blog 34

Joan Williams the author of the book “unbending gender” relates two different trends, Williams explains that “the term "unbending gender" refers to two different trends. The first is that, to date, gender roles in this country have been unbending and unyielding; there has been a lot less change than we had hoped for 20 or 30 years ago. The second is that, to the (significant) extent that things have changed, changes have been achieved not by moving towards androgyny, but by widening out the range of socially acceptable masculinities and femininities-preserving "la difference" between men and women” Her major work was inspired when she became a mother. It seemed as she became a mother “Then gender issues and service to women's issues began to determine the course of my work”. Based on the interview done to Williams there are several parallels to the work/life balances described in Gender on Trial ; such as choosing a firm that is family oriented and that classify some mothers that are lawyers as par timers. This causes resistance among mothers and either get another job or quit their firm in order to form a resistance in this type of culture and if mother decide to stay in the firm they become into an issue that makes them“suspect mothers” (2003: 230) who have to constantly worried about whether their choice to stay in a firm was the right one. Mothers that work partime are then stigmatized because the notion described in the by English “Real Workers don’t work Part-time” , make women guilty that they can not work full time and are stigmatized by the notion that they are not at all committed to their career.
The notion of childcare and a betterment in the social structure of jobs for womens that are caretakes resonates from our previous text from Putting Children first. Which is why Williams objective and ultimate goal is that women can have “have rewarding work and a rewarding family life without feeling extraordinarily torn, overworked or having to choose”
Employers then should be educated to understand that the “ ideal worker definition should not be one that excludes women because they have children and provide care for their children. To define the ideal worker in any other way discriminates against all women” states William.