draft

Daziah Williams

 

Gender Inequality?

 

For centuries men and women have been held to different standards and looked upon as unequal more so for women than for men. Unequal with in the work field, at home, and just in society today. What makes us so different? Is it science? cultural belief? History? Or just sexism?

 “In Brazil, more women attend university than men, but women earn only a third of what men make for the same job. In the United Arab Emirates, three times as many women go to university as men, but half as many women participate in the labor force. Across Europe, women outperform men academically and enter the workforce in similar numbers, but occupy less than 15 percent of board positions. In Pakistan, where I grew up, a girl has only a 29 percent chance of making it into secondary school, compared to 38 percent for a boy” says Saadia Zahidi, “who heads the women leaders and gender parity program at the world economic forum and is founder and co-author of the annual Global Gender Gap Report”  (http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/25/when-gender-inequality-is-good-economics/).

It has always seemed as women in all circumstances do the most to receive the least. Making up more of the percentage and exceeding in schools more then men but making up less of the percentage of the work force. For years women where to do only household duties as far as cleaning, cooking and taking care of the children as well as her husband. This all seemed fair because men where to be the bread winners and masculine forces of the family, but starting in 1848 extending to 1920 things were to change or so we thought. More women where contributing to the finances of the house and maintaining some aspects of the “man’s duties” and receiving little to no rights or recognition and so the “ Womens Rights Movement” begun. Published in 1970 some time after the Womens Civil Right Movement was over “The Politics of Housework” by Pat Mainardi was published. This article shined light on the incompetancy of men, and how little they do.

not finished.. adding the politics of houswork and terkel..

 

ESSAY 2, DRAFT 1

Essay 2, draft 1

Dayana Astudillo

            In our field work, many employers treat people different according to their gender. Also many people think that men do the hard work and women do the easy work however, nobody thinks that women do double work than men because the woman also does work inside of their homes such as, cooking, take care of their children, and cleaning. Nowadays, woman and man work and both bring money to their homes unlike years ago that was a stereotype in which the man worked and the woman stayed in their homes taking care of their children and doing the housework or was a case in which the women was not treated equally or in many cases women did not achieve a recognition in their jobs.

In one of the articles named “The Politics of Housework” by Pat Mainardi of Redstocking talks about equality is a key term in actual relationships. According with Path Mainardi of Redstocking “We both had careers, both had to work a couple of days a week to earn enough to live on, so why shouldn’t we share the housework?” (Mainardi, 1). By that he is stating that in the actuality many couples have the same style of life like working the same hours, sharing the bills to pay and even and many cases the same income. But, the only difference that they have is they gender feminine and masculine and for that reason I think that even at home the household should be also share equally. But in many cases a stereotype still lives in our culture because women should do the housework and take care of kids. However, this happened many years ago with our grandparents. There are strange cases in which many families this matter still occurred with the differences that the woman also have a part time job besides the housework.

On the other one the article named “A Day Without Care” by Sarah Jaffe mentions that nowadays the majority of woman are discriminated. Although men and women have the same kind of job many companies tend to pay women less than man just because they think that always the man should support their family. According to the article, “in the 1900’s pushed poor women into low-wage part time jobs that neither paid them enough to support their families nor provided benefits” (Jaffe, 3). For this reason is clear to see that back then they did not have many opportunities to support their families by themselves nor the support of the man was need it. The situation was even worse when single mothers need it the full time jobs and also extra money for baby sister their kids as is stated in the following comment in the article, “Single mothers who work low-wage… and waste money on complicated child care arrangement – because they never know whether they’ll be schedule for five or twenty five hours… if they have to worry about child care” (Jaffe, 3).    

           

           

ESSAY 2

            Gender makes a big difference in the work world.  Women have always had restrictions in the work place.  At one point woman were not even allowed to work.  They were not allowed to join the military but they were allowed to be a nurse and care for the injured soldiers.  In the 1960s, a very good job for a woman was to be an airline stewardess.  It seemed like a very glamorous job because you were able to fly all over the world but there are some downfalls.  A stewardess didn’t have much freedom on the job.  She had to create a sexy/ flirtatious illusion for the passengers.  One requirement for the job at time was that you actually had to be single.  They were also required to go to stewardess school for five week.  While at that school they were taught to do their makeup, pose and look into the passenger’s eyes.  They would learn how to smoke a cigarette and they should never light their own cigarette, let a man do it for you.  They were encouraged to smoke cigarettes.  If a male passenger touched a stewardess improperly they could do nothing about it but smile and walk away.  If you said that you were married they would sometimes say, “I’m married and you’re married and yo’re away from home and so am I and nobody is going to find out” and they could not do anything about it.  Women were degraded a lot being stewardess and there was little they could do about it.

            Today, women and men are somewhat equal in the work place.  Women can actually make more than men do now.  In the text of “Politics of Housework” it shows how they can be equal at work but once it comes back to the house it is looked upon women to fulfill the housework.  In “Politics of Housework” the author feels housework should be equal and I agree. Women and men should share the housework and each do what they are best at.  The stereotype that women are good at household choirs like cleaning and cooking while men are only good at the physical jobs affects how both are treated at work and at home.  The truth is in today’s society women can do anything a man can do.

Essay One Draft

In “who Built the Pyramids” by Studs Terkel, he interviews a guy called Mike Lefevre. In this interview, Terkel tells us how Mike feel about working. Mike was a labor worker and worked in a steel mill. He said that he can't take pride because he can't see the outcome of his hard work. He said “Picasso can point to a painting. What can I point to? A writer can point to a book. Everybody should have something to point to”(page xxxii). In others word he means that people should get recognition of what they do. Moreover, Mike hate his job because he doesn't spend enough time with his family and wish he had a twenty hour workweek. In addition, Mike believes that education gives you status. He thinks that if you didn't had any education, you are inferior of the people that did had education. So in his case, they give more status to the white collar workers and it should be given to him because of the hard work he does. Nevertheless, a guy at his job made fun of him because he had a book. Moreover, Mike tells us that he wants his son to be a effete snob. He means that he don't want his son to be like him and want him to be well educated. In addition, with Mike having a lack of status, believed that with his son having education, he will be having freedom and a better status in society.

In “Blue Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, he talks about how his mother, being a blue collar worker, used her intelligence at work. He explains that his mother “Learned to work smart as she put it, to make every move count.” In other words he means that his mother develop new skills to make her job easier. Moreover, Rose beliefs that blue collar jobs require intelligence just as the white collar jobs. So Rose belief that you need education to gain status. Moreover, his mother drop out of school in seventh grade. Unlike Mike, his mother took pride in what she did which was being among the public in a restaurant. This gave us a sign of her status because she had a lot of responsibility dealing with customers of all kind everyday. Rose also tells us how his mother, even though she was uneducated, used her intelligence while working. Although his mother was uneducated, she developed new skills that her job required and learned how to managed her skills while working. However, even though blue collar are uneducated, Rose believe that blue collar and white collar use the same thing, brain and body. Moreover, Rose think that people get their status by class or occupation. Rose also think the status his mom has should be appreciate.

Essay II

Gender is shown to be one of the greatest separations in the work place. While not the same, the work of both men and women has benefits and setbacks. In the world today, men are shown to be the bread bringers of their house hold. While the women just stay home and take care of the kid. Also if they do work they get a job that pays less than a mans do. Lately women are about to get the same level of work as a man or higher. These ideas are found in pieces of writing. In the book called "Working" by Studs Terkel talks to a stewardesses named Sara Jaffe, and talk about an example of a job that came easy for women. He also takes to her about how she got the job and the benefits. In the second passage called "The politics of Housework" by Pat Mainrdi, talks about the true lines of work for a house hold couple. Using both of the passages, the stereotypes of both genders, of men and women have an impact on their line of work.

 

In the interview in the novel called "Working", Studs Terkels talks to a woman named Sara Jaffe about an example of the line of work women do. In the beginning of the interview, Jaffe begins to talk to Terkel about life as stewardesses. As Jaffe stated "I think our average age is twenty-six. But our supervisors tell us what kind of make-up to wear what kind of lipstick to wear, if our hair is not the right style for us, if we're not smiling enough. They even tell us how to act when you're on a pass"(Terkel, 42). In the work place the women are shown to not have any say at the work place. The work that they are able to get is based on their own looks. The women aren't treated like people but like dolls due to the fact, they are force to wear what their supervisors told them to wear. In this case the recognition that women get as a stewardesses are based on looks. Later in the interview, Jaffe told Terkel one of the job benefits she gets as stewardesses. Terkel then later put a side note about one benefit Jaffe gets. He stated "In New York, stewardesses live five or six girls to one apartment. They think they can get by because they're in and out so much. But there's gonna be a few nights they're all gonna be home and a couple of 'em will have to sleep on the floor"(Terkel,43). In the culture it is believed that everything comes easy for women. This show that women can not only get a job base on their looks, but also don't have to worry about housing. One of the stereotypes of women is that they don't have to be smart but as long as their hot enough they can get whatever they want. Being a stewardess is an example of this. When it comes to men, they don't have this benefit.

 

In a passage called "The politics of housework" by Pat Mainardi, she goes in to detail on a line of work that man do at home. In the middle of the passage, Mainardi talks about how men are able to go far in work. She states "Man's accomplishment has always depended on getting help from other people, mostly women. What great man would have accomplished what he did if he had to do his own house work"(Mainardi). This show that man couldn't have gotten where they are at without help from other. This could be either from their wife or their boss. Also due to the fact that the men are the bread bringers they need to put 100% into their jobs and not the house works. This idea also goes back to the women, because with the men busy the women have no choice but to do all the housework. Mainardi later in the passage talks about an idea of men in the work place. Mainardi states "In a sense, all men everywhere are slightly schizoid-divorced from the reality of maintaining life. This makes it easier for them to play games with it"(Mainardi). This shows that over time men have sometimes put work over themselves. This leads them to become distances from not only their housework, but also their families. The recognition that the men get are hardworking due to the fact their minds into their work. This isn't like women because since they are mostly in the house they have a better connection to their home life then the men.

 

 In the end of the day the idea of gender in the work place have a big impact. For women it's the idea of trying to get to that same status as men. But in the end, they are able to get that status but not in the same way as men. For men it's the idea of trying to supports ones family on their own. But when it comes to the idea of supporting the housework it's another story. Men and Women even though difference has the impact on their line of work.

essay II

Gender is shown to be one of the greatest separations in the work place. While not the same, the work of both men and women have benefits and setbacks. In the world today, men are shown to be the bread bringers of their house hold. While the women just stay home and take care of the kid. Also if they do work they get a job that pays less then a mans do. Latey women are about to get the same level of work as a man or higher. These ideas are found in pieces of writing. In an interview, Studs Terkel talk to a stewardesses named Sara Jaffe, and talk about an example of a job that came easy for women. He also tak to her about how she got the job and the benefits. In the second passage called "The politics of Housework" by Pat Mainrdi, talks about the true lines of work for an house hold couple. Using both of the passages, the stereotypes of both genders, of men and women have an impact on their line of work. In the interview with a women name Sara Jaffe, Studs Terkel talk to her about an example of the line of work women do. In the beginning of the interview, Jaffe begins to talk to Terkel about life as a stewardesses. As Jaffe stated "I think our average age is twenty-six. But our supervisors tell us what kind of make-up to wear, what kind of lipstick to wear, if our hair is not the right style for us, if we're not smiling enough. They even tell us how to act when you're on a pass"(Terkel,42). In the work place the women are shown to not have any say at the work place. The work that they are able to get is base on their own looks. The women aren't treated like people but like dolls due to the fact the they are force to wear what their supervisors told them to wear. In this case the recognition that women get as a stewardesses are base on looks. Later in the interview, Jaffe told Terkel one of the job benefits she gets as an stewardesses. Terkel then later put a sidenote about one benefit Jaffe gets. He stated "In New York, stewardesses live five or six girls to one apartment. They think they can get by because they're in and out so much. But there's gonna be a few nights they're all gonna be home and a couple of 'em will have to sleep on the floor"(Terkel,43). In the culture it is beileved that everthing comes easy for women. This show that women can not only get a job base on their looks, but also don't have to worry about housing. One of the sterotypes of a women is that they don't have to be smart but as long as their hot enough they can get what ever they want. Being a stewardesses is an example of this. When it comes to men, they don't have this benefit. In a passage called "The politics of housework" by Pat Mainardi, she goes in to detail on a line of work that man do at home. In the middle of the passage, Mainardi talks about how men are able to go far in work. She states "Man's accomplishment have always depended on getting help from other people, mostly women. What great man would have accomplished what he did if he had to do his own house work"(Mainardi). This show that man couldn't have gotten where they are at without help from other. This could be either from their wife or their boss. Also due to the fact that the men are the bread bringers they need to put 100% into their jobs and not the house works. This idea also goes back to the women, because with the men busy the women have no choice but to do all the housework. Mainardi later in the passage talks about an idea of men in the work place. Mainardi states "In a sense, all men everywhere are slightly schizoid-divorced from the reality of maintaining life. This makes it easier for them to play games with it"(Mainardi). This shows that over time men have sometimes put work over themselfs. This leads them to become distances from not only their housework, but also their familys. The recongnition that the men get are hard working due to the fact their minds into their work. This isn't like women because since they are mostly in the house they have a better connection to their homelife then the men. In the end of the day the idea of gender in the work place have a big impact. For women it's the idea of trying to get to that same status as men. But in the end, they are able to get that status but not in the same way as men. For men it's the idea of trying to supports ones family on their own. But when it comes to the idea of supporting the housework it's another story. Men and Women even though difference have the impact on their line of work.

ESSAY 2. 

The beliefs culture has had on women and men and how they are “like” has deeply affected the views and actions of society. From how/where they work, to how they are treated not only on the job but also at home, and the recognition they receive from the work they do or do not do. In text Exploring the Managed Heart by C. Wright Mills and in article The Politics of Housework by Pat Mainardi, both authors seem to come to an agreement that society has utterly managed to segregate women and men when it comes to making a living.

The ideas about gender affects the work one does in many ways. In society it is believed that women are more “emotional” so therefore they should work at home, take care of kids, work at nursing homes, become nurses, or any job that requires an emotional attachment to another person. While men are believed to be professional, strong, and sophisticated, so therefore they are viewed as doctors, office men, negotiators, construction men, and mostly jobs that are “white-collar” or jobs that require physical strength. Centuries ago it was believed that women should be absolute “housewives,” women did not have careers, they stayed home, took care of kids, cleaned the house, and had events with the rest of the housewifes. Although over the centuries, times have changed, most cultures still have the same kind of idea. For example, now a days, a couple with children, both have careers, and both work busy jobs. Although both work, it seems like the wife tends to work double. At work and at home. She might confront her spouse about it. It only seems fair that if both have jobs, then both should be doing housework. Yet something seems to happen when most men are confronted with house work, “I don’t mind sharing the housework, but I don’t do it very well. We should each do things that we’re best at.” (Paragraph 4, The Politics of Housework) Also suggesting that it is in a woman’s nature to do house work, not in mens. Stereotypes like “It is in your nature” have essentially set this mindset to the working community. For example, although it is illegal now, women were once (and still may be) paid less than a man who does the exact job as her. Why? It was believed that men worked due to the fact that they had to maintain their wife and family. Which was true, but it was also believed that women worked just to have a little more money in their pockets. Which might of been true but not always. So due to that little stereotype, till this day (although illegal in the United States) some women are paid less than men. (To be continued)