Essay about Book Report: Women and the Changing Facts of Work Life

Submitted By tmiller0003
Words: 1766
Pages: 8
Open Document
Book Report The book I chose for my book report, Women and the Changing Facts of Work Life, is broken down into different sections and talks about women in the workforce spanning from the 1940’s all the way until the book was published in 1996. It starts out with the definition of meritocracy which means: letting talent rise to the top regardless of where it is found and whether it is male or female (Nichols, 1996. p. ix). In the beginning the author also mentions sexual harassment and sexism is often a problem for women but they must create their own opportunities if they want to grow (Nichols, 1996. p. x). It is clear that this book mainly discusses social issues, which often relate to the way people observe the way other people live. Many will agree and disagree on what is seen as normal, but I believe very few would agree that sexual harassment and sexism is considered to be normal (“Social, “2013”). This book also relates to ethical issues, which often affect how people make decisions, live their life, or run their business ("Ethical," 2013).
Whatever Happened to Rosie the Riveter? This first section is about Rosie the Riveter, a woman who built machinery necessary to fight and win WWII from 1942-1947. While she was working there the company noticed that productivity had risen, product cycle time dropped, and quality improved, but still she was forced off the floor after the war ended (Nichols, 1996. p. 4). One of the companies involved in this social and ethical issue was Ford. They said they needed men to do hard work and lift heavy equipment therefore they got rid of their female workers (Nichols, 1996. p. 4). In the mid-1970’s female workers were back in the workforce and some were even managers. It is noted that the first females managers often tried to fit in by having a masculine style. This ended up being a problem when and if the female became pregnant. Recently a study found that a woman is more likely to be listened to if she communicates indirectly and nice. Men are more likely to be influenced by a woman who speaks tentatively versus those who speak assertively (Nichols, 1996. p. 10).
The Case of the Hidden Harassment A manager from Filmore Trust went into an employee’s office to get something off of their desk and when he did, he read something on the computer screen he was not supposed to see. The employee, Jill, left an e-mail on the screen she had sent earlier in the day. This e-mail read:
Can you walk me out again? He’s in today and I’m sure he’ll be waiting for me. He leaned up against me when I was at the coffee machine this morning and whispered some disgusting stuff about how great he is in bed. I don’t want another episode like the one in the hallway Monday night. I should have left when you did, but I thought he’d already gone.
I’m sorry you have to put up with this. Get back to me. I’ll be ready to go whenever you are (p. 63).
In my opinion most people would leave the office and pretend they never read the message, but the manager, Jerry Tarkwell felt he needed to handle this situation. When Jill returned to work Jerry asked to speak with her privately. He explained to her that he had read the message and he was determined to put a stop to the situation. When he mentioned he had already called the equal employment officer Jill became furious and expressed her fear of losing her job and jeopardizing her career if she was investigated. She feared that word would get around and people would frown upon working with her, especially men. Overall I believe this is an ethical issue that Jerry Tarkwell is dealing with because he must morally make a decision based on what he feels is either right or wrong. When you’re in this type of situation I think it is always best to get advice from an outsider’s perspective, which leads to the next section in this chapter: “How Can Tarkwell Best Resolve This Issue.” It starts off with Cheryl Wang explaining her personal story of how she was also
Show More

Related Documents: Essay about Book Report: Women and the Changing Facts of Work Life

Rosie The Riveter

World War II was a time of opportunities for women; widespread male enlisting left a major gap in the United States labor force, opening a variety of positions that were previously exclusive to men. As factories quickly changed their production from family goods to munitions needed to win the war, government and Industrial leaders called out to women to join the workforce with several campaigns, among them, the most common and widely used campaign, Rosie the Riveter. The campaign was widely publicized…

Words 1615 - Pages 7

Cognitive Biases In Riveted By Professor Davies

lecture specifically focused on cognitive biases. Professor Davies also writes about this bias in his book “Riveted”. This bias refers to the fact that humans believe that things that are easily called to memory are more common than they might actually be. There are a lot of issues surrounding the availability heuristic. The main issue is that humans have an easier time remembering events or reports that had a strong emotional reaction, particularly if it was a negative emotion like anger or fear.…

Words 822 - Pages 4

Domestic Crime Essay example

Domestic violence is a problem that is worldwide and is seen in every country and culture. It seems that they all view women and children inferior to men because they are often smaller and weaker, and therefore at the mercy of their “bigger, stronger” counter-parts. It is virtually impossible for people to live together in a household, sharing all their dreams, ideas, fears, and emotions without conflict (whether physical, emotional or verbal) arising at some point. It is a story as old as time itself…

Words 923 - Pages 4

Research Paper

Daniela Lopez Angie Temple English Composition II Research Paper Women human’s rights are violated daily around the world. No matter, the race or age many women endure mistreatment. Women in many countries like Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive or simply go out without a male chaperone, or in Afghanistan who are imprisoned for “cheating” on their husbands. Women are subjected to rape and sexual abuse by co-workers, police officers, soldiers and family members. Girls in countries like China…

Words 2719 - Pages 11

Essay about Evolution of Tattoos: From Symbols to Style Statement and More

a matter gives us a clue to the whole; that we are able to understand each other by countless incomplete means of communication. The person who is versed in music may identify the composer after hearing but a short phrase of one of his unfamiliar works, and each of us may recognize a friend from afar after seeing a single characteristic gesture” (Ferguson-Rayport, Griffith, Straus 112). All of these things make us into an individual. These features turn people into independent thinkers and this creates…

Words 2559 - Pages 11

Bill Cosby Biography Essay

rated sitcom for five years from the year of 1984 to 1992. Cosby was accused of sexual misconduct surfaced in 2014. More than 50 women have accused Cosby of inappropriate behavior. Cosby was charged in 2015 at the age of 78 with sexual assault charges in Pennsylvania. Cosby the actor, comedian, writer…

Words 1797 - Pages 8

Essay about Race: Race and Varied Race Populations

A Personal View on Race, Class, Ethnicity and Gender My Views and Beliefs of Race, Class, Ethnicity and Gender What are beliefs? One’s beliefs can be defined as your thoughts and values on how you live your life and your impressions and feelings about topics and situations. A belief is the acceptance of something as being truthful. By definition, it is the mental act, condition, or habit of placing confidence or trust in a person or thing. Beliefs can also be…

Words 1255 - Pages 6

Atherosclerosis Case Study

Atherosclerosis is the buildup of a waxy plaque on the inside of artery, the arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart through the body, and they are lined by a thin layer of cells called the endothelium. The endothelium works to keep the inside of arteries toned and smooth, which blood keeps flowing. (Zarbock, et al, 2008) There are two major types of cholesterol, the HDL (high density lipoprotein) or good cholesterol, and the LDL (low density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol…

Words 1324 - Pages 6

The Sixties Summary

American life. Beginning with the crew-cut conformity of 1950s Cold War culture and ending with the transition into the uneasy '1970s, Anderson notes the rise of an idealistic generation of baby boomers, widespread social activism, and revolutionary counterculture. Anderson explores the rapidly shifting mood of the country with the optimism during the Kennedy years, the liberal advances of Johnson's "Great Society," and the growing conflict over Vietnam that nearly tore America apart. The book also navigates…

Words 1856 - Pages 8

Argumentative Essay: The Role Of Women In Music

I can’t remember a time in my life when music didn’t matter to me. As a young child, I hummed along incessantly to any tune that popped into my head. In elementary school, I joined an after-school choir program, and I began playing the ever-frustrating French Horn at the age of ten. What I didn’t realize as a child, though, was how oddly tilted the gender distribution is in terms of authority in the musical world. My band director in middle school was a man. My band director in high school was a…

Words 1959 - Pages 8