When host Julie Kohler became a mom, a community of care sprouted up around her. The people who showed up to support her and her family were essential -- and they would be whether or not she was a single mom. All season, we've dissected the institution of marriage in the US. But what are we missing when talk only about marriage? For the final episode of this season, we're asking what the future of family could look like if marriage wasn't the ideal. We're talking to people who have created netwo...
Jul 18, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 6
We’ve spent a lot of time this season investigating the current marriage panic. The pro-marriage crew is sounding alarm bells that if we don’t start marrying, and quit divorcing, things in the U.S. will only get worse. But our theory on this show is that the path to stability and happiness actually leads in the opposite direction. What if we could look beyond our shores, at a country that was taking a very different approach? This episode, we’re visiting Denmark: One of the countries that consis...
Jul 11, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 5
In 1969, California Governor Ronald Reagan signed the country's first no-fault divorce bill into law. Since then, Americans have been able to leave their marriages without having to prove their spouse committed any wrongdoing. But now, there's a growing movement on the right to make ending a marriage much harder. This week, host Julie Kohler digs into this current attack on no-fault divorce — and rolls back the clock to explore the "Wild West" of American divorce laws that existed before. Hosted...
Jul 03, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In 1965, a government report on Black families that was never supposed to be public leaked... and permanently influenced how our country thought about marriage, poverty, and personal responsibility. It was called the Moynihan Report. The report affirmed the belief that family structure – specifically, families headed by single mothers – caused people to be poor. This week, host Julie Kohler traces the roots and repercussions of the Moynihan report, and why the solutions to the issues it puts for...
Jun 27, 2024•27 min•Season 5Ep. 3
The idea that marriage is a fundamental, American institution isn’t just a cultural one – it has serious economic and legal implications. For most of its history, the U.S. has used marriage as a vessel to confer privilege and status onto some people, while marginalizing others. This week, our host, Julie Kohler, takes us on a historical marriage tour to examine how marriage achieved its exalted status, and how it became a tool – one that creates order, defines cultural norms, and maintains hiera...
Jun 20, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Maybe you’ve noticed it -- we're in the midst of a moral panic about marriage. Pundits and politicians have become awfully concerned that people are marrying later, and less often. That a growing number of adults are living alone, without a spouse or partner. That divorce remains relatively common. That many women are having and raising kids as single mothers. Now, conservatives waxing poetic about family values is hardly new. But this is more than just hand-wringing with a microphone -- these f...
Jun 13, 2024•27 min•Season 5Ep. 1
This season, we're diving into the hallowed institution of marriage. We want to know why so many people are getting so whipped up over the ways that Americans are — or are not — forming relationships and building families. Why marriage is becoming, once again, the catch-all policy solution for all of our country's challenges. And what becomes possible when we broaden our imaginations around what relationships can look like. We'll go beyond the rosy sheen of love and commitment and expose the dar...
Jun 07, 2024•3 min
Organizing around motherhood works. It can activate women politically by helping them tap into a powerful identity. But maternal activism can also have some unintended consequences that don't advance justice. So in the final episode of the season, we're asking this season’s guests: should the left still be playing into maternalist politics? Or can we evolve beyond it — to a kind of politics that focuses on values, not a fixed identity, and makes space for all caregivers? This season's cover art ...
Apr 12, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Much of the motherhood activism that is lifted up in our politics portrays women in a certain way: as uniquely moral, even apolitical, actors who were compelled to take action because they fear for their children’s safety. It’s a myth that's highly racially coded and obscures the realities of motherhood. The truth? Motherhood is political. Moms are political. And when we start acknowledging that and centering the most marginalized moms in our activism — their needs and experiences — we end up bu...
Apr 05, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 5
The political identity of "mother" is not owned by the right. There's also a rich history of mothers working to advance progressive change. Yet the framing of much of this activism—a mother spurred to action when awakened to a threat to her child's safety—remains grounded in an image of motherhood that is riddled with race and class privilege. Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, began her activism journey as a stay-at-home suburban mom of five who felt compelled to fight for common...
Mar 29, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In the summer of 2022, Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, flew to Texas to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Onstage, his tirades against immigration, gender studies, and LGBTQ rights were met with roars of approval. Orban has made it his mission to codify traditional family values into law—and dismantle democracy in the process. American conservatives are taking note. And paving the way for these extremist policies is a group of social media "momfluencers" touti...
Mar 22, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Moms for Liberty didn't appear out of thin air. They're building on a long history of white, conservative women who, for decades, have used their motherhood as a tool for political credibility. And it all started in 1960s California, where thousands of middle-class moms transformed into suburban warriors and helped build the modern-day conservative movement. This season's cover art features a photograph by Jonathan Wilkins. White Picket Fence is supported by Planned Parenthood. For more informat...
Mar 15, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In the fall of 2020, a group of mothers gathered around a kitchen table. They were concerned that public school administrators were making decisions about their children's health and education that overstepped their bounds. It felt like they were losing control over their kids. So they decided to band together and fight for their parental rights. Pretty compelling, right? It's hard to argue with moms. The GOP knows that. And that's why they've weaponized our reverence for motherhood by propping ...
Mar 08, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 1
The image of mothers — particularly white suburban mothers — has always carried a lot of weight in American politics. But why? This season, we’re exploring the political potency of motherhood. We'll investigate how right-wing groups like Moms for Liberty are making headlines by calling for classroom restrictions on discussions of race, gender, and sexuality. Their agenda is harmful, but their methods have proven effective. And we’re investigating how progressive moms can harness the power of mot...
Feb 22, 2023•2 min
Although the Build Back Better Act could not deliver on all the care economy issues, there is still reason for hope. With a bipartisan oriented strategy, some of these issues can still get through the House and the Senate – universal pre-k being one of those. On our final episode of the series, Jenny and Julie are joined by Representative Kathy Manning to discuss the importance of universal pre-k and what the future holds for care infrastructure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...
Mar 29, 2022•40 min•Season 3Ep. 4
The American child care system is full of contradiction. For individual families, care costs keep rising. But many caregivers are barely paid a living wage. The Build Back Better Act would have been the first federal intervention in this sector in fifty years. Without it, this broken cycle continues. On today’s crossover episode with Women belong in the House, Jenny and Julie are joined by Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark to discuss the precarious state of our care economy. Hosted on Acast. See...
Mar 22, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 3
The need to take family or medical leave touches every American. Yet, despite overwhelming popularity, the U.S. stands alone as the only industrialized nation without paid leave. In this crossover episode, Jenny and Julie are joined by Representative Lauren Underwood to unpack why America continues to lag behind and the ongoing political fight around this crucial issue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 15, 2022•40 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this new season of Women belong in the House x White Picket Fence, we’re examining America’s caregiving crisis. In our first episode, Jenny and Julie explore the child tax credit with one of its longtime supporters -- Rep. Rosa DeLauro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 08, 2022•34 min•Season 3Ep. 1
White Picket Fence is continuing our conversation around the caregiving crisis, this time, with the help of another WMN show: Women belong in the House. Catch Julie on new episodes of Women belong in the House discussing the critical caregiving policies that we still hope could pass in Congress. Check out Women belong in the House Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 01, 2022•58 sec•Season 2Ep. 8
So many things came together that could have made this moment different. The ascendance of a new progressive economics. A more intersectional gender justice movement. Greater numbers of women political leaders. Multi-racial organizing that is centering women of color and making caregiving a central political issue. But once again, a handful of politicians have prioritized personal success over the well-being of the many. In our final episode of the season, we're honoring the work that brought th...
Dec 21, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 7
When it comes to the failure of the 1971 Comprehensive Childcare Development Act, it's easy to point a finger at conservatives. But that's not the whole story. This week, join host Julie as she dives into the battle between care feminism and career feminism, and how the winner of that match up has impacted women's right advocacy for the last 50 years. If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, experiences,...
Dec 14, 2021•26 min•Season 2Ep. 6
This week, Julie dives deep into the economic ideology that arose alongside social conservatism and prevented public investments in care. We’ll break down what “neoliberalism” is and what the rise of it has meant for family life -- how the mix of low taxes, deregulation, and privatization has made family life more economically precarious for the vast majority of Americans. If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your question...
Dec 07, 2021•33 min•Season 2Ep. 5
How did the U.S. become a society that treats caregiving as a private family responsibility rather than a public good? In this episode, Julie explores the longstanding and continued role racism has played in preventing investments in public goods that would benefit everyone, including caregiving. We’ll also do a deep dive into the 1970s when the U.S. nearly invested in universal childcare -- and how fear was deployed to block it. If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about i...
Nov 30, 2021•26 min•Season 2Ep. 4
This week, host Julie Kohler travels back to the mid-20th century to examine the creation of the “traditional” nuclear family — a myth only made possible through the exploitation of Black women’s domestic labor — and how the family values and nostalgia of this era continue to exist in today’s debate over “caring economy” policies. If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, experiences, and get a chance to ...
Nov 23, 2021•26 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic became a global health crisis. But from it bore a whole set of complementary crises: an economic crisis and a caregiving crisis. The pandemic erased more than 30 years of gains in women’s labor force participation, while simultaneously leaving women to shoulder the majority of the family responsibilities. But the conditions for these crises existed long before COVID-19 hit American shores. How exactly did we get here? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...
Nov 16, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome to season 2 of White Picket Fence. We're investigating the caregiving crisis that has left millions of Americans —including our host Julie Kohler, a single mom — on the verge of cracking. Raising kids is challenging enough. Why does it have to be this hard? If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, experiences, and get a chance to be featured on the show. Check out our website, www.wondermedianetw...
Nov 01, 2021•7 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In two weeks, we're launching a new season of White Picket Fence. This season, we're diving into the childcare crisis. In the meantime, we want to hear from you! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, experiences, and get a chance to be featured on the show. Check out our website, www.wondermedianetwork.com/white-picket-fence , for more information. Season 2 coming on Nov 1. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 12, 2021•1 min
To join a multiracial movement for women's equity, check out Supermajority . To join an online community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, GALvanize USA , or "Suburban Housewives" Against Trump . White Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 23, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 6
White Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. To join a multiracial movement for women's equity, check out Supermajority . To join a community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, National Domestic Workers Alliance , or ISAIAH/Faith in Minnesota. To learn more about the ongoing fight for gender justice, check out the National Women's Law Center. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Dec 16, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 5
White Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. To join an online community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, GALvanize USA , or Red, Wine and Blue . Read up on the organizing movements sweeping across middle America , and the history of women's anger. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 09, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 4
