[speaker001:] You want to start?
[speaker002:] Well, I guess I would first identify myself as middle aged and therefore,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] having seen the last generation, I guess it puts me in, you know, gives me a perspective on that.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Uh, [smacks] I, am quite positive on the things that I have seen happen recently relative to women in, both in society and in the work place, uh, there's no doubt about the fact that when I was first graduated from college the impression was that a woman's career would consist of a childbearing years and perhaps a return to the office, but not necessarily. Uh, now I think the change that I've seen as much as anything is one where couples, uh, are more carefully planning their intention on how to both share homemaking duties and also how women will, uh, have their children and then deliberately sort of plan how they go back to the work place.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And I guess that's a significant change that I've both participated in an-, and noticed.
[speaker001:] I agree, uh, the equality of, uh, the roles now between the sexes, I guess has been dramatically demonstrated with this war, especially compared with, uh, the Vietnam war and you see women going off to wars as well as men.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Uh, I have wondered why they allowed, or let, you know, both the father and mother go, uh, and the children are left without either parent. Now to me that's kind of a drawback. But, uh, I guess it's a price you pay. And I also wonder about the children that are being brought up in the, uh, uh, day care centers.
[speaker002:] Wonder about them in what way?
[speaker001:] Well, uh, from what I understand there's been studies that, uh, these children are, uh, more rebellious. Uh, they term it as more, uh, creative.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] But, uh, that they, uh, are much more contentious. So, I, I don't, I, I guess we'll have to see another generation to see what differences a child being brought up, you know, in a, uh, kind of a, uh, community,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] rather than a home.
[speaker002:] I have not, to be honest, had much experience,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] with children in that situation. I, I guess one knows one's own storly and I know, uh, in my children's case it was one where, uh, pretty much up until the older of two was in, uh, let's see, I guess basically starting junior high and the younger was in fifth grade when my wife reentered the work force.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Uh [throat clearing],
[speaker001:] So they,
[speaker002:] so I guess my experience is, is just with what we did and, and so they didn't really go through the child care route.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] They were able to be home together. Uh, and we never actually experienced that. What, in terms of changes relative to women in the work place and the potential changes over the, the next generation or so, I guess I anticipate, uh, an increasing equality, uh, greater presence of women in management roles
[speaker001:] Uh-huh, uh-huh.
[speaker002:] uh, I don't know whether there will be an increased amount of, of surrogacy that we see. I just don't know.
[speaker001:] What do you mean?
[speaker002:] Uh, deliberate childbirth by surrogate mother.
[speaker001:] Oh, yeah.
[speaker002:] Sort of rent-a-mom, to be, you know,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] not to be crass about it, but, uh,
[speaker001:] That's strange.
[speaker002:] uh, whether one might conceive, [LAUGHTER] no pun intended, of the possibility that there might be a kind of a deliberate, uh, uh
[speaker001:] A nanny, sort of?
[speaker002:] a professional mother, a-,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] person.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] For instance, that, and I could, you know, I could envision a society where that would happen and make an interesting, uh, uh, story or whatever.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] I, I don't think I have a philosophical problem with that. In fact, I think it sort of raises nurturing and being a mother to what it ought to be which is a respected profession.
[speaker001:] That's right, that's right.
[speaker002:] Uh, I, I don't have a, other than, than a reading and, and male perspective on, on the ver-, on the biological urges involved relative to being a mother or not. Uh, I know that, that my sense is that I have very much an interest and had one in being a parent. I, I don't know that I, uh, felt myself necessarily encumbered with the necessity to have heirs.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Uh, I don't have boys, that doesn't, didn't bother me, never has. Vision more women deliberately raising children either in surrogacy or, or as a professional nanny, nanny as you put it, uh.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Maybe we'll see a growth in that where someone makes a career out of, say, taking care of five or six children as opposed to day care.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh, uh-huh.
[speaker002:] It would be a sort of day care, but it would be more of a family setting.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] Uh, I know that there are young people, characterized, I guess as being half my age, so that by definition that means,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh, uh-huh.
[speaker002:] they're young. Uh, that, in my work place, who are both of them earning rather decent professional salaries who probably would consider paying a woman, uh, eight or nine or ten thousand dollars a year to take care of their child,
[speaker001:] To come in and live with them?
[speaker002:] I could easily envision that. Pardon?
[speaker001:] To come in and live with them?
[speaker002:] Or to put their child into a s-, into a home setting,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] where they would, you know, like they, they would get, leave at eight in the morning and, and drop a two year old off in a home where you knew there were going to be four other kids and,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and you were paying for really high quality care.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] Uh, I have acquaintances of mine where I know that they are paying figures on, on the order of what I quoted to someone, because that's what the experience they want and I would imagine if there are more of people like that with an opportunity that, that's a possibility of a change
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] that we could see in the next few years.
[speaker001:] And then you might have more control over, uh, the, the morals that they would be taught rather than in like a classroom or a day care center.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh, uh-huh.
[speaker001:] I know the day care centers are not cheap either. You know they're,
[speaker002:] I haven't ever really looked at them. Are you aware at all,
[speaker001:] Uh, well, no,
[speaker002:] of, of what they would, what they cost?
[speaker001:] I just know, I know several single mothers who absolutely can't afford it. They have to go with the, a single, uh, wh-, I mean a baby-sitter more, more or less.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] But I think it's like, about sixty dollars a week for two children
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] if I'm not mistaken. And you have to pay that whether you're on vacation, you know, and taking care of the children or if the children are at home, at home,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] sick. I mean, that is, you know, just a, a rate that you have to pay and, uh,
[speaker002:] What, what do you envision for the next twenty years as far as women in American society?
[speaker001:] Uh, [pause] I think, I really don't have a vision [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] That's okay, too.
[speaker001:] Yeah, I, I, I think that they will be more in the work place because, uh, the door's open.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] And, uh, it's just human nature to walk through an open door. So, and I would be glad to see that. I hope I don't see a lot more single moms, but,
[speaker002:] .
[speaker001:] i-, it seems in my experience I'm running across single women all the time.
[speaker002:] I'm, I'm noticing that, too, and, and I notice the, the, a terming ex-, em-, emerging called solo parents,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] that I'm very aware of the number of solo mothers that, that I encounter in the work place, and that, that is a little troublesome.
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker002:] Uh, because the pressures on them are, are,
[speaker001:] It's awful.
[speaker002:] rather, rather formidable.
[speaker001:] Yeah [faint].
[speaker002:] Uh, and maybe that's a change we'll see. Maybe, uh, the possibility of, of women, uh, who deliberately say, no, we'll let the man will take care of the children perhaps,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] in the event of a separation or whatever.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] So,
[speaker001:] Well, I think we've done it [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Well, I think we're about done. Okay.
[speaker001:] Thank you very much.
[speaker002:] Uh, good-bye.
[speaker001:] It's been interesting.
[speaker002:] You take care.
[speaker001:] Okay.
[speaker002:] Bye.
[speaker001:] Bye.