WHO SAYS THE MAN HAS TO BE THE BREAD WINNER?

   In more and more families, it's Mom who greases the wheels of economic
progress.  Even though they are still paid less than men in comparable
positions (78 cents on the dollar), women have made tremendous gains in the
workplace during the past generation.  Most women now expect to spend at
least a part of their adult lives working and, more than ever, women are
preparing themselves for professional careers. Over half of both college
and MBA graduates are now female.  The medical and legal professions are
heading that way, too.

   What does it mean for the American family when the wife/mother changes her
priorities?  Of course, women have held jobs for decades now.  But a career
is more demanding than a job.  Higher pay usually means higher levels of
dedication and expectation.  And the workplace's gain is the family's loss,
at least in terms of time and energy applied.  We are used to absent fathers
and we have seen the damage done to children's self-confidence, academic
prowess and relationship skill development when Dad's not around much. But
what does it mean to have Mom away from home as much as Dad was before?  I
don't think we know the answer to that yet.

   Twenty-five percent of people responding to a Newsweek poll believe it's a
bad idea for wives to be the major wage earner in a family.  Certainly, it
means that Mom's not home like she was before. Can Dads fill the gap?
They'll have to try. This is not a trend that's going away any time soon.
With rampant downsizing in the manufacturing sector, many white-collar men
have lost their high paying positions. Women are picking up the slack. 
That's bound to change the American family in a big way.