Blog 8

There were many different responses to Belkin's "Opt Out" essay.  The main arguments that Belkin makes throughout her essay is that women are quitting their high-paying careers to start a family, and how that is effecting the progress of the feminist movement in the business industry.  She says that because the women are quitting their jobs to have children, the men are left at the high positions.  Another side to the argument, however, is that the women that Belkin observes are all graduates of ivy-league schools, and professional women that made it high up on the ladder in their careers.  These women do not represent all of the women in our modern society, the majority of which do not attend ivy-league schools, or attain professional jobs.  Another point against Belkin's thesis is that the women who are leaving their professions, are doing so voluntarily.   They would rather stay at home and care for a family, then deal with the stresses of their work. 

I have only experienced a little as a child, concerning this situation.  My mother, upon having her third child, decided to quit her current job to stay at home.  She did, however, decide to start a home child care business, caring for others children as well.  When all of her children were old enough to attend full day school, she started searching for another job to get back into her working career again.