Blog #25

Sexualized behavior can be used as a weapon in the workplace. Society and media as whole generally perceive males and females in different roles. Males are masculine, strong and sometimes aggressive individuals. Women can be seen as more feminine, passive, weak at times, and sexual. Men play baseball, football, and other sports. While women were brought up dancing, taking ballet, and playing with baby dolls. Keep in mind these are general statements, but for the most part many of our children in society today are molded from birth to fit the stereotypical gender norms. In Holly English book males look at female sexuality as a distraction. These women are often times thought of as inferior to their male counterparts and are seldom taken seriously. When men see a sexy attractive female that also excels in her work, in this particular case law, men tend to see women differently. Women in a sense can parlay their beauty along with their success to gain superior recognition from their male counterparts. This may help women in some ways but I believe it hinders them more than helps them. I believe that using sex as a weapon in the workplace can actually devalue the perception of women. It is still said that women have a long way to go in terms of gaining gender equity in the workplace. In fact both men and women in the field alike feel that though we have made some progress in the means to gender equity much more is still needed. What can we do to shorten the gap of fender equity? I think education and self awareness is the key. If we are aware of issues of gender inequality in the workplace we can strive to fix them. We need to be aware of the issue that way we can fix it. Hopefully more individuals can strive to improve this issue that plagues our legal workforce today.

Blog #23

Fashion is an interesting topic in regards to female politicians and lawyers. Women in a professional sense are critiqued in a much higher degree than that of their male counterparts. Prominent women as well as everyday business women find themselves constantly watching what they wear to work every single day. Our publically viewed women mostly conform to the perceived norm in regards to what they do and do not wear in public. Michelle Obama today, much like Jackie Kennedy in the 60’s is taking women’s fashion to the next level. Michelle Obama has been scrutinized of late for not conforming to the conservative first lady’s typical appearance. Keep in mind the standard for the way the first lady is supposed to dress has been set by white middle class America. People have taken the issue of Michelle Obama’s clothing and blown it completely out of proportion. Is this related to race? Or does it have a direct correlation with what other first ladies of the past have worn? I think it’s both. On a recent trip to Arizona Michelle Obama wore shorts to the Grand Canyon. Keep in mind this is Arizona and the weather was between 80-90 degrees. The media had their heyday claiming that Mrs. Obama was flaunting her legs. I don’t think this was her intent but who cares if it was. Women including Mrs. Obama are dressing differently than women of similar stature did in the past. They may not use the same conservative clothing; however they do it in a classy tactful way. Women in English’s study also found themselves trying to wear bland conforming clothing to fit in with their male counterparts. They wanted to essentially blend in not being seen as week lesser sex. I really see this as non issue. Women in the public’s view should be able to wear what they want. I find it very sad that our society has to scrutinize women for what they wear leaving their male counterparts to do as they please.

Blog #22

Sonia Sotomayor is an associate Justice of the Supreme Court and has been serving on the United States Supreme court since August of 2009. She is the third female justice and first Hispanic Justice to serve for the Supreme Court. She was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the Unites States Senate by a 68-31 vote. Criticism by conservative members of congress soon followed her appointment. Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingerich claimed she was a “racist”. The basis for their comments comes from a speech Sotomayor made in 2001 where she claimed “I would hope that a wise Latina woman, with the richness of her experience, would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life”. I find this statement to be brutally honest. She seems to be using her experiences to assist in her judicial law conforming decision. If for instance a case were to come about in regards to Hispanic women; she would be able to provide a greater insight into the issue than that of her white male counterparts. She has lived similar experience to these “Latina Women” and her perspectives would provide a positive insight into judicial rulings in regards to these matter. Sotomayor’s white male opposition should step outside the box and realize that this experience will only do them good.
Sotomayor realizes that her decisions need to be made based on the law. In fact during her hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee she claimed her statement was “a rhetorical flourish that fell flat”. These hearings did judge Sotomayor based on her past statements, race, and gender, which is completely wrong. However, it makes sense in the fact that gender and racial bias exist in nearly every facet of our world. Fortunately Sotomayor stood up, withstood the criticism and now practices law, her passion.

Blog #20

The story was hard to read due to the extreme violence that Lois Fraley and Officer Auld went through. This horrible situation was initiated by two men, Wassenaar and Steven Coy. Wassanaar posed as a Corrections Officer by stealing a uniform from a guard that he compromised. Fraley and Auld let this so called guard into their area, and Auld was immediately compromised. From that point 15 days of violence and torture ensued. The beat and rapped Fraley repeatedly over the next 15 day before she was finally released. Her partner, Officer Auld, was released after 7 days to critical injuries. By the 4th day Fraley contemplated suicide, she considered using her badge pin to puncture one of her veins.

Survival is what she strived for and she did all she could to stay strong. She stopped washing so they wouldn’t sexually assault her, and she stopped drinking so she wouldn’t have to urinate in front of them. She claimed that during those times she “laughed, joked, cried, I talked to my picture of my daughter and Tere (her partner for four years), I talked to dead family members, I said goodbye, I prayed….I’m a recovering alcoholic.” When she was finally rescued she was greeted by Dora Schirro the Director of Prisons and Governor Janet Napolitano.
Director Schirro reflects on the situation and confirms that the prison guards were not properly trained. Schirro soon discovered that security inside the prison was “Lax, sloppy, and careless”. She also discovered that the training regime by officers had no uniformity so figuring out what each CO knew was basically impossible. Schirro points out the lack of training by the Corrections Officers that she had inherited within the Lewis prison, 25% couldn’t pass the lowest level of competency tests.

This lack of training is supported by Britton’s ideas. Prison Guards truly believe that they are undertrained when taking on new jobs as Corrections Officers. The articles for this section along with the Britton reading affirm that notion. I like what Schirro is doing by instituting new policies and changes. If something is broke it needs to be fixed and I think Schirro is taking this very same approach. She is a noble person who doesn’t blame any single person from the past. She is soft spoken in regards to her critics as well, saying “If you don’t have something nice to say”. In my opinion Schirro is a great asset to the state of Arizona, and we are lucky to have an individual like her running our correctional system.

Britton makes some useful suggestions that I agree with. He too believes that more training and better policy is needed and that it may avoid future hostage takeovers. Better training is definitely something that wouldn’t hurt. Training would make these officers feel more comfortable and better prepared if these tough situations were to arise. Education, training and a positive outlook towards policy change will all make for a better system. Implementation and follow thru are what we now need to focus our time on.

Blog #19

Geena Davis speaks about the gender discrepancy within our media in regards to children in particular. She discusses the successes that two of her movies had in regards to making a positive impact on women throughout the country. Geena was greatly impacted on by the reactions of her fans and wanted to make a difference e in the way women are depicted within today’s media. She gives examples from various cartoons. The Smurfs had one female character named Smurfette, that was originally described and ugly with ugly eyelashes. Papa Smurf eventually transformed her into “a blonde bombshell”, and soon after she was beloved by her fellow Smurfs. Is this a coincidence? I think not. She discusses Winnie the Pooh and the one female character from that cartoon series, Kanga. Kanga appears to be just half a character. My favorite example was the character Miss Piggy, who has cleavage. These images and examples are outrageous when you really think about it. When I personally sit back and look at how characters are depicted it makes me mad and sad at the same time. Our society is molding the minds of our young children at a very young age and gender is at the heart of some of these subliminal messages. Geena proves that over the years little has changed and I believe that thought to be true. She aims to help make things equal in terms of the way sex and gender is depicted and I commend her for that.

These depictions have spilled over into the way we act as adults. The readings and research from Britton clearly show that gender plays a role in the way we think and act as adults. Men’s and women’s prisons differ. Men and women working within in similar Penal positions are treated differently. Even women’s and men’s pay is shockingly one sided. There are so many ways gender if falsely depicted in society today that we (society) should be ashamed. Thankfully people like Ms. Davis and organizations are doing everything they can to make sure everyone is accurately depicted within our media.

Blog #18

All Corrections Officers are required to complete a formal training before they begin their assigned duties. The state and federal systems usually train men and women together and require the same curriculum and testing. In reading Britton’s study it is quite obvious that most state department’s of correction are underfunded, while the federal system has more money because of the government’s contributions. It is interesting to note that federal officers seem to have a higher level of satisfaction compared to state trained officers as well. Most officers see their trainings as slightly helpful but claim that the real training is done “on the job”.

I found one particular section of Britton’s research to be shocking. It seems time and time again CO’s claimed that their co-worker had helped them with their job, but inmates trained them. Officer’s repeatedly affirmed the fact that inmates actually helped them learn their new job, and did it willingly. The inmates actually seem to want order just as much as the Corrections Officers do. One CO claimed that if he really wanted to know how to do something or find out what had happened he would simply ask one of the inmates.

Male and women officers also noted that violence within prisons was exaggerated greatly during their training. In fact some of the videos shown during training caused recruits to quit. These officers interviewed claimed that the video violence and the portrayal of male violence within prisons were overblown. I survey in 1995 proves their accusations showing that 91% of prison’s recorded no such violence in regards to rioting throughout an entire year.

Men and women inmates are quite different statistically and this transcends into the way they are treated during their sentences. Men are more likely to be serving time for violent offenses. Men have longer criminal histories. And men are more likely to escape once in custody. Because of this male inmates are subject to higher security standards than that of females. A different training regime needs to be instituted due to these drastic differences within male and female prisons. The proof is in the pudding. Corrections Officers time and time again say that the training is based solely on male inmates and prisons. Why is it that these officers are not being trained properly?

Blog #17

The NBC documentary “Lockup” was an enlightening viewing experience. I have read our text books and assignment articles which have been very helpful throughout the semester. However, the video opened my eyes to situations and ideas which I was otherwise unaware of. The female prison system is interesting, complex, and from an outsiders view fascinating. There were over 1,100 inmates within the North Carolina Women’s Prison. These criminals have committed crimes of murder, fraud, burglary, D.U.I. and many other offenses. Many of the women within the video are repeat offenders and have been behind bars multiple times. The prison life is a fascinating one.

The video shows daily life as seen by the inmates. They get three meals a day, and make about 40 cents a day working prison jobs. Two particular women were interviewed and made money by loan sharking. The two women worked together and had sexual relations with one another. At times they would find “weak staff” members to get items like drugs, cigarettes, and other things from the free world. “Hustle”, in their minds was the only way to make money and stay above water behind bars. Other inmates had legitimate work. Some women worked in “Cosmo”, a beauty salon. They were able to interact with one another while learning a valuable trade that could potentially better their lives upon releasal. Another useful job that could be had behind bars was with a travel agency. These women actually interacted over the phone with free people from the outside world. These inmates helped people over the phone with travel planning. This job like the others seemed to allow the prisoners a chance to escape from the prison world. Cafeteria work and cleaning were other jobs that prisoners were able to work as well.

Personal affection was a topic discussed in the video. Many of the women inmates were lesbian. These women looked towards the relationships for support and a sense of worth. The women in the video seemingly loved each other and even proclaimed that the relationship “wasn’t all about sex”. Danica had a term 8 years shorter than her lover. When questioned about what she would do when she was released 8 months from now she claimed “she would probably be back”. Shockingly Danica didn’t know what she would do in the free world without her partner Jennifer and vowed she may willingly come back to prison so she could spend her life behind bars with her partner.

The video briefly touched on the lives of corrections officers. The officers were not at all what I had expected and differed greatly from media’s view. There were male and female officers within this all-female prison. The male officer’s needed a female officer’s accompaniment when escorting female prisoners. This insured that male officers would not be falsely accused by inmates in regards to mistreatment or rape. The male and female inmates were not as described in the media. Each guard seemed to be relatively normal, not being overly violent or aggressive. The guards were cautious when dealing with inmates and assertive when doing their respective jobs. In my opinion the correctional officers did a great job in regards to their work. They properly enforced the rules by using a passive aggressive approach. This approach simultaneously earned the inmates respect while allowing CO’s to complete their job in an efficient and correct manner.

The text from Britton and the video both give great insight into the Women’s penal system. It is a mysterious and dynamic animal that is constantly changing. The book and video provide an excellent point of view both from prisoner’s and guard’s and allow an outsider to learn about these systems without actually being a part of It themselves. Both the video and text show that dangers can arise and a careful approach to working in the Penal system is a necessity. Caution must be used as injury and death can occur with a lack thereof. The book also touches on the dynamic between minority Corrections Officer’s and inmates and makes an interesting point. Minority Corrections Officer’s find themselves sympathizing with inmates of a similar race. I can see how this could happen. Inmates are treated differently than free people, and in my opinion this is ultimately fair. These people are behind bars for a reason and their punishment must be served. I don’t believe any preferential or unusually cruel punishment should be given but reality proves this is not the case. Again the justice system is constantly changing and adapting to current situations and legislation. I have faith that the right decisions will be made in regards to Penal Legislation. I truly believe our society will make these institutions, and the laws that go along with them, as fair and just as possible.

Blog #16

Prison jobs are relatively unattractive to today’s society. This lack of demand for the work makes these positions fairly easy to obtain. Prison systems only require a candidate to be 21 years old, have graduated from high school, and have no felony convictions. In fact only 1 percent of children surveyed chose “Prison Guard” as an occupation. These types of correctional jobs just aren’t sought after. The average corrections officer starts off making $23,000.00 a year, which is an income considered to be below the poverty line. And the average income of a Corrections officer with experience is only $30,524.00. These low income jobs have accelerated change within the working demographic brining more female, African-American, and Hispanic employees. There are similarities and differences when comparing men and women’s career paths within the corrections field. For instance, most of the people Britton surveyed indicated that they are not in the position in which they aspired to be (P 80). No one interviewed grew up with the pursuit of working within the prison system. The individuals surveyed usually bounced back and forth between different jobs before they landed work in the prison system. That is, both men and women basically “drifted” into these jobs.

The paths to prison work for men and women couldn’t be more different. For men 44% come from some sort of military occupation and training, while only 7% of women come from a similar field. For women the most common type of previous employment comes from clerical work. 37% of these women surveyed worked as secretaries and clerks. Conversely no man reported these types of clerical jobs prior to prison work. The basic summarization of past work in men comes from military experience, while women come from entirely different fields. I found it quite interesting to read about different career paths by which women and men take when finally obtaining these types of jobs.

The motivations seem to be quite similar amongst men and women when taking these types of jobs as well. Usually pay and benefits make more than enough sense for candidates to choose these positions. Vacations, medical benefits, and a salary make more the enough sense for applicants given the scarce amount of work that most of the prison towns have available. I don’t believe prison work is something I could ever do, but I commend those who have these dangerous jobs.

Blog #15

The first United States Prison opened in 1785. And by 1820 America had 15 prisons. The first groups of women inmates were harbored alongside men in 1825 and by 1839 Mount Pleasant Female Prison opened as an all Female institutions. Early on women were treated as “annoyances” while men were subject to reform. Reform was the goal during the second phase of the US prison system. The penal system aimed to shape the ideal middle class man, while sending women to have way homes for rehabilitation. Women were often mistreated within the early days of the penal system. Raping and beatings by men were commonplace. All and all the average woman inmate was basically neglected, mistreated, and often bludgeoned. Early prisons also had a diverse group of criminals. There were murderer’s, gambler’s, bank robber’s etc. Today one would mostly see non violent drug offenders. These non violent criminals are at times mistreated and put on the same level as that of very violent offenders.

Segregation and gender perception played a role in inmates work as well. Female inmate’s jobs included cooking and cleaning, while men undertook physical labor like construction and railroad work. I find it fascinating that our penal system, much like society has gender specific stereotypes. Law reflects societal perception and this transcends into our justice system.

The Arizona penal system has had a similar following to the prison system of the United States. Yuma, opened the first state penitentiary in which men and women were both prisoners, and it seems gender specific work were given to prisoner’s based on their respective sex. With time reform of the penal system occurred in Arizona and eventually Yuma Territorial Prison closed. Today you will see a similar system to that across the United States. Men and Women have separate penal institutions within Arizona as well as around the rest of the country.

Blog #14

On page 3 of At Work In the Iron Cage, Britton describes the “theory of gendered organizations”. She states “the theory argues that we should see organizations not as neutral organisms infected by the germs of workers’ gender (and sexuality and race and class) identities but as sites in which these attributes are present in preexisting assumptions and constructed through ongoing practice.” Britton uses a number of sources throughout her book when discussing the “theory of gendered organizations”. The primary information used comes from the interviews of seventy-two corrections officers working within 2 men’s, and three women’s prisons. Structure, agency, and culture are all interlinked in an ongoing process of organizational gendering. I believe that prison system provides proof that the above mentioned intertwine when organizational gendering is involved. That is structure, agency, and culture all play a vital role in the process of organizational gendering.

Britton also says that “Organizations are gendered at the level of structure.” What she is basically saying is that there is a division between public and private spheres in regards to work. Men are more apt to benefit from this type of structure. For instance it is proven that men have an easier time and adapt to these types of work. I agree with what Britton is saying. Many employers require demanding hours, responsibility, and commitment. These particular types of jobs make it very hard on women that have to juggle the responsibility of family life. Many of these jobs are very demanding and statistics show that men work more overtime hours then women in similar positions. I believe this is due to the fact that most women have extra responsibilities outside. These responsibilities consume as much if not more time than the 9-5 job someone may work. I sympathize for these women. Great strides have been made in terms of reform, especially in regards to the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972. Legislation along with the EEOC of 1972 has broken down many barriers. These combined policies and jurisdiction are steps in the right direction, but progress is always welcomed.

Blog 13

The media version of the corrections officer according to Britton is that of a big, stern, powerful man. The media uses the image of power to combat power. The media portrays a MAN that would not hesitate to use violence towards prisoners if need be. However, women partake in these occupations despite the inaccurate position the media portrays. I used to watch a show called OZ on HBO that was essentially about prison life and all facets that go along with it. In this particular show there is a woman corrections officer. She is quite masculine physically strong looking and not very attractive. She never wears makeup and has her hair pulled back. This seems to be the normal media portrayal of women working within the correction system. I am sure that in reality female prison guards don’t fit any stereotypical norm. Reading other blogs confirm this thinking as well. The lesson I take from this is that the media’s portrayal of people is not always accurate. I look at news, movies, books, and other methods of media for information; however I do it with a cautious eye. The media’s opinions and portrayal of any and everything should always be looked at with skepticism. The inaccurate depiction of women within the correction’s workforce is a tragedy. Women do work these jobs, and can accomplish just as much success as any male counterpart can. It is definitely a harder task for women to succeed in these types of jobs given some of the physical demands that are required. However, this type of work is accomplished everyday by women across the world. Women are stereotyped and have many negative perceptions when it comes to working within the prison system. Most people see women as physically inferior to men, and too weak for the position. This is unfair and I have sympathy for women that work these types of jobs. It can’t be easy working a job in which your co-workers may not trust you, and prisoner’s look at you as inferior.

Blog #12

Occupational segregation is an unfortunate reality within today’s society. Occupational segregation is a problem which has occurred for hundreds if not thousands of years and consists of segregation based on race, sex, religion, age, and gender. The type of occupational segregation as it relates to this class pertains mainly to issues of sex. Laws are currently set in place by the EEOC, and though they help are not 100% foolproof. Segregation in relation to your sex exists despite these laws by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The facts are troubling. Women make about 30% less than men in similar positions despite education, training, and other qualifications. Social and institutional factors contribute to the problem as well. Our society begins molding the minds of the young from birth. We dress our boys in blue, and our girls in pink. We (society) tell our boys to be strong, while encouraging our girls to be sympathetic. Boy’s play football and girls partake in gymnastics. The list goes on and on. These small happenings all promote occupational segregation and make the problem worse. Society needs to break these methods of teaching in regards to sex starting at birth. I believe that legislation along with a new way of thinking will all contribute to diminishing the problems of occupational segregation. Despite our grim history and outlook small steps are being made in the right direction. Women, have made monumental steps within the working industry. Women that have broken into male dominated occupations have advantages. Financially most male dominated jobs pay substantially more than traditional women’s jobs, nearly 20-30 percent more! These non-traditional jobs obtained by women can lead them to financial stability and out of any destitute financial situation. I don’t believe males are affected negatively when women take on non-traditional jobs. I believe women entering into these types of jobs promote constructive competition. Competition makes for more productive employees and more productive employees make for a better work environment.

Post #11

I listened to Tupac Shakur’s song Dear Mamma and was moved. Tupac raps about his mother’s devotion to him and his siblings. This song is first person narrative about all his mother did to make his life easier despite being a poor black family. His mother was single working hard and just trying to survive. The song parallels many of the realities that we have read thus far throughout the class. The song touches on poverty, single parents, hunger, and drugs. It is a sad song to listen to knowing Tupac has passed away, I couldn’t imagine being a parent listening to my deceased child’s message. The song is a great tool in discovering some of the things we otherwise wouldn’t understand. The message is a good one. Most of us have great parents that would do any and everything to make our lives better. We don’t often realize what we have until its gone so we need embrace our parents, and as parents do what we can to make our children’s lives happy and healthy ones. Sometimes we need a reminder, and this song did that for me. Thank You Mom!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDBGGV3YFMY

Blog #9

18 percent of our nation’s children live in poverty. That equates to over 13,000,000 children, a jaw dropping number. Poverty is a very sad situation and when children are involved it makes things that much more sad. No child should live in poverty however the numbers don’t lie and sadly millions of children do live in poverty today. The videos and reading show that many hard working mothers are out there trying to make a living and trying to provide for their families. Sadly sometimes the work isn’t there. What do we do in these types of situations? Government programming is one answer. There are government programs that provide food for one’s children, sometimes in the form of food stamps or a credit card like tool that allows someone to purchase food. There are also programs that parents can enroll in that provide for food at school. These programs pay anywhere from fractions of the total lunch costs to the whole lunch. These programs work and provide meals when needed, but what happens when the children get home? How is a struggling parent to provide for their child when they are motivated and ready to work but the work isn’t there? At times the work a parent may be able to do is not enough to pay all the necessary bills of survival. How can we fix this? I don’t think there is any sure fire way to fix this problem. However, I do believe doing nothing will make things worse. We need to secure jobs on our home front, and keep them in America. Millions of jobs have been lost to oversee corporation relocation and hundreds if not thousands more will follow in the months and years to come. We need legislation passed that keeps our businesses here. This will save jobs in America and hopefully help in the recovery of our nation. This may work slowly but in the end everyone will be better off. Our citizens will make the money that they deserve, and their children will be better off. It can be a contagious effect if we just act on our feelings. Will we?

Blog #8

“Urban poverty” creates problems for poor working mothers. Here are some of the factors that contribute to Urban Poverty in regards to working mothers according to researchers. There is a decline in real-estate and abandonment of homes, the loss of Small and Big business, poorly functioning public schools with low expectations in regards to learning, emptiness of the streets and a decline of social interaction, and a grim outlook and concern for ones neighbors and neighborhoods.

The real-estate decline never gives mothers a peace of mind that their homes will be safe. Foreclosed homes and properties reverting back to the banks keep families second guessing their living situation. Families never really have a piece of mind that the home they may be living in will be there securely for the days ahead. The loss of small and big business leaves working mothers with fewer choices. The economy is definitely hampered by job loss and this job loss is affected by the economy. These tough times allow very little choice in regards to work. Mothers find themselves working in situations and jobs they wouldn’t typically work. Poor school systems with low expectations often times leave children with little to no aspirations. No authority in regards to education is enforced. Children find themselves wrapped up in the vicious education cycle. This at times leads to low morale with children following in their mother’s footsteps within their own lives and work. Little social interaction and a grim outlook for ones and neighbors and neighborhoods make problems worse for working mothers. The grim mindset and lack of close social networks within neighborhoods makes the cycle move forward. It is a sad reality that these working mothers face on a daily basis. The above problems mentioned are just a handful of the many problems that affect poor working mothers and so the cycle goes on.

Blog #7

Reading about the struggles of Julia and Jacqueline was sad to say the least. Julia wanted to better her situation and despite her efforts ran into some large hurdles. Julia started her college career with the idea that her husband would be able to support her with child care. The initial agreement was that the children’s father would watch the two daughters while Julia finished school. By the end of the first semester Julia’s husband was gone leaving her with no one to watch the children. Izzy, Julia’s sister, moved in during the fall semester to help out with the situation. Izzy soon ran into her own problems with work which prevented her from helping out Julia any further. From that point Julia had to quit school and provide primary care for her children. After about a month and half she started a work experience program. Other ups and downs were encountered until Julia’s cousin Sonia began to provide care for her children. Jacqueline and Julia both felt Sophia was a perfect fit. She fed the children healthy foods, provided an education, and helped out with the upkeep around the house. Julia kept her children with Sonia as long as possible, but eventually the cost was overwhelming. Julia had to have her 73 year old ill mother eventually care for her children.

There is a vicious cycle in which minimum wage jobs add to the poor working women’s ability to find and maintain stable and safe childcare while also trying to make a better living. It is almost a catch 22. If one makes slightly more money than required to get welfare assistance they end up losing in the end. The small increase in pay actually hurts them. This small pay grade increase takes away any government support that one may have once had and in return they actually bring home less given the child care costs that one may have saved on initially. The course work points to different stories and situations that Molly and Delores have gone through. They never seem to get ahead. Thousands and thousands of others are in the same situations trying to better their lives while struggling with issues of childcare and work. My heart is with them all.

Blog #6

Child care is at times a necessity for working parent and is of the utmost importance. The range of child care varies amongst poor working mothers. Child care can consist of friends, families, strangers, and day care programs.

My wife and I are currently looking for child care for our 14 month old son. It is quite difficult to say the least. We have many of the concerns that are mentioned throughout the texts and readings. How much will it cost and is it financially worth having my wife go back to work given the cost of childcare? Is there family that may be able to help out? If we do use a day care or babysitter outside of our family are they trustworthy? These are all real issues that we have faced.

Luckily my mother will be able to care for our son when my wife goes back to work. My wife is going to work approximately 20-25 hours a week so my mother will only be watching the baby 1-2 days a week. We found this to be the most beneficial means of child care for my family. If we used an alternative means of childcare it would have cost more for my wife to work than to stay home and care for our child. I know many people do not have the luxury of family help and I have sympathy for them. It can definitely be a challenge. I am thankful that my mother is able to help out with the care of my child. The one to two days she can help give her time with her grandson while allowing my wife and I to provide a better life, financially, for our children.

I don’t think I would ever feel 100% comfortable with my child in a day care center. Reading the shocking regulation of 1 in every 5 year inspections of California day care facilities makes me for the love and support my mother gives to my wife and I.

Blog #5

Chaudry argues that “we are asking the less fortunate to strive and work harder, we are deeply discounting our public responsibility for the children born into poor families and disadvantaged communities”. These are powerful words that are very true. One video in particular provided information about the poverty line and stated that poverty level is considered $21,000.00 of income or less for a family of four. The video then went into detail about very common, not excessive, expenses that are associated with providing for a family. The picture painted was bleak. It seemed that nearly no money was remaining after just a handful of necessary expenses were paid for. This is a vicious cycle.

The video’s provided insight into this vicious cycle and poverty in general. The interviews that I watched were sad, but enlightening. I found much of the commentary to be shockingly sad. I wouldn’t say I was naive to the thoughts of the low-income families interviewed. I just hadn’t thought about the trials and tribulations that these people go through every day. Most of the people interviewed had very little education. They had dropped out of school at very early ages to help out with their family. Most of the reasons given for dropping out were to help support their family. I do not fault these people for this, as this is necessary for their survival. They need food, shelter, water etc…..and work is a means to these basic necessities.

Progression on these delicate issue’s of the working poor needs to be made. The readings and video’s prove that many people are overlooked and left behind. Our governmental systems seem to lack the compassion necessary to take better care of these people. Rome wasn’t built over night but our society needs to be aware of these issues. I am guilty of forgetting many of the problem’s our world faces. And I to faced many of the struggles that were mentioned in the readings and the videos…..It seems that I have blocked out those difficult times in my life, these reading’s and videos reminded me of where I came from, and the trials and tribulations that I have endured.

Blog 4

Family is first. I have a very close family, and enjoy dinners nearly every Sunday with my aunts, uncles, grandparents, parent’s, cousin’s and my immediate family. Family is a necessity in my life and I like to think I have a “good family life”. What constitutes a “good family life”? In my opinion many things do.

I think a good family life is happiness. Everyone can’t be happy all the time, but being happy most of the time makes for a good family. Other things that make for a good family life are understanding, balance, and compromise. Given the fact that not all people are alike one must be understanding. We think, act, and speak differently and understanding this principle makes for a better quality of family life. Compromise is another facet of family life that must be addressed. Other members of family have different points of view and at times when two people don’t see eye to eye compromise must be made. I find compromising a hard thing to do, but when looking back I realize that sometimes compromising was the right thing to do in the end. Balance is essential. I find balance the most difficult aspect of creating a good family life for me and my family. It is very difficult for to balance my work priorities with my family. Family is of course always first in my heart, but the constraints of monetary needs and priorities make for a catch 22. I need to make time for my family but working at times supersedes this idea because financially my family depends on my hard work and income to survive.

My wife and I constructively talk about good ways to make this balance work. As I mentioned in previous blogs the dynamic of her going back to work makes this issue a reality. Not only will I have to balance my work and family; my wife will have to find a common ground as well. Perfect balance amongst family and work may never be achieved. However, the pursuit of this perfect balance from me will always be a goal for me to strive for.

My current employer is by far the best employer that I have ever worked for. My work place is very family oriented and understanding when it comes to a family needs and obligations. There has never been any issue when it comes to my family and its needs. If someone is sick or an emergency arises, I have personal days available to me and if I need a day off all I have to do is ask. I have no complaints. I know this is not common place within most employment settings but I think if more employers were a bit more understanding when it come to personal issues; the world would be a lot less stressful place.

The United Kingdom shows that better work place practices make for stronger employee
morale, stronger work ethic, and less stress. This may be a sign. Compassion and understanding benefit all involved. The employer gets a more productive and understanding employee. And the employee is satisfied and happy with their respective employer. I don’t know if using the exact methods of the United Kingdom would have a positive outcome as our societies are two completely different animals. However, I do know that taken an impartial passive approach will most likely result in more of the same workplace practices.

All in all great support system both from the employer and from ones family will provide the optimum situation. Nothing is 100% fool proof but having positive enforcements both on the work and home front will help achieve balancing priorities. We have mentioned help and support from the home throughout this section, but in reading and watching videos for blog four I realize that positive work reinforcements can be equally as helpful and beneficial. Personal responsibility is a must as well. We must not sit by and passively wait for family, friends, and coworkers to balance our lives for us. We need to create our own positive destiny. We need to create change for the better. We need to take a step in the right direction and always peruse that perfect balance.

Post #3

Care-work is an interesting and dynamic topic. I personally believe care-work has had an impact on every family in some way or another. Care-work definitely plays a major role in my family life as it currently is.

My wife is currently a stay at home mother and home maker. She is amazing. She takes care of our children, keeps a clean house, and cooks nearly everyday. These are just a handful of the many, many things she does throughout her day. At times I find myself taking her work for granted. I sometimes forget just how much she does. I work outside of the home, essentially a 9-5 job, and usually arrive home exhausted and tired. She too gets exhausted and tired....rightfully so.

I try to help her out as much as I can and relieve her from her 24/7 job when I get home. However, this is difficult. My wife and I compromise the best we can when it comes to the "care-work" of our home and children.

My wife is getting ready to enter the work force due to some financial issues with our family and it has been quite a chore for her. We worry about who will care for our children, and our home while we are both working. There are many things from a care-worker's aspect that we will have to make sure get done. I have ensured my wife that I will help out as much as humanly possible while we make this transition. "Juggling Work and Care" have opened my eyes and mind to ideas and topics that I didn't know existed. The UK's policy of understanding seem to be a great idea. They are flexible and provide peace of mind to care-worker's entering the traditional work field. I believe similar programming in the United States would be an asset to care workers. I believe it would definitely provide a piece of mind to my family with my wife now entering the work force. I look forward to policy change in the work force. It may not affect me now, but a positive change from an employer's standpoint could benefit my children.

Blog #2

I found our second blog assignment to be quite interesting. Patriarchy is a fascinating and complex topic which I believe all people have some sort of enlightening and personal information to share. Today I took a long hard look at my life, and what roles my wife and I play in regards to Patriarchy. My family falls within the majority’s view of Patriarchy. I work a full time job, and am the primary bread winner for my family. My wife is a stay at home mother taking care of the children, our home, and providing an organization to our family structure.

Is this a coincidence? Or is this just fact? Since I can remember nearly every depiction of the American family is just that. “The man makes the money and works a 9-5 job; while the wife stays at home, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children”. I know I grew up learning this traditional type of family structure and am aware that many other people young and old alike have had similar upbringing.

Reading the texts and watching the videos can’t help but make one think about gender roles within society and how in the recent past has transformed the typical perception of such issues. The NPR news article shows that 5.7 million jobs were lost since December of 2007. And 4 out of those 5 jobs were held by men. The article also shows the disparity in men’s unemployment (9.45) to women’s unemployment (7.1%). The article shows disparity in wages as well. Women earn 77 cents for every dollar Males earn.

All of the information from this assignment proves that work and progress need to be made. Equal pay for equal work is an idea which America has sought to achieve for many, many years. I believe any progress is better than no progress. The increase in wages by which black African Americans women make is a testament to America’s progress up to this point. However, more needs to be done. The disparity within pay and the status quo perception of Patriarchy needs to be discussed and improved upon. The disparity gaps need to be closed. Healthy and insightful blogging is definitely a step in the right direction!

Introduction Post #1

A) My handle is Frank's JUS 420 blog. The reason for choosing this handle is quite simple. My name is Frank Pino and I am blogging for JUS 420. I found it difficult to get creative in choosing my handle name as I have never had any nicknames.


B) My major is Justice Studies with English as a related field. If all goes well I will graduate by summer's end.

C) I chose this class for many reasons, all of which different in their own right. I initially started at ASU full time in 2001 and continued as a full time student through 2005. I was expected to graduate in the Spring of 2005. Unfortunately on January 23rd, 2005 Justin Smothermon, fellow Justice Studies Major, and I were in a fatal car accident. Justin passed away.

Justin and I lived together and to make a long story short I had to move back home with my parents in the west valley. My college career was consequently put on hold. In the mean time I have been taking online classes and community college classes to fulfill all of my elective credit requirements to graduate.

I now have 13 credits remaining, and am excited to finally graduate later this year. Since the accident many things in my life have changed. I am now happily married, have a 1 year old son (future ASU student Frankie Junior), and work full time for Alliance Beverage Distributing company. Full time work and full house keep me busy. Jus 420 fits perfectly into my into my life as it currently stands. The online class saves me the time of commuting to and from main campus and allows me to work at a more personal pace.

I look forward to fulfilling my final Justice course requirement with a bang. Women, Work, And Justice hits close to home with me. My brother and I were raised by my mother, a single parent. I'll never forget the struggles my mother faced supporting a family on her own at such a very young age. I look forward to comparing and contrasting my mother's experiences with other's in similar situations. I am eager to partake in thoughtful and enlightening discussion throughout this semester.