Key Concepts for Who Should Work (Outside the Home)
UPDATED SINCE PRESENTATION******
Within the textbook, work is defined as 'how people in the culture gain purchasing power and the status that comes with that'.
The main argument of this
portion of Chapter 9 argues through a critical gendered lens directed at
organizational communication, work-family dilemmas that are prevalent in
today’s society is not to be blamed on ‘individual problems’ or ‘private
choices’. Rather, it blames the “social arrangements over which individual
women and men have only limited control.”
Rather than blaming
individuals, researchers should redirect their research towards “understanding
the larger social contexts to which personal choices and strategies are
crafted.”
As you read the section Who Should Work (Outside the Home) Is Gendered/Sexed within Chapter 9, begin to think about the cultural ideologies that exist within this definition of work. In the United states, people generally define work as paid work outside of the house.
When examining the cultural ideologies involved with who should work outside of the home, especially when we think about men and women who have children, we can then understand that these ideas are gendered/sexed.
"Working Mothers" are those women with young children who also work outside the home for a wage. You don't often hear people use the term "working father".
If you were to ask a mother
who doesn’t have an actual wage-paying job if she works, should she say yes?
-->Although child work is difficult and full time,
people do not think of it as work because it is not paid
It is expected that men
continue to work at wage labor after the birth of their children.
-While women who work outside
the home are criticized for placing their children in day care, poor women who
have had to rely on welfare if they remain home to care for young children are
considered bad mothers because they do not work.
-“The only women for whom
wage work is an unambivalently assigned social responsibility are welfare
mothers.”
-If you are a mother who
seeks assistance through government programs, then your are encouraged to work;
otherwise if you have other sources of economic stability, work is best
perceived as a ‘temporary indulgence’ or a ‘discouraged activity’.
-Judging women as either
“good mothers” or “bad mothers” through the cultural practice of defining women
as mothers first (or only), rather than as people forced to make difficult
decisions within cultural restraints, is a systematic problem that needs to be
addressed.
-When it comes to African
American women, this cultural expectation put on mothers is dismissive.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/353763.pdf
When reading the supplemental
reading, keep in mind the following:
This article talks about work/family as a balancing act and examines the differences on this concept between males and females.
-for men, imbalance is due to
longer work hours, perceived unfairness in sharing house work, marital
unhappiness and tradeoffs made at work or family at home for work
-for women, only marital
unhappiness and sacrifices at home are imbalancing, and for women who are
employed full-time young children are
-The most central challenge
in womens lives as we enter a new century is the balancing act and often
overwhelming demands of paid work and family commitments
-Using the gender perspective
(which focuses on gender as a hierarchal structure that infuses everyday
relations in the family and workplace), researchers examine and compare the
perceptions of balance and the factors that relate to successful balance
between men and women
-Suggests men and women have different role qualities-
actual and felt expectations and demands- and that womens demands are higher
overall
-Women’s location in the
social structure affords them less power and control in work/family aspects and
likely contributes to a greater total workload, more sacrifices, and difficulties
in balancing work and family
When examining this concept
of balancing work and family, research examines related areas of time use, role
harmony, and work/family tradeoffs
- shows that it is difficult to delegate
responsibilities to others (time spent on job may indicate commitment to it,
time spent with children/spouse may indicate commitment or love)
- the types of roles, as well
as the characteristics of those roles are important to consider in
understanding the balancing of work and family
-beliefs about the proper
balance and ones actual experience or distributions of paid and unpaid work and
quality or relations among role partners are different between men and women
-Particular roles and role
qualities that impact the feeling of successfully balancing work and family are
gendered.
Through the hierachal
structure of the gender perspective…….The structure of everyday relations and
cultural norms suggests that women having less power may lead to women making
greater sacrifices so that work-family life runs smoothly.
KEY TAKEAWAY FROM FACILITATION:
Cultural Ideologies > influence on individuals perceptions/decisions on who should work outside of the house
-Working mothers seen negatively because they aren't there for their children, the only mothers who are encouraged to work are ones who depend on the government for income.
KEY TAKEAWAY FROM FACILITATION:
Cultural Ideologies > influence on individuals perceptions/decisions on who should work outside of the house
-Working mothers seen negatively because they aren't there for their children, the only mothers who are encouraged to work are ones who depend on the government for income.
Gender and the Work-Family as a 'balancing act'.
Perceptions of successful balancing work/family is different between men and women
Women have a > demand in task roles/expectations thus making them more susceptible to feeling unbalanced, stressed, or not satisfied
Women tend to make more sacrifices than men when it comes to helping men feel more balanced because of this gender hierarchy that views men of higher status than women
Based of these concepts,
think about these questions:
1) Do you think that these greater demands from women when balancing work/family will ever be resolved? If so, how do you think that this problem can be alleviated?
2) Think about your own perception of balancing work/family, do you think it differs from somebody of the opposite sex within your family? If so, where do you think these differences stem from?
3) From the video we watched in class, what ways does this accurately depict the life of a 'working mother' and what ways does is it inaccurate? Think of the different contextual features that can be included that would make it similar or different
Hi Fallon,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I was not in class today but I do feel like I can contribute to this discussion. I think the gender hierarchy present in the family dynamics is crucial to a relationship. The mother, in my eyes, typically does take on the responsibility of the household and everybody in it, keeping it balanced and making sure everyone's needs are taken care of even before her own. The sacrifices mothers make aren't always seen as equal when it comes to their partner. A mother tends to endure the role of head of the household and I feel like that persists because they want their households and families to run how they like and want it. I've seen how my sister is, from getting married and having children. No matter who brings home more money, my sister controls the household. She cooks all the meals, cleans everything thoroughly, makes sure the kids are ready for school and when she complains that she's doing it all and finally asks for help, she always needs to jump in because to her, "No one can do it like Whitney can!" I often believe her because she is amazing. I don't know if the demand for women balancing their life at home and work will ever be resolved because I feel that some women take this as their main responsibilty. Some women need their house to be run a certain way, and I understand that feeling. I think it only becomes a problem when the women aren't respected by their partner, as if what they do at work is superior to how the women conducts and keeps the household running. It's practically a full time job and the most important! The problem could be alleviated by sharing the responsibilities, keeping both parents involved with the children's school work, and mutual appreciation for what the other does for the family.
April,
DeleteBased off what you've said about women aiding in this persistence towards the tendency of mothers enduring the role of head of the household, it further supports the argument in the supplemental reading that my partners and I decided to share. It goes to consider the work and family as a balancing act, and it measures what men and women perceive as balanced. In sum, the article shows that women's perceptions on balance between work and home in their own lives are a lot more complex, and harder to obtain than men's perceptions on balance. Like you said, women like to be in control of everything because they do have more expectations from their perceptions of successfully balancing family and work life. Does it stem from mothers having more obligations and demands put upon them between work and family? Or does it stem more from the fact that men typically don't see as much difficulty when successfully balancing work and family?
There is potential for work in and outside the home to be more equally divided among people of differing genders. One way that we, as a country, could work towards that is implementing a system of parental leave regardless of gender. In Sweden, there is paid maternity and paternity leave (Hopefully, there is also parental leave for people who are gender-nonconforming).
ReplyDeleteThis article from the New York Times (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE5DD1338F936A25755C0A9669D8B63 ) explains how this policy encourages gender equality. Gender-inclusive parental leave implies more equal responsibility to take care of children. If both parents take time off from work to spend with a new baby, both parents are taking equal responsibility for the care of their child. Furthermore, gender-inclusive parental leave helps to combat discrimination against women in the hiring process. Employers are sometimes concerned that young women will eventually leave work to have children. If men, women, and others take off work when they have children, there will be less stigma associated with new moms as unreliable employees.
In the article, it is stated that, “The only way to achieve equality in society is to achieve equality in the home.” If men in heterosexual couples take on more responsibility than the women they are in a relationship with, this gives these women more opportunity to take on more responsibility at work. The equal division of housework allows for equal division of labor.
Noreen,
DeleteYou've made a valid point in suggesting that we, as a society, should make parental leave gender-inclusive. Not only will this achieve equality in the subject of parental leave, but it will get rid of this assumption put on women who plan on becoming a parent. What I mean by this is, usually, when a women becomes pregnant her job becomes insecure because she then becomes unreliable, and her boss will more times than not assume that she will go on maternity leave, and then be on leave while her baby is young and needs her. By making parental leave gender-inclusive, this assumption will diminish, and women will be respected more in the work place over all.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis imbalance between men and women working in the families will never be resolved, unless every single person is willing to keep an open mind. However, there will always be people who think that this imbalance between men and women is okay and that we shouldn't change anything about it. With the new generations, there are more open-minded and progressive people who will be the ones to change this normal way of thinking. There is definitely a difference between the way men and women in the households regard work and family. Regardless who is the "bread winner" in the family, both partners should take turns on when to take off due to extenuating circumstance (have to take kids to school, have to take kids to the doctor). In this way, this misconception of male jobs being more important than female jobs would, hopefully, dissipate. In my own household, my mom is a stay-at-home mother and my father works. There is a stigma against working mothers. In my experience, my mother is constantly caring for the house, her kids, and her husband while making sure that everything is in good working order. Bearing this task is no easy job. It shouldn't be something that is frowned upon or looked at as the mother having an "easy life".
ReplyDeleteRobin Yapp has stated that "women still have to do the lion's share of housework despite going out to work in ever increasing numbers". This clearly shows an imbalance in the system. If we create more of a balance, women and men will be alleviated from plenty of stress.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-206381/Working-women-housework.html
Jaclyn,
DeleteLike you've mentioned, it is up to the new generations to make positive changes in what societal norms. Sure, they are more open-minded and progressive, with more liberals speaking out for the people who are viewed in society as below the heterosexual white male, who is seen above all other people from a social hierarchy point of view. Perhaps ones the baby boomers are all deceased, and the generations who is eventually graduating college and starting their careers will shape this way of thinking that all people are equal, especially when it comes to males vs females in the workplace? Nothing comes easy, but if we keep trying and attempting to make true changes, it is likely that eventually this way of thinking will become natural and normal. Sure some people will see the way things used to be, or the wish things never changed, but these people are more likely than not people that were already viewed as higher than women to begin with and think its unfair to make workplace norms gender neutral. The most important thing we must realize is that this change must be considered by these men, who ultimately have all the power. Until they are willing to be seen of equal value or importance in the work place as women, no radical changes can be made. Unfortunately, men are full of pride and power, and thrive off these traits, so will be difficult to open their minds to radical changes, but the more we attempt to persuade, the more likely it will happen.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am responding to your first question you expressed. No I do not think that the burden of "who should work" will ever be alleviated. I think that when you look at how people, especially Americans, hold power over the nuturing aspect of a woman after having children, I do not think it will be alleviated any time soon. One of former history professors put it very simply: "In hunter gatherer times, it was egalitarian. Then once the families settled down and could afford more than one child, women gave up the freedoms and have spent the last thousands of years trying to get it back with very little success." I think that the very idea that we have to consider "Who should work?" is only proof enough that the burden of caregiver over work is not close to full alleviation.
When you look at "equal opportunity" employer ideals there are ideas that should be emphasized and should be enforced further. I think there is a potential but it is very hard to determine if that will be achieved even in our lifetime.
Jaci,
DeleteYou've made a valid point in referring back to such a long time ago, because it proves that this belief that people had for women, this 'nurturing aspect of women' has existed since the beginning of time. Along with this, it is noteworthy to consider how thousands of years later women are still seen this way, although this belief has contrasting viewpoints. In opposition to this belief that women should stay at home to provide for her children, we've become more aware of the gender inequality that still exists in today's society. The question that should be imposed is now that we recognize this gender inequality, what can be done to stop it? I do think that we are making baby steps, but in the grand scheme of things, who has the ultimate power and controls these steps that have to be made in order to obtain gender equality in the work place? MEN, masculinity - the gender seen as powerful, strong, and above women. The heterosexual man, who is above all from a social hierarchy perspective. Until they are willing to put their pride to the side, and do what is fair for all genders/sexes, we will never obtain true gender equality in the work place (or any where for that matter).
Fallon,
ReplyDeleteBalancing work, family, school, friendships, and relationships can oftentimes become quite overwhelming. Being able to feel confident about what you choose to invest a majority of your time into can leave a person feeling as though they are not living up to their full potential, or that they are lacking and not given one hundred percent into all areas. Although we don’t want to shed light on it, in certain families there is a sense of dominance from the male of the household, whether it be a son or a father figure. If we as daughters, sisters, or mothers do not cater to everyone’s needs, do not get dinner on the table on time, do not finish washing, drying, and folding the clothes, and do not make sure that every household chore is done during the day, we get scolded for it. However, if a man forgets to mow the lawn, clean the kitchen, bathe the children or pets, it is brushed under the rug and can be done at a later date. Whether we are commuters or living on campus while in school, this topic still pertains to us and we still have responsibilities and deadlines that we need to meet. Therefore, the different gender roles and responsibilities should not be divided, yet they still are. This ultimately stems from the idea that the male of the household enforces the rules, therefore, if he doesn’t do what is required, he will not get penalized for it. Where if the woman doesn’t fulfill and balance all of her roles and duties, the male, as well as the children, will make comments and think less of her. What is acceptable and avoided by one person within a family does not pertain to everyone. Some people would agree that giving fifty percent every day and doing the absolute least is sufficient, where others would argue that one hundred and ten percent needs to be given every single day for a person to feel accomplished along with a sense of pride. Great presentation!
Andrea,
DeleteYou've made a great point with what you've said about the different consequences that men and women experience if they don't complete their gendered tasks and chores. This supports the article that my group has shared with the class, with one of the main arguments being that women/mothers tend to have greater pressure and obligations with the chores and duties assigned to them in comparison to the roles and chores assigned to men. This has caused women to have a harder time when attempting to balance everything that is asked of them. The main problem with this is that women struggle to find balance between it all, ultimately causing them stress and negatively affected their mental health. The assigned roles of women tend to have more of a tedious, repetitive sense to them- such as doing to laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. whereas the assigned roles of men tend to have more of a creative, leisurely feel to them- such as mowing the lawns, or things outdoors. These assigned roles and chores are extremely different, because women have to repeat these chores in order for everybody in her family to be fed, and kept under a clean roof while men can push such trivial tasks aside. This is seemingly causes women to feel frustrated and unappreciated because we don't tend to realize how much they actually do for the people around them. There is also something to be said about how degrading it must feel for mothers/women to do all of these things for her family and feeling like nobody values or appreciates everything she does for her family. Not to mention, women usually are the one's who are responsible for reaching out to relatives and make plans with aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. because men typically wouldn't prioritize making plans to see distant relatives. Sure, men are traditionally viewed in society as the one who goes out and works to provide and support his family but if thats the case, and whether the mother chooses to work as well or not, we typically see more obligations and responsibilities placed on working/non-working mothers regardless. All men really have to worry about is the trivial tasks that his wife asks him to do, like taking out the trash, or picking up milk and eggs from the store on his way home from work. Other that that, men and the rest of the family are typically catered by the mother of the family. She is the one who stays home to care for her children when they are sick, she is the one who calls and schedules doctor appointments or other appointments for her children....the list is endless and this is the reality of the matter.
Fallon,
ReplyDeleteI think that the greater demands from women when balancing work/family will never be resolved. Just thinking about all the gender binaries that society has created made me realize this. People will think it is wrong that a women will leave the family to go to work, whereas if they man leaves the family to go to work he is praised. I think that people need to keep an open mind and just do whatever works best for their family. In thinking of my own perception. I think that both the man and the woman should be able to work and also balance the family. For example, My parent would both work and maintain the household. One parent would cook and the other would clean. They found that this was the best way for everything to be equal. However, after my parent's got divorced.My father moved out and my mother was the one that worked and also would do everything around the house as well. Both my parents taught me that we have to be able to do both. We have to be able to learn how to work and also balance out family. I think that growing up in a household, where my mom does everything for the family did change my perspective. That women can do both work and balance family. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140602193250-122640494-work-life-balance-is-going-to-be-dead?trk=tod-home-art-list-large_0
This article discusses how "work and life" cannot be balanced. It stated that "Work-Life Balance as a term means that one’s work and personal life take place within two distinct chunks of time. So when you are working you should forget your family life, and vice versa." Which I have to disagree with. I think that if you find a balance that works for you and your family. It is just about really knowing what is best them.
I agree with thinking both men and women should be able to work and also balance the family. But in the social realities pertaining to who should work outside of the home, we see that working mothers are commonly criticized in different ways. Because societies values and beliefs on mothers emphasize the importance of a mother to tend and care for her child more so than men, they are often criticized if they choose to work while having children. Working mothers are judged and perceived as bad mothers if they work, because they aren't giving the child the motherly love and affection that they need from them. These judgements have made women question if they actually are good mothers, because society is leading them to believe they are not by placing their child in daycare in order to work. This is unfair because first of all, both men and women should have the right to work and support themselves financially. A women should not have to rely/depend on the income of her spouse, and especially if she is a single mother, she does not need to struggle to support her children just because working mothers are frowned upon. Yet, we see that there is a double standard with working mothers when viewing single stay at home mothers. These women are judged for NOT working because they are relying on the government for financial stability, and these single moms are typically perceived as lazy, and worthless. Nevertheless, this sexist view on who should work supports the supplemental reading that talks about the balancing act of work, family, and life- which considers how women are more obligated to feeling unbalanced, because they have less power of men, the prejudices placed on women in society have been emphasized greater, leading women to conform to the societal norms placed on them.
DeleteUltimately, the pressures and obligations that these women face in attempting to balance everything asked of them has left these women finding it much more difficult to find a true balance.
Fallon,
ReplyDeleteGreat presentation! The video we watched in class doesn’t accurately depict the daily life of a working mother. As we discussed in class, the woman in the video was somewhere in the upper-middle class; she had a large house, two cars, a garage, etc. The video kind of downplayed the difficulties of a working mother. The actress seemed to have the money for the resources that can help with her responsibilities. Often times, working mothers are expected to pick up their kids from school after their work, buy groceries, clean the house and other chores. However, if a family is wealthy as depicted in the video, they are able to hire a person who can complete those chores instead. Most importantly, what needs to be understood is that not every “working mother” has the ability to do that, to have that privilege.
There is definitely a greater demand for women to balance work and family more so than for men. In the reading Playing All the Roles: Gender and the Work-Family Balancing Act, authors Milkie and Peltola analyzes the expectation society hold for women to report more tradeoffs than men in their job due to family responsibilities. If new mothers are able to take the time while supporting their family with an income, there wouldn’t be so many issues for women to have to choose between work and family. It is also crazy to think that in the United States, maternity leave is unpaid and the mandated leave is limited to only 12 weeks. Whereas, most countries in Europe provide 36 or more weeks of paid maternity leave. They understand the importance of better health for mothers and babies. Often so, longer maternity leaves are linked to lower rates of postpartum depression and newborn and infant mortality.
Tenzin,
ReplyDeleteYou've made great and valid points about the inaccuracies of the video I've shared. It shows a working mother that is seemingly successful with her work, so sure, it represents the hectic, crazy lifestyle of balancing motherhood and work, but it shoes somebody who has a successful job in which gives her the ability to afford the luxuries of hiring somebody to do the daily chores that'd typically be done by her if she was home. Working mothers who work a minimum wage job, or are financially unstable will not be able to afford such luxuries, so they have more difficulties trying to balance everything and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We often see working mothers who don't have these luxuries to have a greater chance of mental health issues such at stress, depression, or anxiety. The video is not a fair representation for these working mothers, and we should understand this.
It is ridiculous that maternity leave is unpaid, ESPECIALLY with the fact that it is often mandated. The fact that the US limits maternity leave to 12 weeks compared to countries in Europe providing 36+ weeks, and showing that longer maternity leaves are linked to lower mental health issues shows our countries value of these womens mental health. We need to become aware of the reality of working mothers, and take note of the mental health issues these short, maternity leaves cause and either make them longer, or provide some type of leave that is paid.