The article was written in 1969, when most women stayed home and took care of home and children, and men were disinterested in both. It was up to women to keep the children seen and not heard. Today things are much different, and yes, most men are stepping up and being more involved at home. Often this is because women also work outside the home now, and also because "science" is becoming a social god and science says homes are healthier when men are involved with their wives and children. Things are different now than they were in 1969.
And yes, I think a lot of women do not value their own contributions...for many of us it's because men don't value our contributions. Women get their sense of importance, their sense of identity and value primarily from their husbands (I am speaking generally, but as believers, we also get this from knowing who we are in Christ). If a man devalues (overtly or by taking her for granted) his wife, she will feel devalued. So yes, for many of us, we do not value our contributions for the simple reason that our husbands don't. How many times do men thank their wives for cooking dinner or cleaning the bathroom? Yet when men do something at home, they often want recognition for it, and if they do it on a regular basis, they feel like they are being taken advantage of, being used as a maid, etc.
I am fortunate that my husband appreciates my contributions and that he shares in the housework. I am even more fortunate that his perception is not that he is being taken advantage of just because he sometimes has to do more work around here than I do. I make sure to express my gratitude for his contributions.
But this is not 1969. Back then, I could see how my mom was expected to have dinner on the table at 5:30 every day without fail, how he would come home and spend his weekend watching sports while mom had to keep us kids quiet, and how he was so removed from the home that he had no idea how to buy Christmas gifts for us - he had no idea what we liked or what was age-appropriate. Back then, dad expected home made dessert every day, and when it seemed mom had too much time on her hands, he decided she needed to tend a garden and grow our own food. Things were different when this article was written, so it would be inaccurate to suggest the article applies in its entirety today.
Back then it was very true that women did not benefit from social systems. Today we benefit more. And saying "personal is political" is true as well, because of the policies that guide what women qualify for versus what men qualify for - including social expectations. Yes, the same is true for men, but it is not recognized as such because it is men who make policies in favour of men. It's the standard, so it is okay for women to stand up and recognize that personal is political because it was not women who developed policies for women.
Article four describes locus of blame and responsibility and points out the truth that men who are feminists are (in 1969)treated as women - or the underclass. Remember how some boys were accused of "throwing like a girl" when they played ball? Same idea. And yes, it was true. But in reality, the Bible calls us to treat each other as brothers and sisters, to treat each other with respect, to consider others better than ourselves - and that is not limited to how men treat men. It includes how men are to consider their wives. So just because it is not biblical doesn't mean it does not reflect some historical and biblical truth.
