Paid leave lets dads build parenting foundation

Kenya, the Philippines, Columbia, Saudia Arabia…  not necessarily countries you might associate with “progressive” views of gender.  Yet all these country’s governments provide paid paternity leave.

This article demonstrates how fathers and families benefit from paid paternity leave and how the US is one of the few countries around the world that doesn’t offer it typically.

How Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Is Building a Nursery By Her Office, and Dissing Working Moms

In 2013, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo was the subject of much controversy after ordering all telecommuting workers to start working out of a Yahoo office.

Many decried how this affected working parents, especially working mothers.  Here’s an interesting opinion piece about Mayer’s decision and Mayer’s misguided criticism of feminism.

Men Earning Less than Wives Struggle

Looking for proof of the effects of the gendered norms we’ve discussed about masculinity?  How about evidence showing that even when it means more money, freedom, and time with family, many men feel guilt and depression when they earn less than female partners?

A common characteristic many men experience with masculine socialization is the idea that their value comes from their professional successes and ability to provide financially.  This article is a great example that men’s choices are restricted in significant ways by norms that focus worthiness in such a narrow way.  These norms have effects on the men’s physical and emotional health, along with their relationships.

The Purity Myth’s Jessica Valenti Talks Virginity, Weddings & Miss California

Click here for an interview with Jessica Valenti, author of The Purity Myth, which discusses (among other things) traditions of fathers and daughters taking part in a “virginity movement,” which focuses on daughters pledging themselves to their fathers to stay “pure” by not engaging in sexual encounters until marriage.  This movement could be discussed as part of issues related to parenting practices and what gendered norms of femininity are produced through these practices.