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An interesting observation
Nov. 9th, 2005 06:14 pmI'm not usually one to pick out items that seem sexist and harp on them. It's not my style. In fact, my women's studies history class that i took in university bugged me often for pointing out things like this, and I'm almost ashamed to point it out for myself. This is especially true since, for the most part, I don't feel as though i suffer much from male privilege.
However, this occurred to me just now, and I hadn't even realized it.
I have recently had the opportunity to go into several medical spaces and compare. You know what I found? My doctor's office, which is touted as the model for family medical practice across Canada, has exactly one space for small children to play - out of three main office areas. The individual offices do not include child-friendly spots of any kind. Admittedly, they are barely more than closets with examination tables; but still.
The midwife's office, however, had a child-size table and chairs, crayons, and paper in EVERY OFFICE, as well as in the waiting room.
This may not seem to be about male privilege, until you take a really close look and realize that men don't take their small children to doctor's appointments unless the appointment is for the child and they are looking after that child - a considerably rarer event than a woman doing so, even nowadays. A woman, on the other hand, will often do absolutely everything with small children in tow. We don't expect to get a babysitter because we've got a doctor's appointment; we take the child, we pack the diaper bag with toys and treats to keep the child occupied, and we never notice that these spaces aren't child-friendly until we come across a space that IS.
In the same way, workplaces that have childcare on-site are touted as extremely liberal, while no access to one's children throughout the workday is considered normal - even in my child-friendly workspace. These are not policies that prioritize women's concerns and needs. They are examples of the invisible norm - men separate their family lives from their work lives, and if women want to work, they have to do the same thing. Women have, for the most part, fitted themselves into this norm, often seamlessly. Many women, even many mothers, never notice it. It's just a part of the backdrop of life in North America.
Just something to think about.
However, this occurred to me just now, and I hadn't even realized it.
I have recently had the opportunity to go into several medical spaces and compare. You know what I found? My doctor's office, which is touted as the model for family medical practice across Canada, has exactly one space for small children to play - out of three main office areas. The individual offices do not include child-friendly spots of any kind. Admittedly, they are barely more than closets with examination tables; but still.
The midwife's office, however, had a child-size table and chairs, crayons, and paper in EVERY OFFICE, as well as in the waiting room.
This may not seem to be about male privilege, until you take a really close look and realize that men don't take their small children to doctor's appointments unless the appointment is for the child and they are looking after that child - a considerably rarer event than a woman doing so, even nowadays. A woman, on the other hand, will often do absolutely everything with small children in tow. We don't expect to get a babysitter because we've got a doctor's appointment; we take the child, we pack the diaper bag with toys and treats to keep the child occupied, and we never notice that these spaces aren't child-friendly until we come across a space that IS.
In the same way, workplaces that have childcare on-site are touted as extremely liberal, while no access to one's children throughout the workday is considered normal - even in my child-friendly workspace. These are not policies that prioritize women's concerns and needs. They are examples of the invisible norm - men separate their family lives from their work lives, and if women want to work, they have to do the same thing. Women have, for the most part, fitted themselves into this norm, often seamlessly. Many women, even many mothers, never notice it. It's just a part of the backdrop of life in North America.
Just something to think about.