The Dance

Dancing. A form of art in which people can express themselves to various forms of music. At least that's what I thought the purpose was. If you have been on the dance floor in the last 10 years though, you'll find that dancing is now an alternative form of sex with clothes on. Honestly, I don't understand how this is socially acceptable. What's even better is if you decide you want to dance but not in a slutty way, it's like everyone's judging you. Like, "look at that conservative loser, I bet she's not getting any tonight." Yes you would be correct. I'm not getting any STD's because I chose to cover my crotch up while dancing. And men, you just play right into it. You have become so evolved into this form of "dance" that all you really know how to do is move your pelvis from side to side and back to back. This is a common manuever for 5 year-olds to try when they first learn to move to a beat. And it doesn't seem to matter if a girl is asking for a partner or not. The pelvis becomes a monster on its own and any vagina in reach is a target. As much as I enjoy the spectacle, at a certain point I have to wonder where this is leading. Public orgies instead of at private clubs? I think so. Soon when they check your ID's, they'll also be handing out free condoms. Ribbed ones at the more exclusive clubs.
Final Words: I bought party invitations today for my graduation party. $6 for 8 cards. Sure ASU, take more, as if you already haven't lied about how graduating with a degree would automatically earn me a job. I didn't realize McDonald's was part of that statistic. Would you like to Super Size that?

Unit D - Blog #38

Myra Bradwell effected the very beginnings of women as lawyers. She discussed and studied law with her husband in 1869 and passed the Chicago Bar Exam later that year. She applied for a license but was denied. She took it to the Supreme Court of Illinois where they upheld the decisions saying, "The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many occupations of civil life....The paramount destiny and mission of women are to fulfill the noble and benign office of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator." [83 U.S. 130 at 141]. She appealed and they overruled this decision making her one of only five women lawyers in the U.S. in the 1970 census. She started The Chicago Legal News which did really well. This kind of a woman broke all conventional rules especially for the era she lived in. By overturning the ridiculous first ruling, women were able to break free from the sanctity of marriage confining a woman to only feminine roles. While it did not end the ideas and practices of women carrying out only womanly roles, it was a major step in setting precedence for future rule breaking women to come.

Unit D - Blog #37

Women's progress as of 2003 showed increase numbers across the board in law firms, court appointments, professors at law schools, and in Fortune 500 companies. However even though the numbers increased, they are still so low. Fortune 500 companies now compromises of 15% women as compared to 6%. But still. Women are half the population and only 15% of major companies have women in high offices. In the supreme court it is 22%. Judges that interpret the law are made up on mostly men allowing for our laws to be male dominated, no wonder we cannot enact change. Women are now at 76% of a man's pay as compared to 73%. I wonder why there is even a gap in the first place. If a woman and man go through the same schooling and have the same experience there is logically no reason why their pay would be any different. And this happens in law firms in major cities, not rural areas. Discrimination suits are still filed in law practices for women being sexually harassed or paid less. This only reinforces the stereotypes of women lawyers who are found to be bitchy, emotional, or not as aggressive in the courtroom. Men see these as weaknesses even though if the woman is aggressive she becomes bitchy. The same qualities that we look for in a male lawyer are seen as bad in a female lawyer. But is she is not aggressive then she is weak leading to a double bind.

Unit D - Blog #36

Corporate America will only be able to lure women back into the workforce if it changes its policies. Women do not want to be treated as less of a worker because they are female. They need care giving options if they are mothers and there is nothing wrong with that. You want women in your company? Find a way to help her with the children. Women are also more increasingly aware of pay rates and if there is a difference between theirs' and a man's, they are not going to want to work for that company. Women will also want to see other women in leadership positions so that they know there is upward mobility available to them. Women bosses will provide hope and encouragement to new incoming women employees. Do I think that the corporate world will change this? If they really want women back in their fields, and they should, they will slowly start to bend their policies and make room for women. Women play intricate roles in the corporate world, sharing insights and views that men may never see. These women are smart and talented but feel jaded by companies. These companies need to recognize a woman and/or a mother as who she is but not treat her as handicapped because of her gender. This especially applies to mothers. Women with children need the same consideration in promotions as other women. If corporate world does not change its patriarchal structure, they will be hard pressed to integrate women into their labor force ever again.

Unit D - Blog #35

EEOC promotes practices that would encourage men to work in more family work situations. It also talks about the strong overlap between women's rights and caregiver rights. Both of these issues need to be addressed since disproportionately women are the dominant caregivers. But because they are women they have always been paid less even though job is becoming more critical in our society. In order to change this, we must work for better pay for these women and these positions so that they are earning what they deserve. Men should be encouraged to participate as well and should take on family roles if the woman in the household works outside these roles. While it would be very difficult to pass actual laws about these changes, smaller legislation within states can occur in order to change the way things are going right now.

Unit D - Blog #34

Joan Williams' book, Unbending Gender, talks about the unyielding family roles that continue to persist in our culture. There are two realms of work for her, outside work and family work. Outside work is a job or career that pays for your time while family family work includes child care, taking care of elderly, or the sick. She argues that women disproportionately are in charge of family care work even when they hold jobs themselves. If a woman is a stay at home mom, she feels devalued almost as if society finds her useless and unwanted. But then when a woman goes to work, we want her to stay home. Working women still carry out family work roles which leads to a society where males are expected to do outside work and little to no family work. This type of society is hurting children in the process because mothers are overworked or feel undervalued and fathers continue a track of not helping in the family work arena. While Williams suggest legislation to help assist in paid leave and childcare, she is more concerned about how society views family life as a whole. She believes that is the true crux of the problem. Unless we change our ways of thinking, there is no way to change the actual problem. Overall women must take less of the family work and men must start participating in it.

Unit D - Blog #33

Even though most of these blogs have been about doom and gloom and portray a lot of negative impacts that occur to women lawyers, there are some advancements that have occurred recently for women in offices. With the media attention on Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton in 2007 the world was exposed to two high powered female leaders. It also gave the world two distinctly different female leaders. You had a conservative, mother in Sarah Palin and a liberal, former first lady in Hillary Clinton. Both advocated for very different morals and ideas but were not afraid to stand up with the men and talk politics. Both were of course analyzed over and over again for being a woman instead of analyzed for what they stood for as a politician. Hillary Clinton then obtained a high ranking cabinet position in Obama's administration. The majority House leader is also a woman showing society that it is time for change. Women are staying at law firms for longer periods of time (except minority women) showing that they are persevering though the man's world and maybe even changing some firms' minds about how women operate. They still face challenges of being promoted and being stereotyped but hopefully more leadership roles will discourage this way of thinking. If women who are in high leadership roles stayed away from interviews about their makeup and wardrobe I think it would benefit women as a whole because we could see that they truly care about their positions and it does not matter what shade of red you wear when you are running for office.