Chapter 13 talks about work and family, and how they create the dynamics we see in the family today. Naturally, much attention is placed on the constraints and inequality present in the politics of parenthood and career. The chapter took great care to show that women across the board earn less than men, even counting for factors such as career choice and education, seniority, and marital status. What's more, women have a higher chance of being laid off or stagnating instead of getting promoted. Women also have to face sexual harassment in the workplace.
Of course, there are some variations on workplace policy that make things easier, such as the option to telecommute, pay leave for new mothers(and in some places, fathers, too). But there are also other costs to these options, such as the blurring between work and home life, the lack of "face time" between telecommuting employees and their employers, and less social interaction in general.
Of course, many of these problems get worse when the socioeconomic disparities come into play. The pay gap feels a lot harsher when there's less money to go around, not to mention that most people have comparatively little control over the wealth of the nation compared to the richest of the rich.
Interesting things
I noticed that Minnesota's decision to level the pay gap between men and women seems to have caused much good and little harm. The book said that it would likely strengthen the economy as well, because purchasing power would increase. Why, then, aren't other states/companies doing this?
Questions
1. What are your thoughts about Minnesota's comparable worth strategy? Do you think it could catch on in other states?
2. Why is there such a disparity between how workplaces treat mothers and fathers?
3. What do you think of flex-time, telecommuting, bringing children to work?
In regards to bringing children to work, I mentioned in my blog that I believe this policy would decrease productivity because you have a Mom or Dad taking time away from their work to care for the baby, and the co-workers in the vicinity may also become annoyed and less productive if the baby is fussy or crying. I realize that it would save people money but if their work suffers significantly, they may be fired, which would be even worse than spending money on child care.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's any reason for the comparable worth strategy not to catch on in other states. Why shouldn't women receive equal pay for doing work that involves similar skills, effort, and responsibility? This just seems like common sense to me.
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