Karen mentioned this article off the TIME Newsfeed: Meet the “Selfless” Women of the “Stay-at-Home Daughters Movement”.
There are two interesting links mentioned in the article to additional articles. The first one is to a very well-written article at B*tch Magazine: House Proud – The troubling rise of stay-at-home daughters. Don’t be put off by the magazine name. It is a very well done and interesting article on this movement.
The other article is at Jezebel Magazine: The Women of the Stay-at-Home Daughters Movement. Not as in-depth as the first, but still an interesting read. And as you might expect, the comments are also interesting. 😀
Sigh.
I don’t run in these circles, so maybe I just don’t get it. But last time I checked, a good place to meet a husband who will be able to support your desire to stay home full-time if you should want that (not the only place, but a good place nevertheless) is, uh, college.
Oh yeah, and if you can get a degree in something that you can fall back on should your dreams of SAH-wifedom crud out, bonus.
So far I have only read the first article, but it brought up something that I’ve been thinking about lately. I’ve been a little baffled by the concept of what I call the “over-submissiveness” within this movement. Granted, I don’t read the blogs, so this is based only upon a handful of reading I’ve done over the years. But it seems to me to conflict with what we see in Proverbs 31, of this really capable woman whose husband completely trusts in her. This concern that every single small action have the husband’s individual stamp of approval seems to conflict with the idea of simply being the kind of woman he can trust.
Also, even though I can see biblically how a case might be built for women staying under the protection of their fathers (in the sense of physical and financial protection), I really don’t see how that translates into the life of an unmarried daughter being one of “furthering her father’s vision.” In I Corinthians 7, Paul gives his opinions on the benefit (to the Church) of remaining unmarried. What he says about unmarried women is this:
It seems that Paul made the assumption that unmarried daughter’s were completely devoted to the Lord, not to their fathers (or anyone else). Now, granted, I can see how families have ministries, and daughters are still passionate about them after they turn 18. That is definitely a way of being devoted to the Lord. But what I have read seems to say that this is biblically required of unmarried daughters, and I just don’t see it in Scripture. Paul makes it clear that the priorities of a married woman are completely different than that of an unmarried woman. In trying to make unmarried daughters act toward their fathers in the way that married women act toward their husbands, there becomes a denial Paul’s assertion of this precious time in which a woman is completely devoted to doing the will of the Lord.
Oh my goodness. First article was great. I can hardly read this stuff anymore because it gets my bloodpressure up so high. I’m certainly a homeschool advocate, a conservative and family-first lady.
But I’m not ready to go back to petticoats and turn over my voter registration card or anything like that.
I actually think what bothers me most about VF and their “materials” is how they really re-write history to make slavery look nice, and make feminism the ultimate breakdown of society—meanwhile marketing toy guns and weapons to young boys. It baffles.
I’m sure some people wonder why in the world I keep posting links like this. I’ve observed enough and been indirectly impacted enough by this topic that I just have to. My heart breaks for those young girls and women being kept at home against their will. I realize there are some who are truly happy being at home indefinitely. More power to them if that is truly what they want. But there are too many young women being robbed of their education opportunities, spiritual opportunities and life in general. It has made me weep to think what these women are taught to think about themselves and God. That God does not speak to them except through a father or husband.
Brandy – Excellent insights. Thank you!