Women and the Workforce

For many years it was believed that a woman’s job was supposed to be in the home, providing for and nurturing her children and husband as well as other family members who depended on her traditional role. Although this is still the case for some women today, many women have left the domestic sphere of invisible unpaid work, and into the public sphere of the paid workforce. Here women have many titles such as professionals, labor workers, retail sales, and a whole host of others. However in order for women to obtain these titles and jobs they have to face and overcome many barriers that have been established by the patriarchal structure of our society. These barriers include inequities in pay and employment in relation to men’s, sexual harassment, limited access to education as well as workplace pressures and hazards. The following assignment looks at the economic situation of my mother and her fellow employees, how a radical feminist might view her situation, a comparison of their views in comparison to a socialist view. Finally it discusses the feminist perspective I find least helpful in this situation and a potential course of action for this situation.

The financial situation I wish to analyze is that of my mothers. For my whole entire life, and most of my bothers, my mother stayed home and raised us and was your typical “housewife”, while my father with his university education and professional career, provided for our family. Therefore, for most of my mother’s life she was totally financially depended on my father, a thought that both angered and perplexed her. Because of this she has pushed my university education and is now living vicariously through me. After much thought she decided to re enter the workforce and went back to work at retail sales job that she had before she became pregnant. She did this at first to pass her day more productively but as time went on; she started to enjoy her job again, but soon came to realize the social inequities she and others faced at her workplace. In referring back to Pierson and Cohen, my mother’s situation centered on pay inequity because of her part time status, employment inequities because of her gender, and workplace hazards. All of which were indirectly caused by lack of educational opportunities. To begin with, my mother works for a man who has traditional stereotypical views of women. She works part time hours and would never gain independence if she had to with her part time salary. However, she will not be promoted as a full time worker, because her employer cannot afford to pay a full time worker. However, if my mother was male, she would have a full time job at this particular retail place, because there is a shortage of men in this female dominated area. The other aspect that relates to Pierson and Cohen’s reading is the workplace hazards my mother faces. The retail store in which she works lacks an air conditioner, so in summertime weather it is very uncomfortable to work. This retail area would be considered a “sick building” as described in Pierson and Cohen. All of these workplace barriers are indirectly caused by lack of university education. My mother did not obtain a university degree or educational diploma because of the financial situation of her parents. Therefore she has to suffer with the inequalities of her workplace.

Radial feminists insist that the “sex/gender system is the fundamental cause of women’s oppression.” (Tong, 1998.p46). In referring to Tong’s chapter on radical feminism, radial feminist Kate Millet might view the above situation as a problem of sexual politics. She would believe that in order for my mother and other women in her situation to overcome the above problems, society must eliminate male control through eliminating gender. This can be supported by the idea that “because male control of the public and private world constitutes patriarchy, male control must be eliminated if women are to be liberated.” (Tong,