Work or Family: There’s a Problem
When the XX-th century began most of American families shared one characteristic: the wife didn’t work outside the home. The only exceptions were black women. If a wife worked it meant that her husband was not able to support a family. By contrast to the beginning of the century, in the 1990s over 60% of women were in the work force. The transformation was relatively quick. The two major reasons for that were the Great Depression and the World War II – when most women just had to start working. They became electricians, machinists, carpenters, as well as lawyers, engineers, physicians and proved that they could do this sort of work not worse than men.
As work for married women is now accepted and commonplace, the internal character of American families has greatly changed. Most women have to combine family and work outside the home. There is so-called Supermom – the woman who tries to juggle a career with a family. Others have come to the conclusion that the dual role can often cause them to be mediocre at both. So they’ve given up their career to stay home with children. Some view it as a temporary solution until their children start school. But even when at home, women pursue various interests. They the foreign-born, in fund-raising activities for the colleges they graduated from, the jog in the morning with friends, etc. All that gives them a feeling of achievement.participate in all kinds of organizations, e.g., English-teaching committees for
The major worry for most is that if they decide to go back to work they’ll have problems with finding jobs. Many women say they continue reading in their fields so that they won’t fall behind. Others say that they communicate with their former colleagues to keep up with what is going on. Otherwise, they say, you feel that you’re “a bit out of touch”.
Men haven’t easily accepted changes in the family pattern with working women. Sometimes they show anger and resentment. One Atlanta attorney says, “My wife has her own career as a lawyer and when I arrive home from a tough day, all I want to do is put my feet up and have a drink – the sort of thing a man always expects. Instead I have to help with the household or attend to my children. I frequently have to cut short my own working day in order to pick up our eighteen-month-old son from day care or to spend time with my older child. Often I’m also the one who is on call in case of illness, who prepares many of the meals, and who keeps the house clean.
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On the one hand, a majority of men now believe that both sexes should enjoy equal employment opportunities, but on the other, most also believe that children may be harmed psychologically if their mothers work outside the home. This contradiction increasingly rules the Americans.
Exercises
1. Find in the text English equivalents for the following:
с одной стороны- раздражение и обида-
домашнее хозяйство- быть в курсе событий-
принимать участие- прийти к выводу-
трудный/напряженный день- единственное исключение-
посредственный- содержать семью-
противоречие- сократить рабочий день-
обычный- рабочая сила-
временное решение- достижение-
отстать- вредить-
2. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate word combination from ex. 1.
a)…….my wife is a very kind and intelligent woman, but on the other, she sometimes shows…….and……. .
b)When women come home after…….they just have no strength for……. .
c)Women staying at home with children…….in various field such as charity organizations, women’s clubs, sport society etc.
d)After recent nervous breakdown I came to a…….that I should……. .
e)He’s rather a……student and if he misses many classes he’ll…….the group.
f)As it’s he who…….he has to work long hours.
g)Having five children is a remarkable……., at the same time it’s an exception.
3. a)to support outside the home
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to participate changes
to stay at home to a conclusion
to help the house clean
to combine in fund-raising
to work a family
to come with the household
to accept working day
to keep with children
to cut short family and work
b)day harmed
relatively solution
former opportunities
psychologically of the century
employment day
the beginning colleague
work care
mediocre force
temporary mother
tough quick
4.Points for discussion.
1. Why do you think it was unusual for women to work at the beginning of the XX-th century?
2. Why did most women start working after the World War II?
3. What problems does a woman face up when she has to combine family and work?
4. Why do some women decide to give up their careers for their children’s sake?
5. Why do women staying at home with children go in for different activities? What do they do?
6. What do American men think of working women?
7. Do you think that children “may be harmed psychologically if their mothers work”?
8. Nowadays there’s such a phenomenon as “house-husband”. What do you think about it?
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