What is your solution to eliminating the sexual division of labor in the US?
How long have you had an opinion on this sexual division of labor? And was there a specific event in your life that made you want to express your opinions to readers?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Kessler-Harris questions
Your essay is pretty limited to sexual division of labor. What are your thoughts on racial division of labor and international division of labor.
Kessler-Harris Questions
1. What do you think of the economic forecast for America that women may surpass men in payroll this year? (This is from a New York Times article.) Would this change be a temporary thing due to America's dire economic outlook, and could it lead the way to women gaining equal status with men in the labor force? How long do you think it will be before this happens?
2. Do you think your theory of sexual stratification in the labor market applies to the black labor market? Is it even possible to draw any conclusions about the racial or sexual stratification of the black labor market?
3.In your opinion, how well off do you consider women in today's society? Do you feel that they are still being visibly discriminated against as often compared to a decade or two ago? Do you think the incorporation of the ERA into the Constitution would change anything for "disadvantaged" groups?
2. Do you think your theory of sexual stratification in the labor market applies to the black labor market? Is it even possible to draw any conclusions about the racial or sexual stratification of the black labor market?
3.In your opinion, how well off do you consider women in today's society? Do you feel that they are still being visibly discriminated against as often compared to a decade or two ago? Do you think the incorporation of the ERA into the Constitution would change anything for "disadvantaged" groups?
Questions
1. Where do you see fathers roles in the family today? With more mothers entering the work force there have been more fathers staying home with the children. Are fathers still seen primarily as the provider or are the gender roles blurring enough to allow there to be the possibility of a switch or a combination?
2. A lot of your essay focuses on the development of women in the work place and how things gradually started to change. Where to do you see women at now in the working world? Do you think it is possible for women to have both a successful career and a well run family? Or is it even all still put on their shoulders to make sure the home is in order?
3. Do you think there is a significant change in family dynamics with a lot of families now having both parents working? If there is a change is it bad enough to make you think that the family structure would be better off with the mother staying home and taking care of everything? Or if someone has to stay home could it be the father? -- What is your ideal situation between the parents, home life and working?
Questions for Kessler-Harris
1) How do you think matriarchies affect the dynamics of the family and of the community? If the social roles that you mention are reversed and men were to become the primary caretakers of the family and the household, (while women assumed political and economic authority), would they feel as exploited by an unbalanced distribution of domestic labor as women generally do? And with women occupying the seats of power as legislators and employers, would you predict that there would be the same degree of labor segmentation? In other words, is this stratification a product of a purely male or purely female social dominance, or can it be attributed to human nature in general? Do you think it is a natural instinct for the stronger gender (whichever that may be at any particular point in time)to allocate the most unfavorable conditions and most undesirable jobs to the weaker gender? Or are there certain qualities in males and females that make one gender more prone than the other to enforce the division of labor when it is in control?
2) You mention the protective legislation that reduced “the economic desirability of female employees” (Kessler-Harris, 111) by placing restrictions on the conditions within which women were allowed to work. Although you state that it first appeared in the US at the start of 1900s, do you feel as if there are forms of protective legislation (not necessarily for factory workers but for more white-collar jobs) that are a hindrance for either male or female laborers today?
3) Which do you think is currently the most significant and prominent factor in the segmentation of labor - gender, class, or race?
2) You mention the protective legislation that reduced “the economic desirability of female employees” (Kessler-Harris, 111) by placing restrictions on the conditions within which women were allowed to work. Although you state that it first appeared in the US at the start of 1900s, do you feel as if there are forms of protective legislation (not necessarily for factory workers but for more white-collar jobs) that are a hindrance for either male or female laborers today?
3) Which do you think is currently the most significant and prominent factor in the segmentation of labor - gender, class, or race?
Questions for Kessler-Harris
1. You mention that the middle-class women working at the Lowell factories were replaced by Irish immigrant workers. These Irish were clearly later replaced by other immigrants. What do you have to say about this "replacement process" and what happens to the first group of immigrants that has been "replaced"?
2. In an age when it is now not that unusual to see the woman in the family making more money than the man, how would you say this has affected gender relations and the structure of the family in those particular families?
3. What would you say the effect of more women working full-time jobs has had on the domestic sphere? Has that impact been positive or negative?
2. In an age when it is now not that unusual to see the woman in the family making more money than the man, how would you say this has affected gender relations and the structure of the family in those particular families?
3. What would you say the effect of more women working full-time jobs has had on the domestic sphere? Has that impact been positive or negative?
questions
In all the essays we have read in class there was a pattern of not acknowledging subgroups affected by domestic workers. One group is children; What is your take on the children who do not have their own mother at home? Why are not they acknowledged as an important group effected by domestic workers?
Relating to the children again, as you were writing your essay and collecting data did any of the mothers mention the difficulty of leaving their own households to serve another? and how did the family deal with it?
Watching and observing different studies and other methods to compose this essay, did you see or were you told how the family dealt with the mother leaving home? Can you give a specific example?
Relating to the children again, as you were writing your essay and collecting data did any of the mothers mention the difficulty of leaving their own households to serve another? and how did the family deal with it?
Watching and observing different studies and other methods to compose this essay, did you see or were you told how the family dealt with the mother leaving home? Can you give a specific example?
Questions for Kessler-Harris
1. You wrote, "The belief that women belonged at home permitted employers to exploit working women by treating them as though their earnings were merely supplemental" (103). This is referring to the early 1900s, but are women still paid less than men today? If so, and if this was the initial reason women were paid less than men - do employers today still think this rings true, or what's their new reason?
2. What do you think of the place for male-homemakers in today's society? How is public opinion about gender roles changing or not changing?
3. In the late 1800s, "for one's wife to be working meant that the husband had failed" (106) - is this still true? If so, how is different along class and race division lines?
4. You go into a little bit of detail about "the glamorous flapper" (113) - what was the real effect of this for women during the 1920s and beyond?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Kessler-Harris Questions
1. Your article "Stratifying by Sex" gave a detailed critique and history of the sexual division of labor, yet doesn't explore as much the recent phenomenon of educated women being called to a career, while simultaneously feeling driven to uphold the cult of domesticity. What are some of the roots of this? Does this represent a a positive movement forward for women, or is it instead a sort of self-inflicted glass ceiling?
2. Your article obviously focuses on working women. I am interested to know, however, what you think about the role of men in the home. You argue that the home and the workplace are mutually dependent on each other. Is this true for working men as well?
3. In Andrew Wiese’s article, “The Other Suburbanites: African American Suburbanization in the North before 1950”, Wiese writes, “Middle-class white suburbanites could generally afford to live on the salary of a male breadwinner alone, and the limited research on working-class white suburbanites suggests that few married women work outside the home. In contrast, working-class black families who aspired to a home in the suburbs often relied on the income of both parents” (1510). He goes on to give statistics that show that black women were primarily employed for economic reasons. How have women, such as the majority of black women post-1900s who have always been employed thus dealt with the tension between work and home?
2. Your article obviously focuses on working women. I am interested to know, however, what you think about the role of men in the home. You argue that the home and the workplace are mutually dependent on each other. Is this true for working men as well?
3. In Andrew Wiese’s article, “The Other Suburbanites: African American Suburbanization in the North before 1950”, Wiese writes, “Middle-class white suburbanites could generally afford to live on the salary of a male breadwinner alone, and the limited research on working-class white suburbanites suggests that few married women work outside the home. In contrast, working-class black families who aspired to a home in the suburbs often relied on the income of both parents” (1510). He goes on to give statistics that show that black women were primarily employed for economic reasons. How have women, such as the majority of black women post-1900s who have always been employed thus dealt with the tension between work and home?
Kessler-Harris Questions
1) How did the large number of children working in factories affect the family structure, women's roles at home, and women's roles in the workforce?
2) Is the participation of women in the American military a step toward eradicating the stratification of labor by gender, or is the military merely an extension of this stratification? Do women still occupy mostly "female" positions in the military (i.e., are their positions the most closely related to the "social reproduction of labor")?
3) In the 1950s, many men and women encouraged working women to quit their jobs and claimed that the woman's place was in the home. It is interesting to me that many women went along with this notion. Why do you think this is?
Questions for Kessler-Harris
1. The essay seems to be somewhat limited geographically, focusing mainly on the sexual division of labor in the labor market in the northeast of the United States. What about outside this region? Can the sexual division of labor be thought of as the same? Different?
2. The essay discusses how technological advances in the mill industry affected women's roles. What about technological advances in the home? How did the inventions of the vacuum cleaner and the washing machine affect women's roles for example? How did the women make use of the new time they had?
3. We see how women fit into the labor market, but how does the father fit into the household? What is the moral role of the father?
4. How does the presence of children in the labor market affect the family structure?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
3 Exhibits for Work
“Working Mother” is an interesting product of a society in which educated women are becoming more career driven and thus work more outside the home. A magazine targeted primarily toward career-oriented middle class educated women, this magazine deals directly with the tension many women feel between working outside the home and upholding the remnants of the ‘cult of domesticity’ as mentioned in Kessler-Harris’ article. It is interesting to note that the magazine is not entitled ‘motherly worker’, but rather ‘working mother’: the adjective describes the primary role of motherhood, with ‘working’ just being a description of the type of mother. The title ‘Working Mother’ thus emphasizes that you are primarily a mother. The articles we read skirt around the issue of career-driven women: Kessler-Harris’ “Stratifying by Sex” addresses history of women in work, but does little to address the tension many women now feel between their pull toward the work force and their simultaneous maternal desires. Parrenas’ article merely addresses the effects of the tension between work and family: hiring of cheap domestic work to fill the void that women leave in their 9 to 5 job. “Working Mother” explicitly addresses the gap that these three articles leave. While it appears to be a modern and forward magazine, the magazine actually embodies the suppressing of the continuously resurfacing social piranha of women’s equality in the workplace. By saying that women are working mothers, we do not have to address that women are just as qualified as men. Magazines such as “Working Mothers” continue to emphasize the fact that women are mothers before they are ‘workers’. This tricky tension eventually causes women to form a self-created glass ceiling: women are continuously called to their place in their families by society. They thus give divided attention to their job and cannot succeed as much as their male counterparts. Educated, career-driven women thus crash into their own self-created glass ceilings.
“Indonesia: Protect Child Domestic Workers” is an article addressing the increasing use of female child domestic workers in Indonesia. The article addresses the fact that thousands of young girls ages 11-18 are employed in domestic work, primarily “cooking, cleaning, laundry, and child care”. More significantly, these girls are often mostly underpaid and abused emotionally, sexually, or physically. All of the articles we have read overlook the use of very young women in domestic work primarily in poorer countries. This early use of girls in domestic work very much limits their perceived potential. One 16 year old Indonesian girl says, “I work from 4 AM to midnight. I am not allowed to rest”. This article thus presents a new case of women being employed from the age of 11 in domestic work, thus placing the effects of servitude that Glenn mentions on women of a much earlier age.
The three articles also overlook the fact that many women were forced to work alongside their husbands due to economic need. In Andrew Wiese’s article, “The Other Suburbanites: African American Suburbanization in the North before 1950”, Wiese addresses the ingrained idea of the black working woman. He writes, “Middle-class white suburbanites could generally afford to live on the salary of a male breadwinner alone, and the limited research on working-class white suburbanites suggests that few married women work outside the home. In contrast, working-class black families who aspired to a home in the suburbs often relied on the income of both parents” (1510). He goes on to give statistics that show that black women were primarily employed for economic reasons. All of the articles we read overlooked the need for certain women to be employed. How have women who have always been employed thus dealt with the tension between work and home?
“Indonesia: Protect Child Domestic Workers” is an article addressing the increasing use of female child domestic workers in Indonesia. The article addresses the fact that thousands of young girls ages 11-18 are employed in domestic work, primarily “cooking, cleaning, laundry, and child care”. More significantly, these girls are often mostly underpaid and abused emotionally, sexually, or physically. All of the articles we have read overlook the use of very young women in domestic work primarily in poorer countries. This early use of girls in domestic work very much limits their perceived potential. One 16 year old Indonesian girl says, “I work from 4 AM to midnight. I am not allowed to rest”. This article thus presents a new case of women being employed from the age of 11 in domestic work, thus placing the effects of servitude that Glenn mentions on women of a much earlier age.
The three articles also overlook the fact that many women were forced to work alongside their husbands due to economic need. In Andrew Wiese’s article, “The Other Suburbanites: African American Suburbanization in the North before 1950”, Wiese addresses the ingrained idea of the black working woman. He writes, “Middle-class white suburbanites could generally afford to live on the salary of a male breadwinner alone, and the limited research on working-class white suburbanites suggests that few married women work outside the home. In contrast, working-class black families who aspired to a home in the suburbs often relied on the income of both parents” (1510). He goes on to give statistics that show that black women were primarily employed for economic reasons. All of the articles we read overlooked the need for certain women to be employed. How have women who have always been employed thus dealt with the tension between work and home?
Exhibits for Conversation Essay
1. Women's Roles in the South Korean Labor Market
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3487187?seq=9
In their paper titled "South Korean Labor Market Discrimination Against Women: Estimating Its Cost," Elizabeth Monk-Turner and Charlie G. Turner examine the role of women in the South Korean labor market and the economic implications of a sexually segregated labor market. This exhibit adds to the Kessler-Harris essay by explaining how equality in the labor market could benefit the South Korean economy. The Turners explain that if women were to be treated as equals in the work force, the Korean economy could realize its full potential. Kessler-Harris never went into detail about the benefits come about in an equal labor force. The Turner's analysis could be used as an argument to convince a government to impose equality labor laws in the labor market.
2. Black Labor Market
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14231
One of the underlying assumptions that Kessler-Harris, Glenn, and Parrenas made in their essays was that the labor market in which women participated in operated under the definition of a "market economy." In other words, all exchanges between buyers and sellers are free from outside intervention. This exhibit reminds us that the labor market does not operate under a "market economy" since external forces shape the market economy. In this case, the external force is the black market. Thus, one is led to ask whether the black market follows the same types of stratification as outlined by the aforementioned essayists. Are women sexually segregated in the black labor market, and if so, do class, race, and globalization play a role in shaping these stratifications?
3. When Men Clean
http://newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=611
This article explains some of the benefits that men may incur if they take up more of their share of domestic labor, such as better behaved children and "wives who find them more sexually attractive." It would be interesting to further explore how the relationship between a husband and wife would change if the man took up more of the household chores than the wife. Ehrenreich only considers the typical case of females doing most of the housework. Even if men did more housework, would families still hire domestic workers to clean their houses?
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3487187?seq=9
In their paper titled "South Korean Labor Market Discrimination Against Women: Estimating Its Cost," Elizabeth Monk-Turner and Charlie G. Turner examine the role of women in the South Korean labor market and the economic implications of a sexually segregated labor market. This exhibit adds to the Kessler-Harris essay by explaining how equality in the labor market could benefit the South Korean economy. The Turners explain that if women were to be treated as equals in the work force, the Korean economy could realize its full potential. Kessler-Harris never went into detail about the benefits come about in an equal labor force. The Turner's analysis could be used as an argument to convince a government to impose equality labor laws in the labor market.
2. Black Labor Market
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14231
One of the underlying assumptions that Kessler-Harris, Glenn, and Parrenas made in their essays was that the labor market in which women participated in operated under the definition of a "market economy." In other words, all exchanges between buyers and sellers are free from outside intervention. This exhibit reminds us that the labor market does not operate under a "market economy" since external forces shape the market economy. In this case, the external force is the black market. Thus, one is led to ask whether the black market follows the same types of stratification as outlined by the aforementioned essayists. Are women sexually segregated in the black labor market, and if so, do class, race, and globalization play a role in shaping these stratifications?
3. When Men Clean
http://newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=611
This article explains some of the benefits that men may incur if they take up more of their share of domestic labor, such as better behaved children and "wives who find them more sexually attractive." It would be interesting to further explore how the relationship between a husband and wife would change if the man took up more of the household chores than the wife. Ehrenreich only considers the typical case of females doing most of the housework. Even if men did more housework, would families still hire domestic workers to clean their houses?
3 Exhibits
1) "Father's Care" by Charles A. Smith: This article talks about the different "types" of fathers there are, from "The Wallet" dad who just makes money and takes little part in the rearing of the child to "The Caregiver" who is cooperative in both child rearing and homemaking. The article deals with the changing role of the father over time, why now more fathers are caregivers instead of just wallets. The two explanations explored in the article are the rising number of women working, and the rising divorce rate.
2) "Family policies 'dad-proofed' to give fathers bigger role - but no extra paternity leave" by Polly Curtis. This article appeared in The Guardian on 21 Feb 2009. The article talks about the recent reforms made specifically in Whitehall, England, to involve the father in children's caregiving such as sending school reports to divorced fathers as well as home addresses, and allowing the father to stay overnight in the hospital with the mother after a baby is born. The article talks about how father's feel marginalized in a "mother-dominated" family policy. The article sites some statistics about how the hours that fathers spend with their children have gone up this century.
3) "Role of Father" from http://info.ag.vt.edu/vce/offices/newsletters/role_of_father.pdf This excerpt goes into detail about how father's face a new role in today's society because women are working rather than just being homemakers. It talks about the "second shift" for mothers, and also delves into the problems facing fathers today who are balancing being nurturing and at the same time remembering the more traditional roles their own fathers had in their lives.
Exhibit
My first exhibit is an article by Patricia M. Greenfield titled "What happens when parents and nannies come from different cultures? Comparing the care giving belief systems of nannies and their employers" This extends to previous arguments of domestic labor of a nanny as opposed to a house cleaner. The example used in the article is Hispanic nanny's serving white households in America. Adding to earlier readings this article discusses the effect on the children which was nonexistent in the readings.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W52-4SFY3VY-
1&_user=18704&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000002018&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=18704&md5=7f50441a3aa35f263d8d200e7ef2071f
My second exhibit comes from the Washington post and is written by Katherine Shaver and is titled "Stay-at-Home Dads Forge New Identities, Roles" This article is about the rise of the stay at home father and the fathers feel about the role reversal from the more traditional stay at home mother , which was discussed in previous reading. This adds to the other readings by taking the fathers view in the situation as opposed to discussing females taking care of the household.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601289.html
My third exhibit is an article from associated content and is written by Steve Thomson and is titled the "Pros and Cons of hiring a male nanny". This article describes the positives and negatives of a male nanny but then later goes on to say that it is all based on gender stereotypes and is based on the individual. This exhibit extends previous readings by the gender roll reversal that is portrayed by male nannies.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W52-4SFY3VY-
1&_user=18704&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000002018&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=18704&md5=7f50441a3aa35f263d8d200e7ef2071f
My second exhibit comes from the Washington post and is written by Katherine Shaver and is titled "Stay-at-Home Dads Forge New Identities, Roles" This article is about the rise of the stay at home father and the fathers feel about the role reversal from the more traditional stay at home mother , which was discussed in previous reading. This adds to the other readings by taking the fathers view in the situation as opposed to discussing females taking care of the household.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601289.html
My third exhibit is an article from associated content and is written by Steve Thomson and is titled the "Pros and Cons of hiring a male nanny". This article describes the positives and negatives of a male nanny but then later goes on to say that it is all based on gender stereotypes and is based on the individual. This exhibit extends previous readings by the gender roll reversal that is portrayed by male nannies.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/160807/pros_and_cons_of_hiring_a_male_nanny_pg2.html?cat=25
3 Exhibits
1. Stay at Home Dads
The essays we read looked mostly at women that take care of their children or women that they hire. A new angle to look at would be men that decide to stay home with their children and tend to give up their careers. In the DC area there is a group called DCMetroDads which provides opportunities for stay at home dads to get together. It is part of a larger national group called Daddyshome inc.. I think it would be interesting to look into this and how it changes the family dynamic and the previously stricter gender roles. There is another article I found interviewing a few stay at home dads that find they can plan their time better therefore allowing for more leisure time which most women they have seen lack.
2. "Mannies"
The new phenomenon is catching on around the world with families hiring male nannies instead of the conventional female ones. There is a facet of security along with the idea of being able to take care of the peoples children. One family talked about the comfort they felt with leaving their kids at home with their male nanny. Not only does he help out around the house but he acts as an older brother to the kids providing them with something new. There are many stereotypes that go a long with male childcare providers so to look at how that is different to the pervious gender roles would be interesting.
3. Latino Domestic workers hired by Latinos
In an article I found it talked about how Latinos have often found it more difficult to work under another Latino then a white family. The workers talk about how it is difficult when they are yelled at by someone of their own race because they feel like it is even more condescending. I think this relationship adds something to the other essays we have been reading because most of them have focused on the idea of different races working together. Organizations such as Mujeres Unidas y Activas provide help to Latinos trying to find work. Looking into people that they have helped and other statistics may provide more information to back up the argument.
Exhibits
My first exhibit comes from Jacueline Andall in an essay she wrote titled "Working Woman: The Global Effects on the Female Workforce and Their Families." After reading the progression of domestic workers there were still some gaps that were not mentioned or completely. One such question is how do the children of these domestic workers feel about their jobs and what is the side effect of it. Andall does a better job explaining that "social and behavioral development" has a negative effect towards these children. It might lead to aggression and depression, and sometimes some of these children take the route of taking their own lives. Andall explains more of the mental and emotional state of the child without really producing stats. She bases her article on several sources and studies. Her essay falls exactly on the likes of Glenn and Parenas on how woman of different ethnicity leave their homes to ironically take care of other families. The concern of "insecure attachment" between the child and the mother is what Andall explains and what the other authors fail to explain on a deeper level. Only Parenas really made an effort of acknowledging the other groups affected by this globalization of domestic work and refers it to "rearing children."
http://www.readourpapers.com/anthropology/working-woman-the-global-effects-on-the-female-workforce-and-their-families.phtml
My second exhibit consisits of an article posted on the BBC News website in 2001 explaining the affects of working mothers as a whole. It does not follow Parenas essay of globalization but it does fit into the topic of working mothers in the United States. The artilce refers to several sources and studies and one study by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation based on a 1200 person population found that children who had mothers who went to work to early "were less likely to achiece A-levels." This study extended that the children would suffer down the road into their adulthoods because it created psychological problems as time went on. The study also emphasized the disappearance of the mother stating that the working mother had a bigger negative impact on the children than the absence of the father. This article nicely ties in with discussion on wednesday in class because their has been studies of making sure the children do not get lost in this whole globalization and domestic productive labor concept.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1218905.stm
My last exhibit comes from indianwomenshealth.com which explains the negative effects of the working mothers. This article lits benefits, "plagues" and reasons of being a working mother and what it does to the family. It is clear and concise and dry listing reasons but it does support Parennas and the idea of "rearing children." Some reasons are the stress put upon the mother because they are away from the children. Because of the distance between the relationship their is a lack of communication and health issues rise to the top.
http://www.indianwomenshealth.com/Being-a-Working-Mother-241.aspx
http://www.readourpapers.com/anthropology/working-woman-the-global-effects-on-the-female-workforce-and-their-families.phtml
My second exhibit consisits of an article posted on the BBC News website in 2001 explaining the affects of working mothers as a whole. It does not follow Parenas essay of globalization but it does fit into the topic of working mothers in the United States. The artilce refers to several sources and studies and one study by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation based on a 1200 person population found that children who had mothers who went to work to early "were less likely to achiece A-levels." This study extended that the children would suffer down the road into their adulthoods because it created psychological problems as time went on. The study also emphasized the disappearance of the mother stating that the working mother had a bigger negative impact on the children than the absence of the father. This article nicely ties in with discussion on wednesday in class because their has been studies of making sure the children do not get lost in this whole globalization and domestic productive labor concept.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1218905.stm
My last exhibit comes from indianwomenshealth.com which explains the negative effects of the working mothers. This article lits benefits, "plagues" and reasons of being a working mother and what it does to the family. It is clear and concise and dry listing reasons but it does support Parennas and the idea of "rearing children." Some reasons are the stress put upon the mother because they are away from the children. Because of the distance between the relationship their is a lack of communication and health issues rise to the top.
http://www.indianwomenshealth.com/Being-a-Working-Mother-241.aspx
Exhibits for conversation essay
1) Mail Order Brides-
This exhibit can be related to all of the essays that we have read, but especially relates to the Parrenas essay. In the article that I found on mail order brides, it talks about the fact that a majority of the brides are from the Philippines and that they are looking for a better life in the United States. In 1990, nearly 3500 Filipino brides were shipped off to the United States.
2) Trafficking of persons
Anther exhibit that I found involved the trafficking of persons (immigrants). Major forms of this trafficking involve forced labor and child labor, forced prostitution, child soldiers etc. The exhibit goes over these forms in more depth, and illustrates how female and child minorities/immigrants are exploited.
3) Benefits of a stay-at-home parent vs. a Nanny
This exhibit relates to all four of the essays. This exhibit explains how children are like sponges in their early development, and that they learn nearly everything by observing how the people around them do things. In the Parrenas essay, it talks about how Filipino women leave their children with someone else while they go to the US to earn money. Also in the Maid to Order essay it talks about the absence of parents. This exhibit explains how different a child can turn out if it's learning from it's parents is limited.
Exhibits for Conversation Essay
1. Mansura Espana Factory
The Mansura Espana factory incorporates all three arguments presented by Glenn, Kessler-Harris and Parrenas into a single exhibit. Located in Egypt and one of many factories in which the textile industry is outsourced, the Mansura Espana factory provides a physical manifestation, exemplifying the international division of reproductive labor. In addition, out of the 1,300 labor force, there are 750 female workers according to the Egyptian Workers and Trade Unions Watch, suggesting that this factory has an element of the sexual reproduction of labor as well as presented by Kessler-Harris. Finally, these are mainly Egyptian women and children being employed which ties in Glenn's argument about the racial division of labor. However, the exhibit of the Mansura Espana factory presents these women as being much more powerful and strong-willed than they appear in any of the essays, Glenn's, Kessler-Harris' or Parrenas'. According to an article written by Anne Alexander and Farah Kaubaissy in January 2008, "Women workers have emerged as rank and file trade union organisers and are playing a leading part in challenging the corrupt government-run trade union federation." These female workers are playing a crucial role in organizing a huge wave of industrial action, acting as a formidable force not presented in the realm of possibility in either the Kessler-Harris, Glenn or Parrenas essay.
2. Nail Salon Industry in the United States
In her essay, Glenn discusses how the "dominant group ideology in all these cases was that women of color...were particularly suited for service" (14). Another interesting exhibit that incorporates both Glenn's idea of the racial division of reproductive labor and Kessler-Harris' idea of the sexual division of reproductive labor is the attraction of Asian Pacific Islander women, specifically Vietnamese immigrant women, to the nail salon industry in the United States. According to an article published by the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, Asian Pacific Islander women dominated the nail salon industry, representing over 40% of all nail technicians worldwide. However, in this case instead of the work picking them, instead of being considered "suited for service," these Vietnamese women originally made the choice themselves to work in the nail salon industry. According to the article, Vietnamese immigrant women choose to enter the nail salon industry for three main reasons. The increase in the number of Vietnamese-owned shops and Vietnamese instructors in beauty schools attracts Vietnamese immigrant women to the profession; the training required to become a nail technician is relatively short and inexpensive; finally, the job does not require a higher-English proficiency level.
3. "No Room for Father, Children at Durham Homeless Shelter"
According to the article "No Room for Father, Children at Durham Homeless Shelter," a father and his four children were turned away from Durham's Community Shelter for Hope because there are no places for single fathers and their families. The same question is raised after reading all of the essays, that by Ehrenreich, Kessler-Harris, Glenn and Parrenas. What about single fathers? Where does the exception of the single father fit in respect to the sexual, racial and international divisions of reproductive labor?
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