The Mommy Track

            
             The United States economy has endured many changes throughout history. It was once primarily based on agriculture. In this era crops were grown and sold in the marketplace as a means of income. This agricultural industry was a time in which men took on certain roles and women took on others. Typically men and boys were responsible for doing the heavy farm work and working with the large stock animals, while women and girls worked in the gardens and homes. Although there seemed to be a division of labor, it is important to understand that work and family were somewhat interwoven at this time. It was common to delegate economic responsibilities to children as soon as they were able to participate, as a result boys worked with their fathers in the fields as girls worked alongside their mothers in the kitchens. It must be understood that adult roles were split between being a provider and a parental unit and both men and women contributed somewhat equally to both (Hattery, 11-13).
             Following this time period was the industrial revolution. This was a time in which economic production was defined as work that produced goods or services that were available for sale in the marketplace. Unpaid work was no longer viewed as economic production. The economy continued to move towards a pure market economy in which money was viewed as the primary currency. At this time men's paid work was viewed as valuable while women's work was no longer viewed as economic. This is the era in which the division of labor as we still know today was born. This division held multiple views including being natural, being inevitable, and some thought it oppressive to women. This was the age in which the traditional U.S. family was born. Men were responsible for the economic needs and women for the care of the children and family (Hattery, 11-14).
             Let it be understood that this division of labor was most typical among the white, middle class culture.