say it’s wrong for EVERYONE and I laugh in your face. That is so thoughtless as to be unbelievable.
There is not a one-size-fits-all solution here.
I’ll repeat another poster here:
Feminism is allowing women the right to do whatever she wants and needs to do without judgment.
Work? wonderful!
Don’t work? Wonderful!
I can’t speak for lady googoo but I know I’m talking about people I know in real life here, the ones who are saying that it’s wrong to stay home just because I’m smarter than average. That includes the husband of a friend who is always a SAHM. He’s 110% behind her staying home but he thinks it’s wrong for me to stay home and not use my brains to benefit mankind. He’s a psychologist and he’s offended that I’m wasting my brains when my IQ is higher than is.
I can’t see the appeal of staying home. Ever. I’d kill myself if I had to be a STAH mum. That said, have we ever wondered why we as women contemplate that path as a feasible possibility, whereas it’s still pretty much forbidden in Planet Penis?
I’m ridiculously happy, and it has been a long time coming.
I empathize with you women who were put down because you aren’t out saving the world. I got a lot of that – especially from my first husband.
I think that I am happy because I am seeing my kids grow up and they are happy, productive people (so far, so good) and I’ll soon have the luxury of just worrying about me for awhile.
Life can be good – if you allow it.
You don’t have to work to save the world. You can raise fantastic children who are good, honest, strong people. Is that not helping to save the world? :)
my corn soup could save the world.
Then you had better make up a big pot of it for when we have our ZL meeting that Vchilds is going to organize.
I’ll have to think about what I’m bringing.
I do make a kickass Lemon Meringue pie.
I’ll bring my Chocolate Chip Chai Cake ^_^
I can’t make Lemon Meringue Pie because I will eat the entire pie. My hubby doesn’t like it and it is my favorite.
Whit, when it comes down to it – that is the very best thing any of us can do. If you bring up an intelligent, enlightened next generation, you have done well.
I agree 100%. I’d much rather raise wonderful people than earn $1,000,000 a year.
And I’ll be bringing my Great Aunt Carol Ann’s Swedish Pineapple Cake to this ZL shindig! :)
Yep Blurry, I got the same from my first husband. I left the corporate world when I moved here. I am an accountant by degree that specialized in family owned manufacturing companies. After 20+ years got sick and tired of the bullshit and now I have my own business assisting the elderly in whatever needs they may have. Anything from house cleaning, teaching computer skills, doctor appointments, fighting insurance companies over bills, and the list goes on. So much more rewarding than any corporate bull, at least for me. My only problem is that I have a really hard time charging these clients. I have adopted most of them like family as they have me.
That’s very cool. I don’t think I could do it though. One of my friends is an assistant for an elderly lady, just a part time working through college gig, and she really cares for her so it gets hard when the business stuff gets hard. She’s having a lot of trouble right now because the lady’s trustee is a total asshat who clearly doesn’t give a crap and keeps doing unethical things like signing my friend up as next of kin and trying to give her power of attorney when she’s just meant to be helping with grocery shopping and laundry. Anyway, it’s much tougher than she expected it to be when she signed on.
Well I’m not happy at this particular moment as my computer is hiding it’s lover vundo virus in a closet so I can’t find the fucking thing and kill it but in general I’m very happy.
If it will get me invited I’ll whip up a batch of my beloved deviled eggs (I made a batch of 24 eggs for Christmas with 5 other people in the house and left the room for an hour and when I came back they were ALL gone)
We need more appetizers, people!
Hm, I’m not much of an appetizer person. Would kick-ass brownies get me in? I don’t cook much, so I specialize in the important areas.
On it. I have some good vegan appetizers too.
Brownies work. Most definitely.
I’ll make a couple of pies – one an apple or something for the vegans among us. Unless eggs are okay?
I have a kick-ass recipe for apple pie with a little fresh ginger in it. A slice of that with a scoop of vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream is enough to shut up anyone who has ever so much as thought that vegan dessert must suck.
Um … Am I invited? ‘Cause these recipes are making me salivate.
Of course, Sarah!
If you’ll do the apple pie, I’ll do lemon meringue and a raspberry or blackberry.
And Joey has not said anything about the alcohol yet.
Rhonda – apple pie with ginger :)
Someone needs to get on Vchilds as to the where and when.
I’m all for inviting everyone. We can even have a mental-age appropriate kids table for the trolls, give them some coloring books and crayons and just hope they don’t eat them.
Or…we could let them decorate their own cookies so that if they do eat it we won’t have to stop our party to take care of them!
Sorry guys had to check out today. Killer Migrane. I just got woke up by a bunch of howling coyotes. We are having some real problems right now with a pack that are scaling 6 foot walls and entering backyards and killing animals. Will get on when and where as soon as I can think clear again!
I can bring stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer!!! They’re this shiz! I can make half a batch with meat, and the other half vegan! Everyone can enjoy! :)
^ Mmmm I LOVE stuffed mushrooms. Ooh, I can make my spinach and tortellini soup, and crostini too.
That sounds amaaaazing!!! Ok, seriously, when is this little meeting of the greatest minds in the world happening? Because I’m in.
Mojito Cake! Absolute dream :D
Sounds good to me :)
Copa, just make sure you shut down system restore before you run this.
http://majorgeeks.com/Symantec_Trojan.Vundo_Removal_Tool_d4430.html
I seem to have blasted it with a combo of avast, malwarebytes, and superantispyware, but if it suddenly pops back I will definitely use your link of goodness, thank you for posting it!
Not a problem and you are welcome!
Am I to assume that Joey is bring the booze?
Joey is resting from superbowl brain damage. And I don’t think he’s allowed to leave the house for a little while,I’m grounded! I was very naughty!
Joey, it’s Tuesday.
The SuperBowl was Sunday.
The Steelers were NOT playing.
No excuses!