The myth of the welfare queen vilified women caregivers who dropped out of the paid workforce. It cemented the idea in people’s minds that society is made up of autonomous individuals who can take care of themselves with a wage-earning job.
But our civilization can’t function without the unpaid caregiving mostly provided by women. Infants and children need an intensive amount of time and energy until they are fully functional human beings. At the end of life most of us will need some sort of assistance.
In her book Motherhood Discounted Carolyn McConnell looks at the historic roots and current impacts of a system that depends on caregiving but refuses to provide financial support for that work.
Listen to the interview on WSLR Monday 9/28 at 6:30pm or catch the podcast version here