Breadwinner Moms Response

(a)

The “Breadwinner Moms” include two distinct groups made up of about 5 million married mothers who have higher incomes compared to their husbands and about 8 million single mothers. The former category makes up for about 37% while the latter is about 63% of all mothers as the primary or sole provider. In the two categories, the income gap is significantly large. The median total family income for married mothers earning more than their spouses was more than $80000 in 2011 compared to a national median of about $57100 for families with children. Families led by a single mother averaged $23000. For married mothers making more than the husbands, the statistics reveal that they are likely to be older, white, and college educated. By contrast, single mothers are younger, likely from the Hispanic and Black ethnic groups, and less likely to be college educated.

(b)

In my opinion, the growth of Breadwinner Moms as group since the 1960s represents economic progress for all women. From 1960 to 2011, the percentage based on households with children under age 18 has changed from 10.8% to 40.4% for married mothers as the primary provider while the figures for single mothers have risen from 7.3% to 25.3%. this is an indication that women have steadily been on a curve of earning more. The same figures also point out to the factors relating to stratification, institutional sexism, and racism. Young black women are more likely to be single mothers, significantly earning less compared to white, college educated, married mothers. Institutional racism and sexism emerge as the public is less concerned by the emerging trend of single mothers, who primarily include young black and Hispanic women, who are less likely to have college education.

Does the increase in “breadwinner moms” point to a trend in the society where women have more family responsibility?