HI all

As an FTM what are you views, opinions and attitudes regarding work?    Do you believe that men should have a strong work ethic?   Do you think that a man should be stoic ,silent and disciplined.   Should a man happily submit to being away from home 12-13 hours a day, 5 days out of 7?   Do you buy into outdated Victorian views of men?

Do you believe you should be a homemaker? That you shouldn't work and just cook and clean 12-13 hours a day while we work?

I think everyone should have a strong work ethic. Especially if they are providing for a family. It bothers me when people complain they don't have money and wont work to get money. It also bothers me when people say they can't find a job, so they sit at home doing whatever making $0 an hour. If they live in America, there is probably 20 fast food restaurants within 5 miles of their house that are always hiring. Even if your making min wage that's about 8x better than 0 bucks an hour. I got a job as soon as I was able to. I think 60-91 hours a week is a lot. I work up to 32 hours a week, plus I'm a full time student. Often more than full time.

I think being a homemaker is a legit job. Pying child care can cost more than just staying home with them. I think it's best for the kids too.

Speaking only for myself I sometimes think that I am in part running madly in the opposite direction from the 'man in a suit' image of men that is so endemic in our society.   If work were as 'dignified', 'ennobling', and 'empowering' as people seem to think then the rich would have cornered the entire market.  You would need to literally buy your way in to a job.   £2,000 will get you a p/t job as a checkout operator.   The sum of £3500 would get you an unskilled job in a factory, and for £5000 you could become a receptionist.   It would cost £15,000 to become a policeman, and £100,000 to become a doctor, lawyer.

Society doesn't seem to offer people who aren't materialistic a way out, or at least an acceptable way out.   People like me would have become monks or nuns in past centuries.

Betrand Russell on work.

http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html

Ditto a lot of what Sharky said. We should all have a strong work ethic. In this recession, even fast food jobs are actually being fought for, but if you look hard enough and don't get uppity about your standards, work is usually findable.

I stay at home and take care of my kid. I use the time she's at school to breathe and run errands she can't be there for. I spend a significant amount of time negotiating with teachers, therapists, landlords, police, anybody whose life intersects with hers. My daughter needs me, and I don't think of what I'm doing as "woman's work." I'm doing the right thing and being dependable.

I think obligations and ethics are different for everybody, regardless of gender.

Everybody should be respectful of each other and do whatever they are able to. Nothing gender specific.

Quote from: Sharky on November 20, 2011, 04:59:58 PM
It also bothers me when people say they can't find a job, so they sit at home doing whatever making $0 an hour. If they live in America, there is probably 20 fast food restaurants within 5 miles of their house that are always hiring.

Those jobs "flipping burgers" were taken by skilled baby boomers who were fired/laid off from the jobs they most likely were intending to retire from.  Whatever low-paying, unskilled jobs aren't held by baby boomers were taken by illegal aliens who will work for less than their legal counterparts.

This is for Sharky, and Epi. I know its a humor site but the ideas make sense to me.
www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-we-ruined-occupy-wall-street-generation/

Steve Hughes has his point of view on it (watch from 7:00 til the end of the clip): Steve Hughes part 3

I don't have blanket views of what men should do or be, just what I subscribe to on a personal level.  My grandfather has always been an inspiration to me and I strive to model myself upon his example.  I have a strong work ethic and feel most useful bringing in a payday for my household.  I personally prefer hands-on work to office politics, but that's not about hemming myself into a "typical male job" - it's about what I do and don't enjoy.

Quote from: Kreuzfidel on November 20, 2011, 10:07:46 PM
I don't have blanket views of what men should do or be, just what I subscribe to on a personal level.

Same here. I don't work right now, for a multitude of reasons, so I pretty much took on the atypical "housewife" role. And honestly, I don't mind. I keep things neat around here, made sure the apartment is always up to code, and cook damn good dinners for both my partners. For me, as long as I'm doing something productive and useful, I feel fine.

no im not a fan of the outdated stereotypes women should be homemakers and men should work. i want to be very involved in my kids lives when i have kids and also i love to cook and bake which is generally considered a womens job. personally i think all people should have a strong work ethic and that men and women should do whatever they need to to provide for their family.

I agree with what some of the others have said. I believe that everyone should have a strong work ethic. I am quite okay with working two jobs to put my partner through school, which I think is the plan. I'd be okay with (in the future!) working one full time job and one part time job (if the full time one doesn't pay enough) while she stays home with our child(ren). I could do that. We've talked about it.

Even though jobs are a little rough to find, you can't just give up. If you say "oh, I couldn't find a job after looking all day...", then you need to get a slap in the face. It just really shows you someone's work ethic, in my opinion, if they aren't persistent in finding a job. It's like if it's not easy they won't do it, and that usually (in my experience) carries over into their work, should they find it.

I'd be perfectly okay with my partner deciding to work full time while I stayed home with our future adorable little demon and did all the housework. It'd be okay.

If everyone got off their butts and did some work of any kind, paid or not, then the world would be a much better place.