4 ms·

> Their wives take care of the baby for the most part, and they work on their next book. I was under the impression people had kids to build a family together,

by irae 6y ago

> Their wives take care of the baby for the most part, and they work on their next book. I was under the impression people had kids to build a family together, not to compete with their partners for achievements. I don't think at all the situation you described is bad in any way. In fact, it would be a huge step forward. You know what is better then a new father stressed at work, absent from home, worried his career is not growing fast enough? A new father excited about the future, doing something that is quite easily interrupted to help with the newborn and building a future for the family. I do agree giving everyone the same things would be the best, but it is easier said than done. Easier for large corporations to support larger universal parental leaven than to for startups to do the same.

gnicholas 6y ago
> I was under the impression people had kids to build a family together, not to compete with their partners for achievements. I don't think at all the situation you described is bad in any way. In fact, it would be a huge step forward. I wasn't indicating that the spouses were in any way competing with each other. I was pointing out the inequity that results among professors who are fathers and their colleagues who are mothers. The seemingly generous and 'equal' policy of giving the same leave to mothers and fathers has the result of disadvantaging professors who are mothers, on balance. (I should note that not all male professors spend their leave in this way, but enough of them do it is a problem.)
- Dracophoenix 6y ago
  So your solution to these iniquities is to punish potential success by sex through the denial of equal treatment in child-related leave? Leave alone the fact that this would be illegal discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, how would this work for non-heterosexual relationships? Wouldn't non-childbearing lesbian professors also have this advantage while their SO is nursing their newborn? Ultimately, your solution seems more pro-natalist to a fault rather than "pro-equity".
  - gnicholas 6y ago
    You seem to have read a lot into my comment that wasn't there. I wasn't advocating for a specific policy, only pointing out that giving the same thing to everyone doesn't always result in outcomes that are equal. Also, I never suggested anything that would violate Title VII. At most law firms (including the one I worked at for many years), a parent who birthed a child received much more leave than the other parent.

by irae 6y ago

gnicholas 6y ago

> I was under the impression people had kids to build a family together, not to compete with their partners for achievements. I don't think at all the situation you described is bad in any way. In fact, it would be a huge step forward. I wasn't indicating that the spouses were in any way competing with each other. I was pointing out the inequity that results among professors who are fathers and their colleagues who are mothers. The seemingly generous and 'equal' policy of giving the same leave to mothers and fathers has the result of disadvantaging professors who are mothers, on balance. (I should note that not all male professors spend their leave in this way, but enough of them do it is a problem.)

Dracophoenix 6y ago
So your solution to these iniquities is to punish potential success by sex through the denial of equal treatment in child-related leave? Leave alone the fact that this would be illegal discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, how would this work for non-heterosexual relationships? Wouldn't non-childbearing lesbian professors also have this advantage while their SO is nursing their newborn? Ultimately, your solution seems more pro-natalist to a fault rather than "pro-equity".
- gnicholas 6y ago
  You seem to have read a lot into my comment that wasn't there. I wasn't advocating for a specific policy, only pointing out that giving the same thing to everyone doesn't always result in outcomes that are equal. Also, I never suggested anything that would violate Title VII. At most law firms (including the one I worked at for many years), a parent who birthed a child received much more leave than the other parent.