Gender identity, personal self-determination of the unique image of the “I,” the problems of equality, social harmony, and justice between men and women are among the pressing problems of the modern world. There is still no clear answer to how a person can find his or her destiny and place in the world, and understand the opportunities and prospects, considering the opinion of the dominant number of people. Many individuals’ problems are caused by imposed stereotypes, labels, and mistaken ideas about roles and responsibilities. According to Slaughter and Dorment, humanity must find ways to smooth out social conflicts and balance the ratio of forces and capabilities. Slaughter, in her article, maintains that women and men can “have everything” and “have it all at the same time” (Graff 538); everyone should get what they deserve.
Dorment urges people to fight for what they want (Graff 573); there is always that choice, and only a person decides what to do. Furthermore, he states, “Man, woman, whoever: Get a shovel and start digging” (Graff 572). It is worth noting that everyone is equal, and gender does not matter if one can perform the work qualitatively. To minimize and eliminate such social issues, it is necessary to resort to research methods and do a more advanced analysis based on the data obtained. If humanity is ready to fight against injustice within strict gender roles, it is essential to focus on the causes and consequences of prejudice, understand the data received, and draw certain conclusions.
To date, gender stereotypes regarding the responsibilities of men and women are defined in almost everything – from household chores and hobbies to work. Nowadays, a person is under pressure from society regarding the performance of duties and specific tasks. For example, a man is expected to work, earn more money, and take responsibility, while on the contrary, a woman is obliged to conduct household chores. In the article “Why Men Still Can’t Have It All,” Dorment argues that “the concept of work-life balance is strongly gendered” (Graff 569). Consequently, society continues to classify work and activity into strictly “male” and “female.”
Many people think about what to do in this situation: follow the imposed stereotypes, do what they like and need, or combine everything. In this case, a person has several ways to correctly distribute their powers and abilities – balancing fulfilling those duties that society requires or combining them all. Slaughter states that one “would do well to frame work-family balance in terms of the broader social and economic issues that affect both women and men (Graff 551).” Undoubtedly, everyone decides what to do, but one thing is essential in this case: finding himself or herself, understanding the needs, and following the establishment of spiritual harmony and balance. People exhaust themselves, try to go ahead, and get unsatisfactory results, so it is crucial to learn to listen to oneself and heart, to reflect on values and beliefs.
At times, people had to face a situation when the performance of actions and decision-making occurred under social stereotypes. Indeed, everyone has heard and knows such phrases as “a man must earn money,” and a woman “should wash, clean and cook.” Times change, but the “remnants of the past” persists, and just a person decides what to do in particular moments — to accept or start acting.
In the article, Anne-Marie Slaughter maintains, “Another woman told me she had decided to take some time out or pursue a less competitive career track so that she could spend more time with her family (Graff 536)”. In this case, the author integrated the quotation in her text as a separate fragment of the statement. Slaughter used indirect speech to convey the central meaning of the content of the words without preserving the form of expression of thoughts.
She puts a comma after the phrase, thereby completing the statement, and then indicates the characteristics of the “speaker.” At the same time, this phrase is a vivid example or a sample of the reader’s introduction to the discourse of concepts proposed by Anne-Marie. According to Chapter 3 of the book “They Say, I Say,” I would suggest some changes. For example, the main problem with citations is that they speak for themselves. The following phrase would sound much better “As another woman puts me, “I want to take a break to spend more time with my family.” It makes make the quote clearer for the reader.
In the article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” by Anne-Marie Slaughter, there are several places where the author agrees with others or, on the contrary, disagrees. For instance, Slaughter herself writes, “I am hardly alone in this realization (Graff 539).” Thus, she agrees with those women who left their careers for the sake of their families. The writer also agrees when she writes, “Sandberg thinks that “something” is an “ambition gap” — that women do not dream big enough.
I am all for encouraging young women to reach for the stars (Graff 541).” Additionally, another idea that she does not agree with is outlined in the article. Anne-Marie disagrees when she writes, “You have to stop talking about your kids,” one said…I told them that I was doing it deliberately and continued my practice (Graff 545).” The writer was discouraged by the speech of one of the worried female associate professors.
Works Cited
Graff, Gerald, et al. “They Say / I Say” with Readings. 5th ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2021.
Slaughter, Anne-Marie. “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.” The Atlantic, 2012. Web.
Dorment, Richard. “Why Men Still Can’t Have It All.” Esquire, 2013. Web.