Panelists discuss men's roles in the changing nature of work and family life

Participants in the New Paradigm symposium session March 16 in New York City are, from left, back row: Francine Moccio, director of the Institute for Women and Work; author James Levine; Mary Ellen Courtney, president of the National Women's Political Caucus, New York state; Dana Friedman, senior adviser with Bright Horizons Family Solutions; and front row: Paul Cole, secretary-treasurer, New York State AFL-CIO; and Betty Friedan, Cornell distinguished visiting professor. Briana Barocas

By Briana Barocas

A discussion titled "The Changing Nature of Work and Family Life: A Focus on Men," held March 16 at the Cornell Conference Center in New York City as part of the New Paradigm symposium series, generated lively discussion and debate.

The event was sponsored by the Ford Foundation, Cornell's Institute for Women and Work and the New York State AFL-CIO. More than 80 people attended, including a number of Cornell alumni, scholars, labor representatives, people from the business community, students and advocates.

Betty Friedan, distinguished visiting professor at the Institute for Women and Work and director of the New Paradigm Project, joined a panel of experts including: Paul Cole, secretary-treasurer of the New York State AFL-CIO; Dana Friedman, senior advisor at Bright Horizons Family Solutions; Betty Holcomb, author of Not Guilty: The Good News About Working Mothers; and James Levine, author of Working Fathers: New Strategies for Balancing Work and Family. Francine Moccio, director of the Institute for Women and Work, moderated the discussion.

Following welcoming remarks from Ann Martin, associate dean and director of extension at Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cole gave an overview of the issue from a labor and union perspective.

Cole made the point that "workers are human beings that have lives and responsibilities apart from their responsibilities as workers." He argued that issues such as pay equity, child care and elder care have a significant impact on men as well as women. Said Cole, "Unions are on the front line through collective bargaining, legislation and political action to improve the quality of life as well as to create conditions in which families can survive and prosper outside the workplace."

Friedman presented a corporate viewpoint on the issue. She noted the important changes in terminology in recent years from "work and family" to "work and life," which is more inclusive. She also pointed out that so many policies and procedures are designed to keep the family out of the workplace so the spillover from home doesn't come into the workplace. However, she said, "the spillover from the workplace to home is three times as great than the spillover of the home into the workplace." Friedman said that companies can't do it all and that "the government had to be more involved and create much more of an infrastructure of social services" to support a reasonable work-life balance.

Levine pointed out that until recently, "work and family" has meant "working mothers." According to Levine, "We focus on mothers and exclude fathers to the detriment of mothers, fathers and kids." He noted that in our society, people "really want men to share," but at the same time there is a belief that "we really can't trust them."

Holcomb described herself as the voice of "frustration, doom and gloom." She said she believes that "focusing on men is necessary and important, but we have to keep our eyes on the prize -- a shift in power."

She argued that what really needs to be discussed is "real institutional change to meet the needs of today's families, and not about gender." It is a "power issue and we need to start holding people in power accountable," she said.

Friedan said she doesn't believe the nature of work and family should be a gender issue, but she believes it is "a movement issue, and the next step requires restructuring of work and restructuring of roles within the family and above all, a new approach to child care."

Friedan noted that "there has never been the movement energy behind the demand of equal parenting." She said this movement energy has to come from women and men, and "there has to be choice - there has to be good forms of child care."