Twelve women explore these questions while discussing the lenses of work, parenting and more.
Almost every day in Times Opinion, my colleagues and I are kicking around ideas for our new series of focus groups — big arguments we want to explore, different demographic groups we'd like to convene, specific questions we're trying to refine. What about a focus group on book banning and free speech? Or one about religion in society today? And if we held a focus group in Maricopa County, Ariz., whom would we want to gather and what topics would we ask them to discuss? This brainstorming and "blue-skying" process is invigorating and inspiring — sometimes, an angle for a focus group becomes a prompt to a writer for a guest essay, or the conversation in a focus group informs an editorial or an Opinion podcast episode. |
For our new, fifth focus group this year, we wanted to explore how work, marriage, parenthood and competing demands and pressures have evolved in our society and culture in recent years. We decided to delve into these topics with one subset of Americans: in this case, women in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Their backgrounds differ in many ways, as do their politics (six voted for Biden in 2020, four for Donald Trump, and two for someone else). But all of them see gender as a defining aspect of their lives: It influences their experiences at work and at home, affects how they think about their career options and relationship choices, and shapes how they think about the words "husband," "wife" and "parent." |
The edited transcript of the focus group was published this morning, along with the full audio and some video clips. The conversation about how these Americans see themselves and society, including how they relate to movements like feminism and #MeToo, was illuminating. The purpose of these focus groups is to listen to and understand the opinions of more Americans whose voices often aren't heard at length. |
Future focus groups will continue to feature cross-sections of Americans, including an all-male group this spring. I'd welcome your feedback on the focus groups, including any suggestions for topics, places and demographic groups you'd like to hear from. I can be reached at pdh@nytimes.com. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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