The Price of Motherhood, Book Review Example

A book review of “The Price of Motherhood” by Ann Crittenden

The book, “The Price of Motherhood,” is authored by Ann Crittenden. The author contends that the daily struggles that women undergo often go unrecognized. Ann Crittenden mainly addresses the society and concurs with proponents of women rights that the role that women play should indeed be lauded and appreciated throughout the society (Crittenden, p.9). This would thus ensure that women are celebrated as the most imperative contributors to the modern society’s progress. Ann Crittenden has done a lot of research on the psychology of people in relation to their perception of women in America, concentrating on the multicultural aspect of Americans which she has used in writing of the book, “The Price of Motherhood.” It is definitely a must read regardless of whether one is gender biased or not.

Ann Crittenden, in the book has also clearly illustrated how the issues that women experience affect the day to day lives of Americans. She explains how these issues affect the progress of the society. The book also explains how women and gender affect the economics of America and also the financial compensation that women deserve in exchange of taking care of children. She ironically states that she should be granted a full time job as a reward for taking care of her children and raising them in good ethical standards. This is a sentiment shared by many women across the world.

The book helped me open up my mind to the issues that affect women. She looks into the “Social Construction of Difference”. Ann Crittenden gets into the beginning of people being different. For me race is a figment of imagination. By people seeing themselves as different in that they do not deserve some things or feel like they are the owners of something then other people around them view them in exactly the same way no matter what.

Gender discrimination relating to women has placed scars in the hearts of many women. For some, it has interfered with their self confidence and the ability to stand up for what they believe in just for the fear that they are a certain race and therefore do not deserve some things. There are many organizations and slogans coined to speak out for women, for the poor and also for certain races. These are the groups that raise contentious issues affecting women and the vulnerable groups.

For a very long time, women have felt so low in the society and also may have an inbuilt belief that they are less of a people. They still carry the bitterness of discrimination with them in their day to day lives. It is a fact that our ancestors participated in the slavery atrocity back in the days. The statement “Are you saying that because I am a woman?” is very common in society whether it is at social settings, corporate settings and other institutions (Crittenden, p.27). This means that most of the society proponents are leaned towards a feeling of inferiority which leads to them always on the defense. There are inferiority feelings attached to this and relating to women.

In my view, the issue or women in relation to the economic position in society has enslaved many of them to the heights they couldn’t climb. The different psychological positions of women critics dictate where women would reach in terms of their careers and also how far they can go in terms of socializing. A people of a particular race have had stories told to them by the people who were here before them and these they hold on to, most of them making decisions on such.

The only way equality could be achieved in the different genders is when men understand succinctly the roles that women play in society. Bill Gates, President Barak Obama, The Sultan of Brunei and anyone else who has made an impact in the world believed in that something would happen in their lives as a result of their actions. It has to sink in people’s minds that gender does not determine the heights to which a person can reach.

The issue of gender is also a big determinant of the social circles that women will find themselves in. In a circle of rich women socializing, it is very difficult to find poor women in the midst. This means that gender and class determines who you will socialize with. It also dictates the places one will be seen. It is very difficult to find rich women of America venturing in the disadvantaged areas of America unless they have big projects going on in the low class areas. It should be contended that it is in these areas that poor women are neglected and their roles despised, yet they are pivotal to the progress of society.

Discrimination on the basis of gender goes on in everyday life. It is relevant that companies come up with activities that allow the female members of their staff regardless of their posts to engage in activities that are meant to make them build each other. This ensures that the women in the company improve themselves thus elevating them in terms of class and their social standing (Rothenberg, p.59). The government should also come up with tax structures to lift people of the low class to make their living in a cheaper way enabling them to make profits in their ventures. Perhaps it would be fine for the government to permit or allow tax credits or tax holidays to women as an appreciation of the role that they play in society.

By getting to read The Price of Motherhood, the issues and the history of women and gender become so much clearer and especially this particular edition where she has incorporated the latest statistics on the various discrimination groups that exist throughout America. It gives how the critics of women have different perspectives.

The way Ann Crittenden explains  gender discrimination and then goes ahead to intertwine it with class and social status serves as an eye opener to so many issues surrounding the experiences that women undergo based on the three central issues of the book; Gender, class and social status. Women groups and organizations sprung up way back in the past mid century. Women, whether of a low class or a higher class, whether African American, Hispanic, White or any other race, came out with one voice (Rothenberg, p.11). This means that there are experiences that are common across the board for women, men, African Americans, Whites, Asians, Europeans, High class, Middle class or Low class.

Ann Crittenden reveals that it is no longer a privilege to be a woman. America is getting out of that and it is small pockets of people in America that still feel that “masculinity” is a privilege. It is encouraging to read this. Ann Crittenden also explains that it does not mean that being a woman in America means that you are a victim of sexism. The beliefs people have are misconstrued (Crittenden, p.32). The journals and essays in her book support the fact that at the end of the day, it is not the race, the class or the gender to which a person belongs to but it is the beliefs of the person that determines the heights to which an individual can climb. She strongly discourages empathy and also discourages the idea of dwelling in the past. This book is thus a valuable resource in women’s study book.

Ann Crittenden has done a lot of research in articles in magazines, poetry, documents that belong to the government, articles in newspapers, scholarly analysis, first-person commentaries and also legal records. The edition has information that is rich and well researched. It is a must read and I would personally recommend it for anyone to read is as it explains the effects of class and gender on the way the society perceives women with a focus on America at the same time saying that these should not affect the psychology of the individual. Men in particular would benefit from reading the book since they would be able to change their mindset regarding how they perceive women and hence promote issues surrounding women in society.

Works Cited

Crittenden Ann. The price of motherhood: why the most important job in the world is still the least valued. Berlin: H. Holt & Co., 2001.

Rothenberg, P.S. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. 7^th ed. Cambridge: Oxford University Press, 2007.