HRF launches the Homemakers Project at IESE Business School | May 2014

Home Renaissance Foundation’s panel began with an introduction by HRF Director Julia Prats within the framework of sociologist Zygmunt Bauman’s statement: “There should be some legal, social and economic framework which would allow people to choose working at home as a profession”. Julia Prats introduced the challenge faced by companies when an employer sees in his or her workers an inability to tackle problems at work, which could be linked to their childhood upbringing at home.  

Marc Grau, sociologist and researcher at the University of Edinburgh, made reference first to the feeling of guilt experienced by many women, and how the battle for a more balanced life consists of being responsible in the spheres of both one’s working and personal life. Mr Grau expressed that we are experiencing a paradigm shift from the male bread-winner role into a more ‘intimate father’.  

Mey Zamora declared that she is proud of being a homemaker and said that all those who work at home should feel proud as well, stating: “we play in a premier league team”. Mrs Zamora, after beautifully describing how the house is the point of reference in the world, concluded that taking care of the home ultimately means being able to create the best conditions for a good quality of life.  

Psychiatrist Joan de Dou utilised his expertise to examine the inconsistency between the personal and family values that people possess, and the extent to which the gap between the two can cause unhappiness. The sense of guilt which comes from comparing ourselves to one another is for some women an obstacle to happiness. In his consultancy work Mr de Dou carries out cognitive behavioural therapy which is based on the acceptance of and commitment to everything that you undertake in your life. He affirmed that the values that we carry have the greatest impact on the child’s educational training, based on the concept of ‘transferrable language’, one of the theories of Dr Paulino Castells, another psychiatrist who has researched the matter.  

The panel continued with a second participation by Marc Grau, who talked about the important mission of the Public Administration on this matter. He praised the Norwegian model and the two criteria behind its policy: the children’s best interest and the right to choose whether or not to stayat home. He also commended the French model on family-friendly policy.  

Joan de Dou brought the panel’s deliberations to an end, remarking that our current tendency for workaholism could be rooted on escapism. The psychotherapy that he undertakes is based on three values: self-control, transcendental motives and solidarity. As he said, all of these values can be attained with the work that a homemaker undertakes at home.  

Mercedes Jaureguibeitia , CEO of Home Renaissance Foundation who travelled especially from London to be at the event, said that already good ties have been strengthened with IESE Business School, leading to a highly beneficial dialogue between the leading management school in Spain and Home Renaissance Foundation. IESE is the second highest ranking Executive Business School in the world according to the Financial Times 2013 Executive Education listing.  

A special thanks to Nuria Chinchilla, Director of the International Center for Work and Family, on the organisation of the event.