In this week's reading, Barbara Pocock talks about unpaid work in Australia (such as child care, cleaning and cooking among other work that occurs mostly in the private domain of the house) and describes maternal guilt as how "many women feel criticized for their choices (whether in paid jobs or at home, whether with children or without)." (p. 47) Pocock describes women at home as being seen as "loving, selfless care-givers", while those who work carry the stigma of a "selfish career woman". Yet, women are still pressured to work, and to become educated before having children. In the current system it seems that women can't win. They will be criticized for not pulling their weight as dependent house wives, however if they have a career they are seen as selfish. Greater recognition needs to be given to unpaid work so as to limit the suffering that comes about from "maternal guilt". Children are still brought up with gendered expectations that reinforce their roles in the workplace. Here is a link to an article that looks at the increasing gendering of children's toys:
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4617704
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