Albanian Custom Fades: Woman as Family Man

Journalist:  Dan Bilefsky
Date:  June 25, 2008
Relevance:  gender issues on a global level
Summary:   For centuries, in the closed off northern part of Albania, swapping genders for those families that had a shortage of men was considered a practical solution.  Women would be sworn virgins and assume the role of a man.  After the fall of the Berlin wall, modernization has come to Albania and girls no longer want to play such a role.  Many women who assumed this role enjoyed it because they were treated as males with all of the privileges that are given to men.  This article traces the history of this practice in this primarily Muslim country.
Questions:
1.  Is it surprising that these women were able to do this in such a male-dominated culture?  Do you think this was done solely out of necessity to care for the family?
2.  What did you learn or find most interesting from this article?
Here is a link to the article.

Career couples fight over who’s the ‘trailing spouse’

Journalist:  Sarah Jio
Date:  June 26, 2008
Relevance:  gender issues in balance marriage and careers
Summary:   According to a recent survey of men and women ages 25-29 it is still more common to place the emphasis on the man’s career first. Research has also found that when couples relocate, men receive a salary boost while women often lose money.  Experts feel that men and women are still socialized into traditional gender roles and that change has been slow.  Some tips are offered such as trading places and trying to understand where the other person is coming from, switching off roles, and trying to get a package deal for both people from the company.
Questions:
1.  Do you think that men are bothered by wives who earn higher incomes than they do?  Why or why not?  What is your personal opinion?
2.  As gender roles change, do you see spouses less willing to relocate when their partner experiences a job change or do you think that gender socialization into gender-specific roles will start dominate?
Here is a link to the article.

US May Look To Lure More Au Pairs As Numbers Soar

Journalist:  Associated Press
Date:  June 25, 2008
Relevance:  child care in the U.S.
Summary:   The number of au pairs in the U.S. has continued to increase dramatically as the number of working women with preschoolers has increased.  The state department is considering raising the age limit from 26 to 30 and allowing former au pairs to return for an additional year.  Many were only allowed one year stays until this was changed in 2004.  Au pairs not only provide care for children but provide an international and cultural experience for those they care for.  While well received, the au pair program does have its skeptics.
Questions:
1.  What impact do you think this will have on daycare centers?  What does it say about the availability or quality of child care in the U.S.?
2.  Overall, do you see increasing the number of au pairs as a positive or negative thing for our society and why?
Here is a link to the article.

Is it harder to raise boys or girls?

Journalist:  Paula Spencer
Date:  June 17, 2008
Summary:  According to experts there are differences in how we handle boys and girls from birth.  Their brains aren’t wired the same.  This article examines areas such as discipline, communication, physical safety, self-esteem, and school to see which gender is harder to deal with.  For most of the areas it seems that boys are more difficult to deal with.  For example, in the area of discipline boys don’t seem to listen as well as girls.  From birth their hearing isn’t as good as girls.  Overall, there seems to be general consensus that boys are more of a handful early on and girls are more challenging in the preteen years.
Relevance:  gender differences in raising children
Questions:
1.  Did you agree or disagree with many of the gender differences that were examined in each area?
2.  In your opinion, who is harder to raise, males or females, and why?  Which gender would you prefer to parent?
Here is a link to the article.

More U.S. Firms Help Workers Adopt

Journalist:  CNN News
Date:  June 20, 2008
Summary:  Last year, 47 percent of about 1000 major U.S. companies offered financial aid for adoption.  In 1990, only 12 percent offered this aid.  Companies are doing this because it is one way to make themselves more competitive employers and to have a more family friendly image.  Interestingly, less than half of one percent of employees took advantage of adoption benefits.  In spite of the growing popularity of such benefits, many companies are still naïve regarding the struggles that many adoptive parents face such as the financial costs and the regulatory difficulties.
Relevance:   adoption and the role of employers
Questions:
1.  What were your reactions when reading this article?  Did you know that this was a benefit offered by many firms?
2.  What are the advantages for the employer in doing this?  Do you think this will give them a competitive edge when hiring?
Here is a link to the article.

For Happiness, Seek Family, Not Fortune

Journalist:    WebMD
Date:  June 19, 2008
Summary:  A new study shows that having strong family ties is a much bigger predictor of contentment than income.  A long term study was done on married adults living in the San Francisco Bay area.  Researchers say that much policy making equates a strong well-being of the nation with a strong economy.  They believe that it is important to include more psychosocial variables to understand the nations’ well being.  Other research shows that people at higher income levels report greater levels of happiness and also that those in richer countries have higher satisfaction than those in poorer countries.
Relevance:  importance of family ties and relationships
Questions:
1.  Do you think that families make enough effort to be connected with one another?  Why or why not?   How do you think that families have changed over time?
2.  Does society do enough to promote and support strong families?  What else could be done to promote these connections and to have less focus on money?
Here is a link to the article.

Rural U.S. Takes Worst Hit As Gas Tops $4 Average

Journalist:  Clifford Krauss
Date:  June 9, 2008
Summary:     Even though there are rising gas prices, some families are affected more deeply than others.  Those in the South, Southwest, and upper Great Plains are feeling a tighter squeeze on their family budgets.  These people often have to decide between food and transportation.  In the rural South there is little public transit and people don’t have a lot of choice but to drive to work.  Other businesses are also feeling the affect.  For example, local restaurants are closing because people are eating out less and stores are finding that customers are spending less money.
Relevance:  impact of the economy of working class or poor families
Questions:
1.  What are other ways that these economic factors could impact family life and relationships for poor families?
2.  Are you concerned about your economic future and how do rising costs impact the decisions that you and/or your family makes?
Here is a link to the article.

Analysis: Many judge the President by the spouse

Journalist:  Jill Dougherty
Date:  June 12, 2008
Summary:    A key decision that a would-be President makes is who they marry.  It seems that first ladies are in the spotlight and judged even though they are not elected nor are they paid.  Senators McCain and Obama have wives who come from very different backgrounds. Cindy McCain comes from a very wealthy family and her stake in the family business is estimated to be about $100 million.  Michelle Obama  was raised in a working class family but educated at Princeton and Harvard Law School. 
Relevance:  role of gender in politics
Questions:
1.  Do you agree or disagree that many judge the President by their spouse?  Do you feel that first ladies feel pressure to conform to stereotypes of being female
2.  If a female were President, how do you think her spouse would be judged compared to a male President?  What reactions do you think society would have if a Presidential candidate was single?
Here is a link to the article.

Child well-being worsens in U.S.

Journalist:  Associated Press
Date:  June 12, 2008
Summary:  The percent of underweight babies has increased to its highest rate in 40 years.  These babies are at increased risk of dying in infancy and experiencing long-term disabilities.  Well-being indicators have gotten better for teen and worse for babies.  In many indicators the U.S. ranks poorly compared to other developed countries.  In fact, in a composite index of well-being the U.S. ranked second worst out of 33 industrialized nations.  In the U.S., Mississippi ranked lowest among the states.  Additionally, child poverty increased at a time in which the economy was still doing well.
Relevance:  current status of children’s well-being in the U.S.
Questions:
1.  What are some of the reasons that well being of babies in the U.S. has declined?   Were you surprised at the findings between teens and infants and what do you think accounts for these differences?
2.  What are your thoughts about why the U.S. ranks so low on child well-being compared to other industrialized nations?
Here is a link to the article.

Clinic Treats Mental Illness by Enlisting the Family

Journalist:  Anemona Hartocollis
Date:  June 4, 2008
Summary:  At Beth Israel Medical Center a fledgling clinic is aggressively treating people with bipolar disorder by involving their family members.  This program is unique in the city and based on a model from the University of Colorado.  It is called family focused therapy and the point is to get the help of the family in managing the patient’s illness.  They have found that this therapy along with medications has allowed patients to have quicker recoveries from episodes and longer intervals of wellness.  
Relevance:  mental health and the role of families
Questions:
1.  Do you think there is still a fair amount of stigma in being diagnosed and receiving treatment for a mental illness?  If so, do you see any ways in which that might change?
2.  Why do you think that more clinics and hospitals don’t enlist the whole family in the therapy process as described in the article?
Here is a link to the article.