Research Design: After reading Lisa Belkin's article "The opt-out revolution", I really started contemplating the future of women in the work place. Not just the usual questions of pay rate and maternity leave, but my main question was concerning the amount of woman in top positions in ratio to the men. Why weren't more women in top CEO positions? This area interests me, but since I'm doing a ethnography study which uses fieldwork to complete the thesis, I decided I probably couldn't get in touch with any CEOs. The "Mommy Track" which is the idea that women do not have time to complete all the academic goals while also being a mother, was really troubling for me. I find that to be completely true. Men have all the time and support to achieve their goals, a child may slow them down a bit, but ultimately will not stop them from achieving their goals. My final question is : What do women have to sacrifice to be academically successful?
Methodology: I wanted to look at females who are more academic goal oriented. I also wanted to see how their own personal relationships stacked up, if the man was more goal oriented, or if the woman would stop her studies for marriage. I interviewed my friend, Maria. She is graduating this spring. She faces some problems because of her relationship. For my fieldwork, I went to her capstone class, and had dinner with her and her boyfriend.
Interview questions and answers:
So whats your major?
- Anthropology
Do you have more female or male peers, how does that affect you?
-More female peers, I don't think it really affects me, its either really cliquish or really don't know each other.
What are your academic goals?
- To get a PhD, then I'm not sure. (Jokingly says, be a housewife)
What are your personal goals?
- I would like to have a good stable job, be married, maybe have kids, probably have kids.
Do you think that you'll be able to achieve both?
-I think it will be really hard, a stable job will be the least hard of them all. Balancing them will be the difficult part of them all.
What do you think about the "Mommy track?" -
- I think its really crappy, its a really interesting situation, it seems like because women in our society are seen as the main caretakers, then they have to take care of the children. If they want to have ten-year. If I decide to do ten-year, then I'll have to wait to have children, I don't want to wait to long.
Observations: There is a real problem in our society when it comes to women fully achieving their goals while being mothers. Maria's problem is not uncommon when it comes to young ladies in school who have big career goals. The problem seems to magnify its self when you have a man at your side, because now your choices have to be met with someone else's. When Maria jokingly said "Be a housewife", she was referring to the simplicity of not having to struggle to accomplish her career goals while trying to raise a family.
Write up: Overall, I feel that my original question still needs addition research in order to answered completely. For the short version, a woman has to sacrifice her time, emotions, and energy to be academically successful while having a family. A woman can only do so much, so either her career suffers, or her family life suffers. I feel that the best way to get more information on the subject would be to analyze the working mothers life's.
March 29, 2009
March 24, 2009
March 23, 2009
Belkin Article
I'll first start with my general experience and opinion. I am the child of a mother who works full time, plus is on-call two weekends a month. I have 3 siblings, the youngest of the three is 2. My mother works hard, and she usually does most of everything in the household. A major reason for her accomplishments is the help of family. Her mother-in-law helps with childcare for Anna, the youngest. But what my mother has is not something I would want for myself. She works to support her lifestyle and her choices that she has made in life. If she had a choice I'm pretty sure that my mother would not work.
The responses to the article have been broad. But mostly I've seen responses that are in agreement to what Belkin wrote about. She should have included different races and classes in her report. Most of her couples were white and upper class.
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/response-diversity-and-equality/
This is actually Belkin's response to what everyone has been saying about her article.
The responses to the article have been broad. But mostly I've seen responses that are in agreement to what Belkin wrote about. She should have included different races and classes in her report. Most of her couples were white and upper class.
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/response-diversity-and-equality/
This is actually Belkin's response to what everyone has been saying about her article.
March 21, 2009
March 10, 2009
March 9, 2009
A look at women in the media..
I just thought I'd point out some new fashion. Denim panties, yes, thats right. So short, and what I love about Rock of Love is that not only are our youth watching this. They're actually starting to think that outside of their little town, women actually act and dress like these beautifully talented women to the left. Ha. Ha. Ha. But honestly, it's a little sad. How about women becoming famous for their smarts, generosity, and good deeds, not for wearing denim panties.
I know that there are woman out there accomplishing all those good traits. I also know that the youth, fail to hear about them enough.
Movie analysis
Movie: Quarantine
This movie really didn't have many ads before it was released, but I have seen a lot of advertisement for its DVD release. The ads are mainly a picture of a woman screaming in night vision. I watched the movie last night, and after really thinking and analyzing it, it was very gendered focused. The plot of the movie is a woman with her one man camera guy following her shadow a couple guys who work at a firehouse. They go to one call, and end up getting stuck there, and not being allowed out because of a virus in the house. The woman who is the tv reporter, plays into 'woman' stereo types a lot, shes a reporter, and she screams a lot. Almost every scene with her, she is screaming and being calmed down by another man. She is scared to move or do anything with out the help of another person, who just happens to be a man, a fireman at that. The epitome of what it means to be a man: strong, couragous, brave, handsome, and smart. I won't tell you the ending, but the woman does not last long by herself, implying that as soon as the men died off, she did too.
Readings:
The F word: Ch. 7
"Does it trap or empower, does it strengthen or weaken?"
I liked this chapter because it focused on marriage and relationship balances for the woman who has a life plan. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, I feel that even if you enter into a relationship with a man who claims to be a feminist, you will still end up doing the majority of the housework, and child raising. Marriage also brings up the question of divorce. Also, divorce with children can be awful for the children. I'm not sure where I stand on this subject, but I know I won't be getting married anytime soon.
This movie really didn't have many ads before it was released, but I have seen a lot of advertisement for its DVD release. The ads are mainly a picture of a woman screaming in night vision. I watched the movie last night, and after really thinking and analyzing it, it was very gendered focused. The plot of the movie is a woman with her one man camera guy following her shadow a couple guys who work at a firehouse. They go to one call, and end up getting stuck there, and not being allowed out because of a virus in the house. The woman who is the tv reporter, plays into 'woman' stereo types a lot, shes a reporter, and she screams a lot. Almost every scene with her, she is screaming and being calmed down by another man. She is scared to move or do anything with out the help of another person, who just happens to be a man, a fireman at that. The epitome of what it means to be a man: strong, couragous, brave, handsome, and smart. I won't tell you the ending, but the woman does not last long by herself, implying that as soon as the men died off, she did too.
Readings:
The F word: Ch. 7
"Does it trap or empower, does it strengthen or weaken?"
I liked this chapter because it focused on marriage and relationship balances for the woman who has a life plan. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, I feel that even if you enter into a relationship with a man who claims to be a feminist, you will still end up doing the majority of the housework, and child raising. Marriage also brings up the question of divorce. Also, divorce with children can be awful for the children. I'm not sure where I stand on this subject, but I know I won't be getting married anytime soon.
March 4, 2009
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