Katherine Zaleski Women In The Workplace

In today’s economy, it is a hard fact that many women will have to enter the workforce. In her article for The Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t have it All”, Anne-Marie Slaughter examines the difficulties faced by women who either have children or would someday like to do so. Having given up on the task of holding a high powered government position while being the mother of a teenager, her kairotic moment, the author discusses the changes that would be necessary in order for women to find a real work-life balance. Although Slaughter 's target audience is primarily women who seek high powered positions, the article contains ample information that should appeal to both men who seek to balance the needs of a growing family with their work responsibilities, as well as workplace policy makers who could help usher in the necessary changes. Her goal in sharing her experiences is to argue that women can succeed at the very top level of their organizations, “But not today, not with the way America’s economy and society are currently structured” (Slaughter).

In the article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” Anne-Marie Slaughter explains why women can’t manage both the difficulties of a high-end job while doing the best they can as a parent. Slaughter is a very successful women who had worked for Hillary Clinton at the state department being the first woman policy planner. She begins the essay by explaining a conversation that came up between herself and a colleague who held a senior position in the White House. She tells her colleague that is has been very difficult for her to be away from her son at work, when he needs her at home. At this point Slaughter comes up with the idea to write an article about these struggles she and many women are dealing with. Throughout this meeting Slaughter

In Judith Stadtman Tuckers “The Least Worst Choice: Why Mothers Opt out of the Work Place” Judith Stadtman Tucker looks at why hard working, intelligent woman are choosing to leave their high end jobs to stay at home with their children. Judith Stadtman Tucker expresses her option that it is nearly impossible to work 40 hours a week, be available on your off hours as well as raise children. I fully agree with Judith Stadtman Tucker’s point of view that it is absurd to have to be at the mercy of your employer even in your off hours, nor less if you are attempting to create an emotional connection and successfully raise a child. It is no question that even in today’s modern society that it is assumed that woman are the best caregivers for young children. If you are put in a position where you have a child to raise, is it more appropriate to abandon your career or to emotionally abandon your child to a stranger or strangers and allow them to raise it? Judith Stadtman Tuckers argument against mothers having to choose between the joys of parenthood and the freedom of being able to work a career really speaks to me because it makes me consider what I want for my own future and what I would choose.

In recent history, the majority of the movement regarding the gender gap in the workplace has been in response to the opportunity available to males versus female. Today however, that debate topic has shifted to explain why opportunity does not grantee professional success and what role society plays on that restriction. It was already said by Sandberg that a difference in biology affects the choices individuals make, and that issue alone is independent from any social construct that would usually affect choices. Slaughter outlines one of these societal flaws is in the “unspoken rules” or norms of hiring and firing in Washington. She states, “to admit to, much less act on, maternal longings would have been fatal to their careers.” Often a euphemism for being fired is saying that one is leaving to focus on homemaking. It seems to be implied by the authors that often, merely having a family that deserves time and

In her interviews with woman she was sure to interview very well educated women and those that strived for mere perfection. One thing is that the men in the lives of these women were not supportive and not mentioned of much. The men and society of today have placed a lot of responsibility on a woman’s shoulders when it comes to the child. It is the woman who makes the decision or is given the task to make the heavy decisions regarding the child’s future. Because of this many women choose to stay at home to be sure that the children will receive everything that they deserve and that they are not lacking in any area. Another issue that she reviews is that employers do not work with moms at all. For example she talked about the scenario where two moms brought a solution to their problem to management yet it failed to receive approval instead one mother was offered more money (Guest, 2011). Employers are not very flexible when it comes to mothers and don’t provide the proper care that is needed for a child. Since men are the ones that don’t carry the responsibility of the child’s well-being having proper day care is not a factor for them. Then there is the cost of day care which is high and can at times not compare to what the individual is making.

Often times, benevolent sexism is mistaken for a well-intentioned compliment. However, there are real world dangers that come with assigning a stereotype to an individual. Within business, one of the most common forms of benevolent sexism is assuming that because a woman has the ability to bear children she should engage in any nurturing roles. Melanie Tannenbaum elucidates the issue with labeling women as more caring, maternal, and compassionate in the 2013 article, “The Problem When Sexism Just Sounds So Darn Friendly”. Tannenbaum states:

The words “We Can Do It!” over Rosie the Riveter flexing is well known from the World War II era, but who exactly is that meant for? The men of the nations were fighting in trenches, but women had a large role in Homefront management and war goods production. Women had to maintain many of their pre-war responsibilities while also stepping into the shoes the soldiers left behind. A better look at the lives of WWII women can be seen in the work of Richard Cardinali, as well as that of Martha L. Hall, Belinda T. Orzada, and Dilia Lopez-Gydosh. Cardinali wrote "Women in the Workplace: Revisiting the Production Soldiers, 1939-1945" about the employment struggles of women during WWII across the globe. The main focus was on American and British workforces. Hall, Orzada, and Lopez-Gydosh worked together to write "American Women's Wartime

2a. Source B is a panel discussion between 5 different parties that were interested in discussing women and their troubles within the corporate world. The moderator during the discussion was Barbara Jones, senior editor of Harper's Magazine. The discussion took place in 1997 following the resignation of Brenda Barnes, the CEO and president of Pepsi-Cola North America. She decided to resign to be able to spend more time with her children. Media considered her a “casualty of anxiety and ambivalence forced on women by the terms of corporate success.” (Giving women the business: on winning, losing, and leaving the corporate game.Panel Discussion. n.d.) Many women felt her quitting put them back a long time because she had worked so hard to gain that position to quit and stay home with her children. Women had to fight so hard to get to the top, they felt she shouldn't have told them the reason she was quitting was due to her wanting to be a stay at home mom. Feminism had just began to really gain acceptance during this time in the 1990’s and the discussion talks about corporate culture and how women could succeed when odds were

As a feminist her article has touched a very sensitive issue. Many people sees the article as a slap in the face or a step backwards in the fight for women rights, however upon examination of the article, I don’t really think Anne-Marie is necessarily talking about inequality in the workforce rather the guilt that women feel when they are not fully involved in their children’s life as well as the perception that women with a high profile job and a family is viewed upon as a superhuman as she eloquently stated; “The women who has both managed to be both mothers and top professionals are superhuman, rich, or self-employed”.

Women are considered minorities making it possible for discrimination and other oppressive factors to creep in. Personally, as an African American woman I have faced unfair treatment in the workplace. Seeing your coworker get prompted over myself just because he is a male. The article reference the fact that women will get looked over for a higher position simple for the fact that employers believe that women cannot be leaders. Men are often looked at as masculine and authoritative. Moreover, this universal idea that women are meant to being doing women’s work and not obtaining any kind of high position of prestige is unsettling. Jobs that are looked at as women occupations are teaching, nursing, social work, etc. Mostly because they always been predominately ran by women. In article, it states that men do not usually accept women into predominately male positions because they feel as if they will take over and switch the role of control. Especially in the economic aspect. Referencing back to the power point;

With the rise of the modern age economic survival has become difficult for families based on a single income. This economic need along with modern attitudes toward gender equality has resulted in women being represented in the workforce in greater numbers. However, until the 1960’s women faced severe discrimination when trying to enter and maintain a position in the workforce. Often qualified women would be passed over for men with less experience and education. Employers were fearful that women were too emotional and were not equipped to handle the stress of the work environment. Also driving the decision to not hire or promote women was the concern over the additional health care expenses and leave time pregnant

In Anne-Marie Slaughter’s essay “Why Women Still Can’t Have It all,” Slaughter wants to incorporate her professional success and family to have a balanced life. Slaughter is the president and CEO of the New American Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute and has worked as director of policy planning for the U.S. State Department. Slaughter is concerned about not being a supportive mother to her children because of work issues. Her career requires her to work for long periods of time while juggling reports and writing commentaries on drafts, leaving little room to spend time with her family. I agree that working in a high position job can have a negative effect on how most women view their success because they are constantly working without being able to put their energy to something they value-family.

Childfree women are also being offered more career promotions than women with children. The pay gap might also increase with age because women hit the infamous “glass ceiling” at the top of their professions. The “glass ceiling” is the highest level they can obtain in their careers’. In supporting my statement, many women hit the “maternal wall” of discrimination before they ever reach the “glass ceiling.” Sarah Glazer provides a perfect example, “A civil engineer in Pennsylvania was awarded $3 million in a lawsuit because she was passed over a promotion after the birth of her son. She testified that the president of the company asked her if she wanted a career here of if she wanted to have babies” (Glazer 36). The president of this particular company obviously came to the assumption that her level of production in her chosen profession would decrease due to raising her child.

Initially, the first women entering the workplace did so out of desire. In a post feminist, post-civil right era and spurred on by higher levels of education. Women saw jobs and careers as rights that had previously been denied to them. Women were tired of just being "Big Johns Wife" or "Little Johnny's mommy". They wanted to be known the way men have always identified themselves by their jobs, their careers, and the level of success to which they had risen. Status, not salary, was the prime mover of the first wave of women to assault the previously all male worlds of medicine, and the corporate citadel

During this last century societal views towards women have drastically changed, from being looked at as a homemaker, to a businesswoman, to a mother, and now a working mother. One thing that hasn’t changed through the years is how women are critiqued for what they do and how they do it. If a woman takes care of the house she’s lazy and doesn't use her potential. If a women works in the office more than she’s at home she doesn’t connect with her family enough. The latest judgement women are facing: are working mothers better mothers. Today, women are being put against each other to be viewed as the “better mother” just by looking at their profession.