Families andWork: The JugglingActintroducedintoCongressin 1923.
Congressfinally passedandsubmittedit to
thestatesfor ratification on March 22,
1972.An originaldeadlineof 7yearswas
extendedby CongresstoJune30,1982.
When thisdeadlineexpired,only 35states
(of thenecessary threefourths,or 38)had
ratifiedit.Sincethat time,it hasbeen
reintroducedintoevery session of
Congressbut hasstillnot passed(Francis,
2006).
Proponentsof theERA assert this
amendment isneededtogiveboth women
andmen equalrightsguaranteedby the
U.S.Constitution.They proposetheERA
isnecessary toprovidea remedy for sex
discrimination,togiveequallegalstatusto
women,andtoexpandworkplace
opportunitiesfor women.Supportersoften
point toopponentsof theERA as
operatingfrom a baseof fear:fear of a
military draft which wouldinclude
women,andfearssuch asunisex
bathrooms,health clubs,andsportsteams.
However,opponentsof theERA—
particularly conservatives—focuson other
issues.They point out that women already
havethefullprotection of theConstitution
under the14thAmendment.Further,ERA
opponentsarenot opposedtotheissueof
equality itself,but areconcernedabout the
wordingof theamendment asit relatesto
issuesof reproductiverights,abortion,
homosexualrights,same-sexissues,and
power shiftsfrom thestatestothe federal
government.
Though the ERA failed to pass,other
major changes in marriage and family life
had already taken place in this generation:
widespread use of birth control; more
single-parent,female-headed households;
less-segregated gender roles.Sara Evans
(1989) writes that the real battle was over
themeaningof these changes.What were
the new expectations for men and women
in families and at work?Renegotiation: Third-Generation Women
Who Work Outside the HomeIt is unclear how third-generation
women who work outside the home will
respond to the revolution and
counterrevolution of the two previous
generations.A strong conservative
movement currently calls for a
reconsideration of family values.Women
are not leaving paid employment in
significant numbers; it would appear the
working mother is here to stay.However,
families are struggling to come to a quiet
resolution of the family/work dilemma
without abandoning one for the other.
New patterns of adaptation have emerged:
family restaurants enable working parents
to have quality time with children over a
healthy dinner; cell phones enable families
to stay connected; computers enable many
to work at home either all or part of the
time; and home-based businesses are on
the increase.