Ethnography Paper

Research Design

 

             Many women these today are opting out of the work force according to New York Times columnist Lisa Belkin. Belkin questions why so many women with high education and opportunity are choosing to let go of the opportunity to be equal to men in the workforce so that they may be a mother in the home. That is a very valid question, but my question comes from a part of her article, The Opt-Out Revolution, when she is speaks of molecular biologist, Shirley Tilghman about her experience of being a single mother and continuing her career. Tilghman says, “A life in science, combined with motherhood, meant leaving undone a lot of things I might have wanted to do,” which led me to question why the opt-out studies happen to be all about women and the effects that motherhood has on their career instead of the man.

            I do believe that leaving the workplace is a choice, but a mother has to have that choice available to be able to make it. Tilghman obviously did not have the choice to quit working because she was a single mother.

            It really bothers me that there are minimal effects on a male’s life that is expecting, or has, a child. Yes, there are single fathers, and it’s actually becoming more common, but it’s not to the extent of single mothers. The fact that Belkin speaks as if most women have a choice of opting out gets under my skin as well because I was raised by a single mother who was raised by a single mother, and neither of them had the choice. Although, my mother did opt-out for a few years and then continued to work prior to being divorced.

            To answer my question, I would have to ask a single mother how she is effect by not having a choice to opt-out, while understanding that not all women wish to opt-out, and if she feels that she is missing out on any part of life. I could also ask how gender roles coincide with my question because the mother is the parent that carries the child, so there is a deeper bond (from my female perspective), but the gender roles urge a mother more than a father to want to stay home with their child. 

            I do think there are many exceptions to my question, but they are merely exceptions, not the trend.

 

Methodology

I decided to find a young mother that did not, and still does not have the choice to opt-out of the work force. She had her daughter when she was 19 and luckily graduated from high school. I chose her because she didn’t even get to start a career before she had a child and she was not married. I have noticed that in the studies the women have all been married and they can rely on their husband. Macey, the mother that is now 25, managed to finish college with a masters, buy a home, new car, and find herself a career while being a mother. I sat down with her after spending a day with her to ask a few questions to help my research.  The following information is questions that I asked Macey about her motherhood experience and her answers.

 

1. What was your initial thought when you found out you were pregnant fresh out of  high school?

A. Honestly, I thought about what people would think of me and what my mother was going to say. I always knew I was going to finish college because my mom is a teacher, but my initial thought was how I was going to do it with a child.

 

2. What did your mother say to the thought of her young child having a child?

A. She kicked me out. She let me come right back home, but she definitely had to get over her disappointment first. I had so much going for me and it all came to an end when I found out I was pregnant.

 

3. Is the father still around? How was his life effected by this child compared to yours?

A. Unfortunately, her father sort of took off when she was a few months old. He doesn’t care to see her, so I guess he’s able to just go on as normal while I had to take care of her, finish school, and begin working. It was tough, but I wouldn’t change it for anything now that I have her and I feel great about myself knowing that I             turned a bad situation into a great one. I know I am lucky, but it took a lot of self- discipline and support from my family to get me through.

 

4. Does it bother you to think that your life was put on hold and not the father’s when this was because of him as well?

A. It bothered me a lot. I didn’t understand how someone could just leave their child.

 

5. After summarizing the opt-out article to you, do you feel that you have missed out on any part of your life due to your child?

A. I did miss not doing the “normal” things that kids my age were doing such as going out and going on spring break vacations, but with my mothers help I was and still             am able to have the freedom to do some of those things. It is hard having to worry about a babysitter always. Yes, I wish I could move to Dallas for a summer or something, but I could never do that because I wouldn’t know anyone that could babysit down there if I were to meet a guy and I couldn’t take my daughter             away from her nana.

 

6. How do you feel about not having the choice to stay home with your daughter?

A. I wasn’t able to think about that much because I knew had to go to school so I could support the two of us. As for now, I am a successful teacher and in a way I am with her all day because she goes to Washington, where I teach. Yes, if I were to have another child I may want to stay home, but I think since I haven’t done that before I will feel more comfortable about going back to work again.

 

My Observations

Although Macey does not have the choice to opt-out, most of the teachers that work in her building are also moms that did not choose to quit working due to motherhood. That is something that bothers me about Belkin’s article. She doesn’t interview enough people that don’t have the choice, and she speaks as though it is the norm when it is just a common thing to do, not the “norm.” Most teachers are females in the elementary level and they are usually drawn to the field because they have the stereotypical nurturing characteristic, but many teachers do not opt-out because their schedule also allows time off when the children are out of school. Now, I understand why Belkin speaks about women in higher status careers.

 

Write Up

Although Macey was not able to do many things her friends were and are doing that don’t have children, she doesn’t exactly see it as leaving some things undone but there are things that motherhood makes more difficult. The mother is definitely more affected by a child than a father. Other articles on family that I’ve read in Women’s Studies agree that women are way more at harm with careers and families because of the nurturing stereotype. Today, it isn’t as common for women to opt-out but in comparison to men there is a vast difference. More men are staying in the home while the mother works, so that is also a stride that is being made in gender equality.

 

            

Assignment 7

He's Just Not That into You is a contemporary movie based on the book, with the same title, written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. The movie debuted in February 2009 about a single lady that works with two other women whom are both in relationships. Gigi, the single one, is constantly thinking guys are into her when really, they aren't. The two coworkers are constantly telling Gigi that she is overanalyzing how men react towards her and that they aren't interested when she believes they are. It isn't until Gigi meets a guy that gives her advice that she begins seeing what guys are "really thinking." 

By the end of the movie Gigi's coworkers are having trouble with their relationships and she ends up making the guy giving her advice fall for her. While falling for her, there is a change in roles in that he becomes the one over analyzing as a female would.

This movie strongly portrays gender roles with relationships. The girl is always "the crazy one," and they guy is always the one making the decisions and talking to multiple girls at once. I really like the end of the movie because the gender roles are switched to show that women and men over analyze relationships and "go crazy" over the other sex.

The movie trailer portrays that women are always waiting around for men to give them attention, men are always talking to many females at once, women are always over analyzing conversations and situations, and that men are supposed to be the forward ones in the relationship. The good thing about the movie is that it shows everything goes both ways by the end. 

I read the book and have seen the movie, and liked them both, but I question why there was a book and a movie created to show that HE is the one that isn't into you. I know there are times that a women isn't interested in a man that may be attracted to her, so this is sort of a slap in the face almost. 

Assignment 6

 

Gender is represented in a variety of ways in this particular ketchup advertisement. Some stereotypes of women are seen through the text and image such as glamour, desire, and stupidity. The image has a well groomed woman (perfect hair, painted nails, lipstick) acting surprised as if she couldn't open ketchup before this particular brand's bottle. They give viewers a sense of desire for this ketchup because the image pictures it as glamours. The woman's expression implies that she is surprised that she can open the bottle herself. The text implies that women are incapable of opening a ketchup bottle because they aren't smart enough. If the woman isn't able to open the previous bottles of ketchup, then who did? Must have been a man in the eyes of gender studies. 

Readings:

Chapters five and six of FIFE are both strongly about women's image, self love, and rights to their bodies. The issue of free love brought women to open themselves up in the sexual sense, which led to the fight for reproductive rights. This topic leads to education because of the issue of class. The women in the ad above looks like a middle class women who could afford these rights to contraceptives and sexual education, but on the other hand, the advertisement brings up the issue of a woman's intelligence and these readings basically stated that the lack of sexual education caused many unplanned pregnancies and many classes could not afford the consequences of that. 

As times went by, contemporary feminism came about. They really pushed the agenda of body image and challenged the fashion industry and even rebelled by burning bras. The ad above has a very "dolled up" woman in it which feeds the body image problems that are still occurring today. There are so many eating disorders still, which the contemporary feminists helped push for women's healthcare to rid some of the issues of body disorders. They also pushed for more clothing options for women as men dominated the industry and women used to wear mostly dresses, as pictured above most likely even though we can't see the entire outfit. It has been socially pressed into women's heads that they have to look, feel, and act a certain way about their bodies and it is still occurring although feminists have helped the issue a lot.

Note: D2L isn't working so I was unable to get Wolf and Scott.