Ohrenstein & Van Staalen   "The Tug of Tradition"   Flux , pp164-183.

            With the use of real examples and pieces of interviews, the author illustrates how two women who set up play dates for their children on a weekly basis do not know that they once used to be very successful career women.   Views involving motherhood as a sort of "recharging" are shown that are contrary to the negative feelings many women have about being "forced" into motherhood.   It is recognized in the following of this particular couple that they do run the risk of growing apart as a couple because of their different gendered roles and the author expresses this.   There is no conclusion to the relationship at the end of the piece but this is appropriate since the future of the relationship is uncertain as well. -N.T.

This excerpt, featuring the narratives of several stay-at-home mothers and their partners, argues the feminist implications of being a working woman who makes the choice to become a stay-at-home mother. The article is based strictly on the input of women in such scenarios who offer positive and empowered feedback on their decisions. This shows that being a "housewife" can actually be a feminist decision. This article could be recommended to all women who hope to have children as well as a career and are concerned with the pros and cons of being a stay-at-home mom versus being a working mother. -C.S.

"Almost Everything"

The personal account of Emily and Dan truly captivates the reader. It really gets one to think about balancing the combination of full-time jobs and the unpaid labor of raising a family. Their day to day experiences really encourage one to mull over the subtle nuances of what equality really means. There are so many different directions this articles goes, that it is a rather daunting task to determine where the class discussion would go. Any of the plethoras of topics would be more than appropriate for a course that centers on gender issues in the workplace. The article does conclude rather nicely, but not all the questions are neatly answered either. - L.P.