Work and the Economy

Lesson 7

The ideal worker is one who is not effected by family duties. They have never had to leave work early for a sick child, are committed to their job, and unlikely to leave work to bear and raise children as well. In other words, he is not  mother. In this picture the ideal worker is shown as a male who has no children and only focuses on his job.

Feminization of poverty is the economic trend showing that women are more likely than men to live in poverty. This is because of the gendered gap in wages, the higher proportion of single mothers compared to single fathers, and the increasing cost of childcare. In this photo a women is shown as homeless because she is unable to make enough money to live like men do.

Emotional labor is the level of emotion involved in careers between men and women. Women often must show feelings of attentiveness and caring. They must also suppress their feelings of boredom and irritation. Most customers and employees expect women to be nicer and more friendly than men. This picture shows a women answering phones as a secretary, which is a job that demands friendliness, especially when answering phones.

Breastfeeding is said to be what is "best" for babies. Statistics show that poor, less educated and non professional working women are less likely to breastfeed compared to non-poor and more educated women. This is because of the money saved from buying formula for the child. In this picture a women is shown breastfeeding her child.

Even when it comes to children, there are gender differences in doing housework. Girls are far more likely to do the dishes and laundry while boys are more likely to do yard work and take out the trash. In this picture a young girl is shown emptying the dishwasher, a feminine gendered chore.