The commodificaiton of value
Rick, the study itself is flawed from the start when it specifically trys to value how much a stay home mother, rather than a stay home parent would earn.
Don't agree. Motherhood, and fatherhood, are [still] real things of value.
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5/07/2006
The commodificaiton of value
Lindsay Mitchell and Red Confectionery have both made mention of a US study reported on Stuff. I think they're lawyers, or something. They're seeking to put a dollar valuation on motherhood.
NEW YORK: A fulltime stay-at-home mother would earn $US134,121 ($NZ212,250) a year if paid for all her work, an amount similar to a top US ad executive, a marketing director or a judge, according to a study released on Wednesday.
Things like this are, in my mind, pretty stupid. A hypothetical second-guessing of the market value of a mother is next to meaningless. I say "next to" only because sticking dollar values on things like this does at least make you think about what we value.
As a fan of Adam Smith and Ayn Rand I naturally think that Motherhood, and love itself, is a commodity. And there is an appropriate currency for this. However, dollars ain't it.
In the philosophy of Ayn Rand every value, motherhood for example, has a set of corresponding virtues. Some values, by way of example, are honesty, pride, justice, rationality, independence. These sorts of things are the currency of motherhood. As well as leading people to a good life these virtues are distinct rewards, pleasures. By these qualities people can evaluate what's really giving value in each of our lives, what really makes motherhood (and just living itself) worth our while.
I once began writing a little 'book of virtues' that would match our many roles to the values and virtues that constituted them. Never quite got around to doing that yet though, but I was inspired by economist George Reisman who, in one of his books, offered such a list for the role of a scientist.
The values of a scientist- reason, observation, truth, honesty, integrity, freedom of inquiry.
Ayn Rand has done this for the values of man, ie of a human being, in her novel Atlas Shrugged...
Values for man- integrity, independence, rationality, justice, honesty, productivness, pride.
Being a mother, under this Aristotelian virtue ethic framework, is a happy and life-fulfilling mixture of values. Motherhood is a value itself, and the sum of lesser values that, together, constitute this role some women choose. What might they be, and why?
The right answer to these questions will show us the currency motherhood deals in. Just as the currency of the New Zealand dollar can buy and sell, so can motherhood be bought and sold. Children, friends, husbands, and other family don't pay with money though. They pay with their respect and their love and with the currency of family values- to the profit of all. If they did not it would hardly be worthwhile to be a mother, she should liquidate and move on. No amount of being tipped petty cash or put on a wage from her "client friends" and "client family" could possibly substitute. It's just the wrong currency.
This study's parameters completely missrepresent motherhood, and the stay-at-home mother, by attempting such monetary enumeration. All, I suspect, at the bidding of divorce lawyers in the service of homologous mothers.
NEW YORK: A fulltime stay-at-home mother would earn $US134,121 ($NZ212,250) a year if paid for all her work, an amount similar to a top US ad executive, a marketing director or a judge, according to a study released on Wednesday.
Things like this are, in my mind, pretty stupid. A hypothetical second-guessing of the market value of a mother is next to meaningless. I say "next to" only because sticking dollar values on things like this does at least make you think about what we value.
As a fan of Adam Smith and Ayn Rand I naturally think that Motherhood, and love itself, is a commodity. And there is an appropriate currency for this. However, dollars ain't it.
In the philosophy of Ayn Rand every value, motherhood for example, has a set of corresponding virtues. Some values, by way of example, are honesty, pride, justice, rationality, independence. These sorts of things are the currency of motherhood. As well as leading people to a good life these virtues are distinct rewards, pleasures. By these qualities people can evaluate what's really giving value in each of our lives, what really makes motherhood (and just living itself) worth our while.
I once began writing a little 'book of virtues' that would match our many roles to the values and virtues that constituted them. Never quite got around to doing that yet though, but I was inspired by economist George Reisman who, in one of his books, offered such a list for the role of a scientist.
The values of a scientist- reason, observation, truth, honesty, integrity, freedom of inquiry.
Ayn Rand has done this for the values of man, ie of a human being, in her novel Atlas Shrugged...
Values for man- integrity, independence, rationality, justice, honesty, productivness, pride.
Being a mother, under this Aristotelian virtue ethic framework, is a happy and life-fulfilling mixture of values. Motherhood is a value itself, and the sum of lesser values that, together, constitute this role some women choose. What might they be, and why?
The right answer to these questions will show us the currency motherhood deals in. Just as the currency of the New Zealand dollar can buy and sell, so can motherhood be bought and sold. Children, friends, husbands, and other family don't pay with money though. They pay with their respect and their love and with the currency of family values- to the profit of all. If they did not it would hardly be worthwhile to be a mother, she should liquidate and move on. No amount of being tipped petty cash or put on a wage from her "client friends" and "client family" could possibly substitute. It's just the wrong currency.
This study's parameters completely missrepresent motherhood, and the stay-at-home mother, by attempting such monetary enumeration. All, I suspect, at the bidding of divorce lawyers in the service of homologous mothers.
posted by Rick #
8:15:00 PM 
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Rick, the study itself is flawed from the start when it specifically trys to value how much a stay home mother, rather than a stay home parent would earn.
Don't agree. Motherhood, and fatherhood, are [still] real things of value.
I take it your poor teenage mind has been boggled into thinking in terms of "guardiens" and "partners" and the sort of mentality that rips the word 'father' right out of the legislation.
I take it your poor teenage mind has been boggled into thinking in terms of "guardiens" and "partners" and the sort of mentality that rips the word 'father' right out of the legislation.
Rick, I have to disagree with you on this one. This is one of the few times I can recall disagreeing with you on anything. Fatherhood and Motherhood are certainly not interchangeable when it comes to biology (not yet anyway, maybe with biotech even that can change.) But after the birth and breastfeeding (which is far healthier for the child than formula) parts of parenting are over, a man is certainly physically capable of doing the job of homemaker and the mother is certainly able to join the rat race and bring home the cash. It has been argued by some conservative commentators that a mother in today’s Western society have more flexibility than today’s fathers. Perhaps that is true, but if it is true, it is only because of the social stigma some find attached to being a stay-at-home-father. I am not one of those mushy modern liberals and I am certainly not what you would call a “feminist” but I do think it is possible (after breastfeeding is over) for either parent to fill the rolls traditionally assigned to “mothers” or “fathers.”
Yours in liberty,
Ryan the Yankee
Yours in liberty,
Ryan the Yankee
# posted
by 
: 5/09/2006 11:50 AM
: 5/09/2006 11:50 AM
My Objectivism compells me to disagree, Ryan.
I bought The Age newspaper here in Melbourne yesterday and had to laugh. They have the policy of using the title \"actor\" for males and females. Yet covering the Logies (local Oscars) they had to report about things like \"Best Actress\" award.
What idiotic juxtapositions ensued!
There is such a thing as masculinity and femininity; actors and actresses; mothers and fathers. Though, clearly, this ancient concept is under great threat.
I bought The Age newspaper here in Melbourne yesterday and had to laugh. They have the policy of using the title \"actor\" for males and females. Yet covering the Logies (local Oscars) they had to report about things like \"Best Actress\" award.
What idiotic juxtapositions ensued!
There is such a thing as masculinity and femininity; actors and actresses; mothers and fathers. Though, clearly, this ancient concept is under great threat.
that juxtaposition word can you explicate that Rick, you been to some fancy Oz school .. now the fathers in NZ have started standing outside the judges home here, and the chief poofter Boshier judge says it won't work, well fuckem it does, its the only thing that will work, men have been fighting since the sixties for equality on this issue .. marilyn waring Mp Raglan NZ in 1980's wrote a good book called
'Counting for nothing'
I stayed at home brought up the nipper ....most useful work ever dude, wouldn't like to quantify it,
'Counting for nothing'
I stayed at home brought up the nipper ....most useful work ever dude, wouldn't like to quantify it,
# posted
by : 5/09/2006 11:41 PM
: 5/09/2006 11:41 PM
Filipino maid - $600NZD a month. Pays for her own food at the weekends, never asks for presents, never complains.
That's the value of a stay at home mummy.
Sorry chaps. Had this argument before.
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That's the value of a stay at home mummy.
Sorry chaps. Had this argument before.
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