The act of choosing is like a change, it is inevitable, and however much people can run away from choices, they must encounter them anyway. However, what to choose, how to choose, and when to choose is a person’s choice. It is worth noting that the amount of choice varies with people. There are those with much of it, while others hardly have it. The subject of choice, as made by professional women, has raised a good deal of discussion. People have set out to debate about professional women’s take on the issue of work and family.
The debate is on whether these women have the choice to run away from work, probably because of the fear of failing their families, or not. Among these people are Linda Hirshman, a feminist scholar, and Pamela Stone, a sociologist. According to Hirshman, who proposes the motion, professional women choose not to work so that they can tend to their families. However, Stone, on the opposition side, holds that the nature of the modern workplaces is the determinant of what the women refer to as ‘choices.’ According to her, these are decisions, rather than choices. Strengths and weaknesses stand out on both sides as explained next.
Strong supportive points come in handy in Hirshman’s arguments. She concurs with the claim that women choose to ‘opt-out of work. In her arguments, “The census numbers for all working mothers leveled off around 1990 and have fallen modestly since then” (Hirshman, 2005, p. 342). This is no more than the results of what is on the ground, as revealed by statistics. It shows how women have considered tending to their families more than their jobs. They have chosen to abandon their jobs since according to them, their families are more important, compared to the jobs and nothing should hinder them from opting out, the nature of the job inclusive. In addition, her interviews with a variety of women support the motion. “Among the affluent-educated-married population, women are letting their careers slide to tend the home…my interviewees…Work, largely part-time and their part-time careers are not putting them in the executive suite” (Hirshman, 2005, p.342). This supports the fact that professional women are more concerned with their families than their jobs.
In addition, from her research, it has been proved that 85% of women do not work full time, a finding that has been supported by the 2000 census results. According to these results, “The 2000 census showed a decline in the percentage of mothers of infants working full time, part-time, or seeking employment” (Hirshman, 2005, p.343). These, among other findings, show that professional women are showing more concern to their families than their works. However, weaknesses stand clear from her arguments. For instance, when she claims that women are working part-time, it is not clear whether they are devoted to their families or not. It is a contradiction because this can happen even when the woman is interested in her job more than the family. Another weakness that stands out is the fact that Hirshman does not specify the reason why these women are choosing not to work. She bases her arguments on the assumption that leaving a job for home is a sign that one is interested in the home more than the job, which may be true or otherwise. Laziness, or ignorance, might be the forces behind it. On the other hand, the con side has its strengths and weaknesses as well.
Stone argues that the nature of modern jobs has denied women the opportunity to make choices relating to their families. According to Stone, the statistics about women and the workforce do not agree with Hirshman’s arguments. “84 percent are now in the workforce, up from 82 percent 20 years ago” (Stone, 2005, p.353). Moreover, these women face a ‘choice gap,’ and according to Stone, this is “the difference between the decisions women could have made about their careers if they were not mothers or caregivers and the decisions they had to make in their circumstances as…” (Stone, 2005, p. 357) Therefore, before the women come up with choices, they encounter a lot of factors, which bar them from this, and this includes culture, job society, among others.
They are mostly unable to devote themselves on one, between their jobs and careers, and if they have to make choices, most of them are forced. Stone says, “A total of 30 women, a little more than half the sample, mentioned at least one forced-choice consideration” (Stone, 2005, p.357). This implies that professional women are far from making free choices between careers and families. Moreover, the social pressure experienced at the workplaces, by these women constrain them into the job more than the family, not because they want to work but because of the job conditions. However, some weaknesses stand out as well. For instance, when Stone addresses the issue of the choice gap, claiming that these women are far from making choices, to some extend she rejects the inevitability of choice making. Whatever side that these women stick to, implies a choice made. Therefore, however many factors she can mention, the fact remains that there is nothing like a choice gap because choices are ever made.
Based on the arguments of the two authors, Stone and Hirshman, I strongly agree with Hirshman. According to her, professional women have all the powers to choose between their careers and families. I concur with this opinion; firstly, it is even evident on women hold crucial positions in the government. They are seen to give a good amount of time to their families, as seen by their frequent visits to their families. This on the other hand depicts the extension of their devotion to their families about their jobs. Secondly, Hirshman supports the inevitability of choice-making, which is no more than a fact. Early and middle adulthood is marked by the acquiring of a variety of roles as expounded next.
There exist some roles that are acquired during early and mid-adulthood. “Many young adults experience developmental milestones, which include involvement in more committed relationships, becoming parents, and being more stable in employment” (Caetano, 2005, p. 45). The role of relationship, specifically romantic, is acquired during early adulthood. This is no more than the expression of a person’s pronounced emotional yearning towards another. In the past, this role was not pronounced as it is today. This followed from the respect that people bestowed on the then rules. They had no option, but to keep the relationship as secret as possible. The current generation is depicting the reverse of the case. They have all the freedom to do it openly. It is their choice on where, when, and how to conduct the relationship. In addition, parenthood, a mid-adult role, appears quite different of late, as compared to the past. Parents were more restrained in their responsibility as parents. They had no choice but to devote themselves to their task of parenting. However, currently, this role is not seriously taken owing to the extended level of choices. Parents have the freedom to express this role in the way that pleases them.
There exist quite several psychological adjustments that are meant to help catch up with these changing lifestyles. For instance, schools have introduced departments that strictly tackle students’ psychological matters. Among these is the guiding of students on how they ought to apply their freedom of choice, where they are equipped with the knowledge of how they ought to make wise choices from the ever-increasing varieties of this world. Young adults are being taught how and who to interact with and how they ought to balance this with their basic requirements like education. These adjustments owe much to development. Firstly, a person with a good knowledge of choice knows what is worth choosing and what is not and since none would wish to choose what is not beneficial, all his/her choices contribute positively towards development. It is these adjustments that have led to the ongoing global developments.
Reference List
Caetano, R. (1999). Trends in Situational Norms and Attitudes toward Drinking Among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics: Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Rockville: MD, 54(1), 45-56.
Hirshman, L. (2006). Get to Work: A Manifesto for Women of the World (Viking Adult). New York: Harvard University Press.
Stone, P. (2008). Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home. USA: University of California Press.