Media BiasJames Robertson
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...There are many under-3's in shared care (day nurseries, child
minders) either because the State will not subsidize the family
or because (more difficult to bring to rational discussion) even
women in the psychological and social science professions may
push aside their knowledge of the importance of continuity of
care for their young children in order to get on with their
careers - putting their young children for substantial parts of
the day in the care of others, then employing familiar
rationalizations to show that what is convenient for them cannot
be bad for their children. I think this is one of the sources of
ambivalence within the professions about making an absolute
priority of providing for the emotional needs of infants and
young children... We believe from experience that considerable influence is exerted by professional women working in television and other media who wish to work and have therefore to share their children; and that even in progressive mental health and pro-child movements this often unconscious factor can lead to something short of total commitment to putting first the emotional needs of children when very young... But of course all is not gloom. There are many, many young mothers who although with university degrees contentedly look after their young children - knowing this is not a lifetime chore, but for a few years only after which they will gradually return to work. And there are many such, quietly getting on with parenting in company with their husbands - but of course not hitting the headlines since they are not fighting for 'rights'...
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