If you’re a breadwinner mom, you’re in trouble.

Women just can’t seem to get a break as they find themselves in hot water media again. The Pew Research Center barely released a recent study indicating 40% women are becoming the primary breadwinners of their families, before media airwaves were dueling over meaning and consequence.

Here are some of the highlights as reported in the media about the Pew report Breadwinner Moms based on US census data.

  • Since 1960, there’s been an 11% increase in women providing the primary or sole income in 40% of households with children under the age of 18
  • In households with children, 63% are single mothers
  • More women than men are earning college degrees
  • In marriages with working women, 37% earn more than their husbands
  • Higher earning married mothers increase median family income by $10,000, but only by $2,000 if the father is the higher income earner.
  • Of survey responders (demographics unspecified), 75% thought it was harder to raise children when mothers worked and approximately 50% preferred mothers being at home for children.

To give you a sense of this newest gender controversy, watch these three media news clips that aired in response to the Pew report – two from Fox News and one from MSNBC. (very entertaining)

Male conservative news commentators interpret the implications of Breadwinner Moms as undermining American society. In strong rebuttal are conservative and liberal female news commentators, who are  insightful, focus on the complexity of the issues and lead with factual research rather than opinion.

The first is from Lou Dobbs of Fox News with the male perspective.

 

Second is Fox News clashing commentator Megyn Kelly.

 

Third is Melissa Perry-Harris from MSNBC News.

http://youtu.be/_LY_07YR3Ek

Sources

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-breadwinner-moms-20130529,0,7203365.story

http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/nyc-women-weigh-in-on-study-showing-their-rise-as-family-breadwinner-1.5390166

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/05/erick-erickson-fox-business-women/65733/