Women are overburdened. Since women have become an accepted and important part of the work force and are also held to traditional family roles, women find themselves being bombarded with an overwhelming amount of work between the office and home.
On the other hand, Men have been displaced in society. Traditionally, men had the role of being the support beam for a family, making decisions and being the main source of income. Now that women have taken their rightful place in the workforce, more and more men are finding themselves in a similar position to a “housewife.” With more women now being hired in the place of men, “fewer families can rely solely on a male breadwinner,” (Eitzen, Zinn 189).
This is an interesting change in society because it is challenging gender stereotypes. Men, who are (or were) expected to be buff, emotionally unavailable, and working from 9 to 5, are now more commonly found packing lunch for the kids and making dinner. All of this while women, who historically have had little to no societal power, are now earning major employment positions like Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo.
In a short two question interview with Nooyi she explains how women simply cannot have it all. “We pretend we have it all,” but it is impossible (Friedersdorf). She goes on to talk about her relationship with her family and her role with them, versus her role in the work world. She goes home from being a Chairman and CEO of one of the largest beverage companies in America, and instantly becomes the wife, the dutiful daughter, the granddaughter who ultimately is expected to do whatever her husband and elders ask her to do. Nooyi’s main point is about how “the biological clock and the career clock are in total conflict with each other,” (Friedersdorf). While at work, her daughter will call and ask to play Nintendo and while at home, her boss will call and ask her to do something pertaining to her job.
Ultimately, biological and career responsibilities are both full time jobs. As much as we, women, want to convince ourselves that it is possible to calmly and completely fulfill our role as a mother AND employee, it is entirely too much work for a person who is factoring in time for food, sleep, relaxation and other basic needs.
(full transcript to interview: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/07/why-pepsico-ceo-indra-k-nooyi-cant-have-it-all/373750/).
Works Cited:
Eitzen, D. Stanley., et al. Globalization: The Transformation of Social Worlds. Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012.
Friedersdorf, Conor. “Why PepsiCo CEO Indra K. Nooyi Can’t Have It All.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 1 July 2014.
Image:
https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/over-burdened-women-squinting-blue-background?excludenudity=true&sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=over%20burdened%20women%20squinting%20blue%20background