Unit 3: Work
AP Language and Composition
Using information from class today, the visuals, and the four attached PDFs, write a response in how this can relate back to the essential question and your thoughts on work. Due 11/30/17.
Unit 2: Popular Culture AP Language and Composition Blog your response to the essential questions: 1. How is history defined by the “pop” culture of a society? 2. How does a person’s individual history (or life) differ from that of history textbooks? Why are both “versions” important for us to remember and study? 3. How has American pop culture evolved from the past to today?
Equal Pay
ReplyDeleteThis PDF revealed noteworthy statistics involving the jobs shared by men and women. Significantly, almost half of the jobs in the United States are filled by women. In fact, women dominate professional, service, sales, and office jobs. At first I was excited to find out that women contribute substantially to the work force. However, I became disappointed when I found out that the majority of jobs filled by women are mindless jobs. These jobs include secretaries, housekeeping, and food services. For the essential question I stated, “Accordingly, work the experiences gained from work teaches a person new skills and enable them to learn from their mistake.” Simple jobs that can be done by anyone do not provide opportunities to utilize special skills or learn anything useful.
Millennials and the Pay Gap
This article addressed the closing pay gap between men and women. Women are being paid significantly closer to what men make than previous years. Higher education can be held accountable for rising wages for women. Furthermore, the article also talks about advancing careers. Correspondingly, the percentage of those wanting to be a top manager is continuing to rise. Unfortunately, women are not given the same chance to advance in their careers. In the article, Jacob Galley observes, “Among working parents, 51 percent of mothers and just 16 percent of fathers say having children makes it harder for them to advance in their career. It follows that more mothers than fathers said their career had been interrupted in various ways by children” (1-2). This relates to my blog post when I commented, “Furthermore, work affects how a person lives their life. For example, a full-time student would spend most of their time studying or doing homework. Likewise, a part-time worker would have more free time to spend with family.” Women are still associated with housework such as laundry, cooking, and taking care of the children. Unfortunately, work can conflict with taking care of children.
Is Outsourcing a Problem, or is it Good for America?
Although outsourcing decreases the amount of jobs available, it has multiple benefits. By giving jobs overseas, manufacturing becomes less expensive. This also provides jobs to those in less fortunate countries and help boost their economies. Conversely, less jobs are available to citizens of the United States. The unemployment rate in the United States is affected negatively by outsourcing. Outsourcing also widens the gap between the upper-class and working class. In my response to the essential question, I briefly describe how work affects your daily life. The topic of outsourcing relates to my answer outsourcing affects the lives of many people. To illustrate, the working class is affected because they are able to save money on products that would normally cost more. They may also lose their jobs due to outsourcing. Workers will have to fight for their jobs or risk facing financial issues.
The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap
This article highlights the problems of the gender pay gap. Despite doing the same job, women are still paid significantly less than men. The gap becomes even larger depending on a person’s race. Interestingly, in the article it is expressed, “The gender pay gap has lifelong financial effects. For one, it contributes directly to women’s poverty. In 2016, 13 percent of American women ages 18-64 were living below the federal poverty level, compared with just 10 percent of men” (AAUW 6). Furthermore, the essential question asked how work shaped or influenced our lives. People work in order to make a living for themselves and possibly create a better future. Sadly, the pay gap makes it more difficult for women to earn enough money. Therefore, women must spend more time at work.
Education and work, as I have previously mentioned in my last response, go hand-in-hand together. However, for years this topic has been debated over constantly concerning equal pay. Women were not even allowed to attend school in history at first, and instead went straight to working at an age so young that people today would definitely consider it child abuse. So why is it that in a world where people of all genders and races are able to attend the exact same education together, but still end up at different points in life later on during work? In my past response, I wrote about the differences between a student who works hard with the want to go far in the future versus those who are merely there because they have to be or are forced to. If the former were to be put in the place of, for example, a woman versus the unmotivated male as the latter, it would make no sense for the male who did not try at all to earn more than the woman who had worked hard and still fell short. It had been proven tens of years ago that women showed a stronger dedication to education as well, though today that has changed. In the PDF titled "Millennials and the pay gap," the author states, "men are more likely than women to want to be a top manager" (Galley 1). This decline of confidence may have been the consequence of all the years they have been pushed down to stand below men in power. The cry for change may be the same, but those who believe in it truly happening are diminishing.
ReplyDeleteEven more, the results of a 2016 statistic of the United States have proven a wage gap between genders, finding that women had earned only 80% of what males did by working at the same job for the same amount of time and effort (AAUW 8). And not only have women for years received the short end of the stick in this matter, but when race was thrown into the mix, the numbers grew even more dismal. Referring back to "Millennials and the pay gap," Jacob Galley records, "The Pew Research study shows that 67 percent of those surveyed say that the United States needs to continue making changes to bring about equality in the workplace" (1). Students today are taught in history class to focus on how when they look a hundred years back and compare its problems to the present, they see immense improvement. But in the end, our nation's people must see that that, when applied to the older-than-the-U.S.-itself's fight for equality in all genders and races, could never be more wrong. We are merely taught to believe--or hope-- that it is true, and hang on for the wish that a hundred years from now, things will truly, finally be the way it should--equal.
Undeniably, as I have mentioned in my essential blog response, humans are working machines. All we really do is work, work, work to survive. Millennials occupy the majority of the workforce. The pay reward varies considerably. It is not a woman's fault for being born a woman. It is not her fault society favors man. It is not her fault society may view her as maladroit or softhearted for the "big boy jobs." But when WWII came, women dominated America by running business, filling in male-based jobs, and manufacturing bullets, and keeping the American spirits up.
ReplyDeleteI will probably not be around when the wage gap will finally close. According to Figure One in "The Simple Truth," it could take an additional 42-102 years before women earn the same as men. The info-graphic also provided that women earn $0.78 per dollar a man makes. A woman will never make the full one hundred percent of a man's earnings -- in 2016, the range was 70-89 percent. (Figure 2, "The Simple Truth")
There are people who struggle daily to keep food on the table, as well as to keep up with payments. This gap is significant because an individual's or family's well-being depends on the pay. What's more, speaking up against the wage discrimination is difficult -- in Arizona, employers are allowed to retaliate against their employees for taking action. ("The Simple Truth")
Education also plays a huge role in the work field. Woman never received formal education until mid-19th century. Recapping what I had written, students attend school to develop life skills and character. To be capable of contributing to society, one must pursue a lengthy education. If you worked a menial job or were handicapped in some way, you would be paid less. However, ambitious women who pursue higher degrees will have a harder time paying off debt. ("The Simple Truth") You may possess the knowledge and skills, but society employs you based on who and what you are.
As Maria and I have agreed upon, work runs our lives. Maria added on that "work serves as one's purpose and motivation for a socially acceptable and stable life." Working women who are mothers -- especially if they are single -- have no choice but to spend time away from home to care for herself and child(ren). Our current unemployment rate is 4.1%. Any lower and employers must pay larger wages. That is why outsourcing is popular. Not only does it expand firms in foreign countries, it is also cheaper to afford. Employers will not have to worry about expending too much resources. Since American employers can hire people that meet the requirements from virtually anywhere, American employees can be expected to be paid slightly more than foreign employees for the same job. ("Outsourcing" pdf)
Overall, work is to be done in the most efficient and least costly way possible. It is to be done by only the capable, but is to be given to those who are willing to suffer hardships.
America has neglected the needs of the working class citizens. While the top 1% accumulates wealth and prosperity, the working class citizens suffer from discrimination that affects their salary. Women, transgenders, and minorities are falling behind in the workforce. Discrimination is rampant inside of any occupation- and has been for years. For instance, "Preliminary evidence from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey also suggests that people who transition from male to female gender expression experience a drop in pay after the transition, while those who transition from female to male gender expression see no difference in pay or even a small increase." (AAUW 13). Workers who identify as transgender women are discouraged because they are painted as subservient due to their transition. Furthermore, women who transition to males see no difference in pay, alluding to male dominance. The little change in pay for a transgender male proves that the male gender expression is deserving of acceptance in the workforce, whereas the lower pay in transgender females proves that women are undeserving of their current salary. Women who are not transgender also experience the same type of unjust treatment and receive lower living wages as men, in fact, "On average, women make 78 cents for every dollar that a man earns" states the Equal Pay infographic. Women's image in the workforce mirrors their image in society- subservient to men. The everydaypressure and injustice that women are subject to is unacceptable. Society will never stabilize until every we reach gender equality.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned in my previous blog post, the desire for success in unanimous among all workers. "Among the Millennial generation, men's and women's career goals are more similar as 70 percent of men and 61 percent of women would like to be a boss or top manager someday." (Galley 1). Women and men work continuously for the chance to be promoted or receive a raise. However, it is unorthodox for women to question their salary or ask for a raise. "Traditionally, it has been socially expected (and therefore accepted) for men to negotiate for raises because negotiating conforms with the stereotype of men as assertive.", states The Simple Truth. Women who exude the same assertiveness that men do are seen as bossy and demanding, therefore makes it harder for them to have the same opportunity to progress. Women are silenced and unwilling to discuss salary changes.
-Carla
In my previous blogpost, I mentioned how work influences and shapes our lives. It puts pressure and negative on humanity, everyone aiming for the best or else they are below the others around them. This causes majority of people to work hard at becoming “successful”. However, many minority groups are given to obstacles face which makes it difficult to become “successful”. According to “The Simple Truth”, “In 2016, women working full time in the United States typically were paid just 80 percent of what men were paid, a gap of 20 percent (Semega et al., 2017).” The wage gap pushes women to work harder to be at the same level as their male peers. According to “The Simple Truth”, “Across all racial and ethnic groups, American women now earn more college and postgraduate degrees than men (U.S. Department of Education, 2016b).” A response to my previous blogpost mentions, “I feel as though some of these grievances are avoidable. For example, where a person ends up in life is all in his own hands.” But is it really? Is it really single mother’s own fault that she is getting paid less and can barely support her family, just because of her gender? The never ending cycle of working and taking care of their children is sometimes stressful and unavoidable for single mothers, and it is even worse that they have less money to keep food on the table. According to “The Simple Truth”, when experiencing sexual discrimination at work, “You may experience a physical and emotional toll that should be addressed and documented.” In the end, a majority of your success is determined by your privilege rather than your worth, which shows how negative work has shaped our society.
ReplyDeleteIn its entirety, work is something you take home with you whether you notice it or not. In some ways, it may be represented as graded papers and paperwork, or just the way you act. Working full time as a student, or working 75 hour weeks at the office or even doubles at the bar; changes you. Testimonials have shown for example that waitresses would tip more when they are out to eat, or shown to be more sympathetic towards customer service representatives, compared to perhaps an office worker. This influence that work imposes on you will never truly stay in the office. Moreover, that imposition will follow you from your classes at eight in the morning, to work at five, and home to study by ten. The feelings of determination, perseverance, and positive work ethic will linger like a fly in the room. To reference the cartoon titled, "The Great GAPsby Society," it shows how a hardworking individual such as the man on the right, does not even have the time to explain to the wealthier man how the wage gap is an issue since he must attend his other minimum-wage bearing job. While the wealthier, business man who is portrayed as greedy through the size of his body and his head being upheld, stands oblivious. Furthermore, take the wage gap between the two men and now subtract approximately a quarter of what he makes, and you are presented with a woman's wage. Women in the work force are influenced significantly as well since women's rights and equality in pay are still issues that they face today in 2017. However, this is a decreasingly prevalent issue women face today due to the narrowing difference in men's and women's earning. Another thing that may influence your life from your job is the size of your family. Statistics show that 51% of mothers and 16% of fathers say "having children makes it harder for them to advance in their career." This means, over half of women do not feel as though they can move up the ranks of their company as swiftly as they could without a child, whereas approximately one in every six men can relate to this statement. This influences if a women will have children and at what time in her life she may decide to do so, depending on her line of work. While all the more, work affecting individuals' lives and shaping the way they fit into the shoes that were set before them.
ReplyDeleteIn my previous response I touched on the importance of work, becoming a productive member of society requires a job or career. Society is built on work and without it we would be in complete dissaray. Unfortunately, although every single person earning money contributes to a stable economy, women are being taken advantage of. In modern society women are experiencing inequality and discrimination in the workforce. In “Equal Pay”, the statistics depict the undoubtable wage gap between male and female earnings. In fact on average women earn 79 cents for ever man’s dollar. What is more dismal, is that in male dominated professions such as police and sheriff’s patrol officers women earn even less, earning about 71 cents for every mans dollar. The statistics depicted in “Equal Pay” paint a greater picture than the money gap. It shines light on a deep rooted division dating back to the beginning of time. The truth is: women are viewed as inferior to men. That is why in a profession that is dominated by men such as public safety women earn significantly less, people do not believe they are capable of performing as well as their male counterparts. In addition, the infantilization of women has become a key component in the wage gap. Society seems to fixate on the idea of a “damzel in distress”. People seem to think women always need assistance making them appear as less valuable in the workforce. In reality, however, the attainment of education has given women the opportunity to break free of that stereotype and create their own image.In “Millennials and the Pay Gap” the author states, “Among people ages 25-32, 38 percent of women hold a bachelor’s degree compared with 31% of men (Galley 1).
ReplyDeleteThe wage gap does not only solely apply to women. Employees over seas are willing to accept considerably less money for their labor, resulting in the outsourcing of jobs to foreigners. By outsourcing jobs employers are providing jobs to people in other countries rather than in the county the business is based in. On the other hand, low wages can mean immense savings for the business reulting in lower prices for the customers. The pay overseas is about $6 less than the American pay for the same labor. The majority of Americans are opposed to outsourcing jobs, but in truth the kind of demanding labor that foreigners are willing to do for low pay does not even come close to the “American standard”. Americans have a tendency to believe they are superior, and would not do the work foreigners are willing to do for a low wage. Outsourcing is almost necessary for a business to thrive. In a time where the economy is not at its prime, the cheapest thing will always sell more.
In my previous blog response I touched on the limitations work can have on creativity. One of the responses I received explained that creativity is not limited by the workforce, it is created by it. It is true that the creativity of a scientist is not limited by showing up to work everyday. Being a scientist is fueling innovation instead of reducing it. Work is not to be viewed as a chore. The right career can promote innovation and further develop creative thinking.
Work can be both a blessing and a curse at times.Work has the power to bring people together and to drift people apart,creating relationships or tearing them down.The need for money and encouragement are driving forces of work.When one receives the reward for his effort which is the salary or wage,he/she feels a sense of pride and feels encouraged.Consider this analogy: you sat with two little kids,a male and a female. and you gave the little girl 2 cookies because using the excuse "she's a girl,she should watch her weight" and then you gave the boy 4 cookies using the excuse "you're a guy,you need the energy". The little girl will be upset (I know I would!) while the little boy will hold the cookies in her face and say that he got more because he "deserved more". Not fair right? Then why should paying women less then men be considered fair? Why should it take until year 2119 for women to reach pay equity with men? (Figure 1).
ReplyDeleteWomen's status has definitely been raised from past year. Yes women have gained rights but injustice still slips through the cracks. "Even after women leave the workforce the pay gap follows them. Because women typically are paid less than men during working years, when women retire they receive less income from Social Security, pensions, and other sources than do retired men (Fischer & Hayes, 2013)." Since women receive less income after retiring than men, many more women reach the line of poverty than men.Not only that, but African American women and Hispanic women receive lower pay than women belonging to other races.We are encouraged to work harder and to gain experience within the same career because "the more years you work here,the higher you get paid".Sadly that's not exactly the case for women, "From age 25 to age 54 women are typically paid 78–89 percent of what men are paid, depending on age. By the time workers reach 55 64 years old,women are paid only 74 percent of what men are paid (figure 5)".
We are supposed to learn from our mistakes, sadly our country doesn't and so progress isn't made.According to the Federal Equal Pay Legislation Time Line, in year 1963,the Equal Pay Act became law, requiring employers to give women and men employees equal pay for equal work.Sadly after 53 years ,10 months ,and 29 days, a women still earns about 78 cents for every dollar a man earns (WOMEN’S BUREAU U.S. Department of Labor.Not only do the women who give birth to men get paid less, but they are paid even less when they have children.As young kids, we are constantly urged to pursue high levels of education and women are told that they are equal to men but according to "the simple Truth, figure 6, women’s median earnings are less than men’s median earnings". Where does that fact fir into the word equal?
The classic “American dream” belief is usually viewed by foreigners as a sense of hope that anyone that goes to the United States will have the opportunity to strive in riches. Unfortunately, the crushing reality is that the “American dream” is just a chimerical fantasy fueled by unrealistic expectations. Economic prosperity in this country has been an ongoing obstacle for the average American for decades. Reaching the level of millionaire status may be dream for some, but for others, reaching the level of stable living is the main priority. The ongoing wealth gap and class division of this country has led to some social disputes. The majority of Americans work hard to survive in life, yet still face financial issues due to the clash between company and worker. Raising wages have been a topical debate over the past few years due to millions of Americans struggling to live a substantial life. Inequality in the workforce give many minority groups a severe disadvantage to earn income. I truly do believe that hard work is important to succeed. However, when certain groups of people have to work harder and longer to gain the same pay as another group that works less, that is when this system of unfairness must be resolved. In the PDF “Equal Pay”, women suffer a financial disadvantage compared to men. General statistics by the Women’s Bureau of the US Department of labor illustrate that women earn less income than men for the same amount of work. This imbalance between the two genders make it difficult for American women to live properly. Even a difference in a few cents can impact a person’s income over the course of years. Women lose thousands of dollars for doing the same work as a man. In the PDF “The Simple Truth”, it delves deep beyond women and into different minority groups. The median salary between different ethnic groups demonstrate a wild disproportion. Moreover, people with different sexual orientation face workplace discrimination and harassment. Obviously, America’s social issues directly attack a minority’s lifestyle, yet the struggle still continues. Gender, race, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs should absolutely never be determining factors to establish one’s pay. In my personal opinion, the leverage in pay should solely based on merit. An individual’s work ethic, quality of working, amount of time working, and performance should be reasons someone’s pay should be higher or lower.
ReplyDeleteUpon reading the visuals and the four attached pdfs, I gained more perspective on how work influences our lives. In the previous blog post, I mentioned how the idea of work has been introduced to a majority at a young age and stressed upon as the person transitions to adulthood. It is in human nature to thrive on motivation towards finding a purpose or working towards a goal; without cultivating one’s education, work ethics and becoming a successful contributor to society, these poor individuals are tossed to the side and frowned upon. So, therefore, people work towards finding a suitable occupation capable of providing stability and social acceptance.
ReplyDeleteThe PDFS provide social commentary on how the workforce is affected by certain factors and how it should change. The iconic wartime poster “Rosie the Riveter” served as motivation for women to join the workforce and contribute more to society; once more, the idea of work has influenced how our lives work, because the boost of women in the workforce called for social reforms and equal pay. On average, a woman makes 78 cent to a man’s dollar; this ratio is changed on different occupations, though it is prevalent in all types of industry and significant in how our society views the two genders. Not only does this gender disparity cause notable incomes from the two parties, the pay gap also affects how future generations will grow into and then mold our society. In the article, “Millennials and the Pay Gap”, it says, “Among working parents, 51 percent of mothers and just 16 percent of fathers say having children makes it harder for them to advance in their career...more mothers than fathers said their career had been interrupted in various ways by children...there is no such gender gap among childless Millennials...believe that having children will likely make it harder for them to advance in their career....although Millennial men and women appear to be starting their careers on fairly equal footing, Millennial women nonetheless believe that women face an uphill climb for equal treatment by society and by employers” ( Galley 1-2). Work has often played a major role in how a child is raised in his/her household; if either the mother and the father are having financial disputes, this often affects how the child will enter adulthood and workforce. How will future young girls grow up surrounded by gender pay gaps and obstacles that her brother may not experience?
Not only does the pay gap illustrate how work shapes our lives, but the controversy with outsourcing also plays a role in our society. Since outsourcing involves workers working abroad--typically a practice used by corporations to obtain more profit--, the citizens of American companies and industries will endure competition and pressure to obtain a jobs; this is, because an employer will lean towards hiring an Indian worker--capable of the equal suits--as opposed to the worker in the domestic country, as it will cost more to pay the latter. In “Is Outsourcing a Problem or Is It Good for America”, it says, “...the United States is now one of the fastest- growing countries as a destination for outsourcing...The Internet allows firms to select contractors from all over the globe and hire whoever has the skills to fit the project”.Despite the added competition, jobs have also surfaced in favor for the Americans, as freelance work have served as a portion of Americans’ source of income. However, for the rest of the world, outsourcing may have created jobs such as sweatshops in third-world countries, in which ensues unethical practices. Once more, the idea of work has and will always dictate our lives, because people will continue to find work and work towards it; work and jobs are essential to how we function and live everyday.
( I just indented for better viewing and organization )
DeleteUpon reading the visuals and the four attached pdfs, I gained more perspective on how work influences our lives. In the previous blog post, I mentioned how the idea of work has been introduced to a majority at a young age and stressed upon as the person transitions to adulthood. It is in human nature to thrive on motivation towards finding a purpose or working towards a goal; without cultivating one’s education, work ethics and becoming a successful contributor to society, these poor individuals are tossed to the side and frowned upon. So, therefore, people work towards finding a suitable occupation capable of providing stability and social acceptance.
The PDFS provide social commentary on how the workforce is affected by certain factors and how it should change. The iconic wartime poster “Rosie the Riveter” served as motivation for women to join the workforce and contribute more to society; once more, the idea of work has influenced how our lives work, because the boost of women in the workforce called for social reforms and equal pay. On average, a woman makes 78 cent to a man’s dollar; this ratio is changed on different occupations, though it is prevalent in all types of industry and significant in how our society views the two genders. Not only does this gender disparity cause notable incomes from the two parties, the pay gap also affects how future generations will grow into and then mold our society. In the article, “Millennials and the Pay Gap”, it says, “Among working parents, 51 percent of mothers and just 16 percent of fathers say having children makes it harder for them to advance in their career...more mothers than fathers said their career had been interrupted in various ways by children...there is no such gender gap among childless Millennials...believe that having children will likely make it harder for them to advance in their career....although Millennial men and women appear to be starting their careers on fairly equal footing, Millennial women nonetheless believe that women face an uphill climb for equal treatment by society and by employers” ( Galley 1-2). Work has often played a major role in how a child is raised in his/her household; if either the mother and the father are having financial disputes, this often affects how the child will enter adulthood and workforce. How will future young girls grow up surrounded by gender pay gaps and obstacles that her brother may not experience?
Not only does the pay gap illustrate how work shapes our lives, but the controversy with outsourcing also plays a role in our society. Since outsourcing involves workers working abroad--typically a practice used by corporations to obtain more profit--, the citizens of American companies and industries will endure competition and pressure to obtain a jobs; this is, because an employer will lean towards hiring an Indian worker--capable of the equal suits--as opposed to the worker in the domestic country, as it will cost more to pay the latter. In “Is Outsourcing a Problem or Is It Good for America”, it says, “...the United States is now one of the fastest- growing countries as a destination for outsourcing...The Internet allows firms to select contractors from all over the globe and hire whoever has the skills to fit the project”.Despite the added competition, jobs have also surfaced in favor for the Americans, as freelance work have served as a portion of Americans’ source of income. However, for the rest of the world, outsourcing may have created jobs such as sweatshops in third-world countries, in which ensues unethical practices. Once more, the idea of work has and will always dictate our lives, because people will continue to find work and work towards it; work and jobs are essential to how we function and live everyday.
America's workforce has neglected its women as a workforce and as a society. One of the responses to my earlier blog, Vivian, stated that most people end up with a job and a career that they do not like, and they end up despising their life and career choice as a result. As a result, work effectively controls a person's life and how they feel about themselves and the success they have achieved. The pay gap varies among professions, but men continue to systematically earn more money than women while doing the same work. In the equal-pay info graphic, The Women's Bureau writes "Women represent almost half of the total workforce, but their share of employment varies considerably across occupational groups" (Woman Bureau 1). In the workforce, women's pay varies from 67 cents to 81 cents compared to a man's dollar for doing the same work. With the amount of time and effort that people put into work, you would expect that people who do the same work would be payed the same, regardless of their gender. The information in the info graph proves that the wage gap has increased in recent years. Combined with opposition against raising the minimum wage, work continues to play a central part in everyone's lives and responses to my blog agreed that work is more of a tiring obligation than something optional. Additionally, starting work at a young age makes you more susceptible to losing interest in schoolwork and may cause your grades to slip if you do not manage your time effectively. In addition, if you are working at a job that you do not enjoy, your work will be that much more boring and upsetting for you. Based on the info graph and my classmates' responses, work takes everything into account and influences your emotions, lifestyle, and income.
ReplyDeleteThe effects work have on people's lives extends far beyond the regular hours. Monthly Labor writes, "Among working parents, 51 percent of mothers and just 16 percent of fathers say having children makes it harder for them to advance in their career" (Monthly Labor 1). With children, most of the money you earn from work will go to them. Women are severely disadvantaged in pursuing their career and dreams based on these statistics. Taking care of children is a thankless and incredibly stressful job, and children make things especially difficult for single mothers and women who want to advance in their careers. The amount of hours people work and the type of work people do greatly affect how much they earn and how they are able to provide for their children and their family. After watching the video called "The Race of Life" in class today, it painted a stellar picture on work not only impact you as a person, but also shows how your parents' careers affect the lives of the children and the opportunities they are given.
In my previous blog response, I mentioned about how humans are programmed to work. However, after looking at the visuals, reading the PDFs, and the discussion during class, my perspective has changed. Though there are several negative effects, such as stress and exhaustion, work ethic is developed to create a better versions of ourselves. People strive and work hard to only believe that they will make it to the top and become successful. But, if the finish line is "success", then where do we start? After watching a video titled "The Race of Life", it appears that everyone has a different starting point. Some children have more privileges or advantages compared to others such as: living in a stable financial state, having both parents in the house, or not worrying about future college costs. These advantages show how the career of our parents or guardians affect and influence their children. It is based on the child's work ethic, whether or not they'll reach to the top, success.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, upon entering the work force, specific groups have troubles. Despite being considered as equals and working the same job, men and women earn different amounts of pay. According to the PDF entitled "The Simple Truth", "In 2016, women working full time in the United States typically were paid just 80 percent of what men were paid, a gap of 20 percent."(AAU 1). However, this pay gap does not only stop between men and women. Different races, religions, sexual orientations, education levels, and so on also come into the picture of this pay gap. Those who are "different" have difficult experiences in the work force. For example, they are treated unfairly in the work environment, they have more hours than other privileged people, and they have more work load. In particular, parents suffer more due to the long work hours. For instance, "It folllows that more mothers than fathers said their career had been interrupted in various ways by children...as both men and women believe that having children will likely make it harder for them to advance in their career."(Monthly Review 1). Referring back to my first paragraph, parents need to remember that they create the stepping stones for their children. Overall, because it is believed that success is given to those who work very hard, those with excellent work ethic deserve the reward, fairly.
The pay gap relates to how work shapes/influences our lives because it is the outcome of our work. Women are paid less than men and so are affected greatly by that. We are surrounded by work our whole lives. It affects everything in life even when we stop working we are affected by what job we had. "Because women typically are paid less than men during working years, when women retire they receive less income from Social Security, pensions, and other sources than do retired men (Fischer & Hayes, 2013). Other benefits such as disability and life insurance are also smaller for women, because these benefits usually are based on earnings"(The Simple Truth, 5). As I have stated in the first blog, the way we get treated depends on our type of job, our work. Women have been stereotyped to work in education, office and administrative support, and health care occupations while men have been stereotyped to work in construction, maintenance and repair, and production and transportation occupations. "Jobs traditionally associated with men tend to pay better than traditionally female-dominated jobs that require the same level of skill (Hegewisch & Hartmann, 2014)" (The Simple Truth, 17). Even though millennials have closed the pay gap a little bit by doing jobs stereotyped for the other gender, women are still treated with less respect than men. In the fist blog I mentioned how children are pushed to do great on their schoolwork to then go to college and do more schoolwork. In our society, it is ideal that you do great in school so that you get into a great college and then get an amazing job but "At every level of academic achievement, women’s median earnings are less than men’s median earnings (figure 6). In some cases the gender pay gap is larger at higher levels of education" (The Simple Truth, 13). Because of this disparity in earnings, women with college debt have a harder time paying it off than men. Even though more women are earning more higher degrees than men they are still making less money which shows how our society still does not respect women as a whole.
ReplyDeleteIn my previous response to the essential question, I mentioned that work shapes every aspect of our lives, whether we like it or not. This opinion has not changed after reading each PDF, but now I realize the many different groups and how they are each affected. In, "The Great Gapsby Society," cartoon the division between the classes is very highlighted. This exemplifies how unaware the wealthy 1% is of the needs of the poor- mainly because they were born into this class and because of the work of their ancestors, they have a stable economic path. Their wealth and greed is clear from the cartoon because the poor man looks skinny and fragile while the older man is round-body and with his head held up high. Another example of a group suffering form the inequality in the workforce is presented in the "Equal Pay" PDF- women. This document indicates the distribution of women in different fields and the amount they get payed in comparison with males in the same job. Again, something that people have no control, like their gender, affects their jobs and in turn their lifestyles. This comes to show that jobs could be worked for, but the amount of work that a person does is not a reflection of where they will end up. To continue, the three longer documents evaluate research and give a more in depth analysis. By doing so, it paints a cleared picture of how jobs affect people day to day. For example, in "Millenials and the Pay Gap" it states, “Among working parents, 51 percent of mothers and just 16 percent of fathers say having children makes it harder for them to advance in their career...more mothers than fathers said their career had been interrupted in various ways by children..." This indicates a more specific problem as opposed to the other visuals. That specific paragraph talks about the way that children, especially unplanned children, greatly affect the lives of parents but more so of mothers. The social structure of the United States is unbalanced and despite the efforts to bring gender and social equality, it cannot be controlled.
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