women at work - AWS

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WOMEN AT WORK
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JUNI | 2011
WOMEN AT WORK
WOMEN AT WORK Contents WARM‐UPS VOCABULARY & LANGUAGE THE GENDER PAY GAP THE FEMALE FACTOR Brainstorming, the gender factor, the glass ceiling, expert interview Gender memory, jobs and job titles, work phrases, interpret graphs, debate about equality definition, facts & figures, reasons, The gender pay gap could be down to boys being more competitive, disclosure of income compatibility of family and career for women, A social revolution at work and home, the childcare conundrum, In Germany, a Tradition Falls, and Women Rise, research project childcare in Austria Students will              get to know and think about the concepts of the glass ceiling, gender pay gap and gender‐specific job titles learn and think about the reasons for the gender pay gap as well as suggestions for closing it think about the compatibility of family and career learn about child care institutions in Austria be encouraged to think critically about issues of equality and women at work share their personal views and experiences scan newspaper articles for information revise, study and get to know words and phrases related to women at work interpret statistics describe and interpret cartoons carry out surveys and research projects prepare and give presentations revise skills used in the centralised exam (Standardisierte Reifeprüfung Neu) 1 WOMEN AT WORK
1 WARM‐UPS 1A Brainstorming Women at Work 2 Take a separate piece of paper and spend one minute writing down all the words that you associate with the phrase Women at work. Leave your notes on your chair. Then walk around in class and have a look at your colleagues’ notes and ideas (choose at least three other colleagues). Comment on your colleagues’ notes (e.g., add ideas, answer questions that they wrote down, etc.). Then discuss your ideas with your teacher. 1B The gender factor Your class will be divided into a girls and a boys group. In your groups, discuss typical female and male characteristics as well as typical female as well as male jobs. Then compare your results with the other group. Are the findings of the two groups comparable or do they seem to be gender biased? Also try to find reasons for why some jobs are mainly gone for by women while others seem to be reserved for men. Finally think about your own situation. Where do you find groups divided by gender in your daily lives? Does this distinction make sense in the particular contexts? Summarize your ideas in a short report. 1C The following article focuses on typical male and female jobs. Read through the text and put in the words from the box to complete it. Then look at the particular jobs and with the help of a dictionary or the internet make sure you understand what these people actually do. fire‐fighters tourism judgment female subconscious nurses explanation immediately gender When I was travelling last month, I picked up a paperback of Malcolm Gladwell's Blink in the airport. The book provides a fascinating 1__________________ of how the subconscious works, and how our minds are constantly passing 2__________________ on people and situations before we even realize it. One of the demonstrations Gladwell provides is this "insight" puzzle: A man and his son are in a car accident. They are taken to the nearest hospital. The emergency room doctor says, "I can't operate on this child. This is my son." Who is the surgeon? WOMEN AT WORK
3 If you don't get it right away, think for a moment! The correct answer – his mother ‐ probably came to some of you 3__________________ But for many of you, it took you a lot longer, because your 4__________________ is trained to expect a doctor to be a man. Despite living in a time of much‐improved 5__________________ equality, there are still a ton of jobs that are disproportionately male or female: The top ten male jobs, all more than 95% male: Plumbers, car mechanics, carpenters, skilled construction workers, extraction workers, electricians, unskilled construction workers, construction supervisors, 6__________________ and lumberjacks. Conversely, the top ten 7__________________ jobs, all more than 82% female (note that men have an easier time breaking into traditionally female occupations): Secretaries, child care workers, 8__________________, healthcare support jobs, bookkeepers, health care aides, special education teachers, financial clerks, and information clerks. Perhaps most interesting is the jobs closest to 50‐50: Retail sales workers, bus drivers, media workers, health diagnosing occupations, food preparation workers, 9__________________, workers, artists and designers, chefs, high school teachers, and financial specialists. Text adapted from: http://blog.nj.com/statattack/2007/10/male_jobs_female_jobs.html (May 10, 2011) WOMEN AT WORK
1D 4 The glass ceiling First look at the headline of the following article – Another ceiling? – and consider the picture. Discuss what the headline and the picture might refer to and speculate what the article might be about. Then match the words in column A with the words in column B and use the compounds to complete the text. Finally discuss whether you agree with the reasons suggested in the article and whether there are any other reasons that you might want to add. Source: http://prepstancanneslangues.blogspot.com/2010/11/glass‐ceiling‐illustrated.html 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Column A steadily work glass personnel top‐ management same‐sex discriminated directly male a b c d e f g h i j Column B jobs ceiling positions preference decisions increased level addressed against force Another ceiling?
By Leanne E. Atwater, David D. Van Fleet The CBS Interactive Business Network
One of the dramatic changes in the
__________________ has been the
increasing proportion of women
working in what were once thought to
be traditionally 2__________________.
Historically, management positions
have been included among the
traditionally male jobs, though the
proportion of women filling lower
and mid-level 3__________________ in
recent years has 4__________________
(Dalton & Kesner, 1993). The
proportion of women in top
management positions, however, has
remained very low. This lack of
equal representation of women in
top-management positions has been
1
attributed to a
"5__________________," an invisible
barrier that keeps women from
entering top-level management
positions (Morrison, White & Van
Velsor, 1987).
A number of reasons have been
suggested for the existence of the
glass ceiling. First, some contend
that males or male characteristics
are preferred for management
positions (Heilman, Block, Martell,
& Simon, 1989). Others suggest that
perhaps there have been too few
women qualified for or interested in
6
__________________ management
positions. Another reason may be
WOMEN AT WORK
tradition: management may have been
seen as a male domain because, until
recently, most managers and the
majority of the work force in most
jobs were male. Wharton and Baron
(1987) offered a different
explanation: People prefer to work
with others of the same gender,
hence men would be more suitable to
supervise men. If the
"7__________________" holds (that is,
if males and females prefer and rate
those of their own gender more
highly) we would expect females to
be considered more suitable to
manage females. However, little
research has 8__________________ the
potential for pro-female bias in
9
__________________ concerning
traditionally female jobs, while a
substantial body of evidence has
documented that selection decisions
for traditionally male positions
have been biased against females
(Deaux, 1984; Dipboye, Fromkin &
Wiback, 1975; Rosen & Jerdee, 1974;
Terborg & Ilgen, 1975). Nilson
(1976) did find that male nurses
were rated lower in prestige than
female nurses. Additionally, males
applying for secretarial,
receptionist, or office clerk jobs
have been clearly
10
__________________ in hiring
decisions (Levinson, 1975; Business
Week, July 31, 1995).
Text adapted from: http://www.bnet.com/?tag=header;header‐pri (May 10, 2011) 5 WOMEN AT WORK
6 1E Conduct a survey at your school by asking your mothers about their jobs. You may work in separate groups with each group focusing on a different class. Try to group your mothers’ jobs and compare your results with what you have already heard about female and male jobs and the “glass ceiling”. Then summarize your findings visually (e.g., as a poster that you put up in class, as a PowerPoint presentation). 1F 1G Conduct a real or imaginary interview with a woman who has successfully broken the “glass ceiling”. Work together with a partner and develop a series of questions to gather background information about the person, which hurdles she had to face and how she actually feels in her current position. Present your results to the rest of the class. Look at the two cartoons below. Together with your partner discuss what they refer to. Then work on your own and prepare a brief comment. It is up to you to choose the form of this comment: It can be a letter, an advertising text, a weblog entry, a newspaper article, an inner monologue (e.g. of one of the persons in the pictures), etc. Then read out your comments in class and compare your ideas. Source: http://xkcd.com/385/ Source: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0907/S00331.htm __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
WOMEN AT WORK
2 2A 7 VOCABULARY AND LANGUAGE Gender Memory The following task focuses on gender‐specific and gender‐neutral job titles: “A gender‐specific job title is a name of a job that also specifies or implies the gender of the person performing that job, such as stewardess. A gender‐neutral job title does not specify or imply gender, such as firefighter or lawyer.” (from Wikipedia) Work together in groups of 2‐3 students and cut the following job titles into pieces. Shuffle the individual cards thoroughly and place them face down on your table. Then player 1 turns over any three cards to see if they match each other. If they match, the player keeps them. If they do not match, the player turns the cards face down again in the same location. Then the next player takes his or her turn. The player with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.  fireman waiter chairman steward barman policeman salesman mailman firewoman fire‐fighter waitress wait staff / server chairwomen chairperson stewardess flight attendant barmaid bartender policewoman police officer saleswoman salesperson mailwoman mail carrier / postal worker WOMEN AT WORK
2B 8 The following jobs were traditionally done by women. Nowadays, however, also men work in these professions. Try to guess the appropriate job titles for men. 1.
Cleaning lady _____________________________________ 2.
Nurse _____________________________________ 3.
Cover girl _____________________________________ 4.
Showgirl _____________________________________ 5.
Waitress _____________________________________ 2C Job Crossword WOMEN AT WORK
ACROSS 1. a person whose job is to cut men’s hair and sometimes to shave them 3. a person whose job is to introduce and play popular recorded music, on radio or television or at a club 4. a person who owns or works in a shop / store that sells flowers and plants 5. a person whose job is making and repairing wooden objects and structures 7. a person whose job is to connect, repair, etc. electrical equipment 8. a person whose job is to fit and repair things such as water pipes, toilets, etc. 9. a person who takes photographs, especially as a job 10. a person who collects and reports news for newspapers, radio or television 12. a person, often a woman, whose job is to give beauty treatments to the face and body
13. 14. 15. a person who studies one or more of the natural sciences a person whose job is to serve customers at their tables in a restaurant a person who works in an office, working for another person, dealing with letters and telephone calls, typing, keeping records, arranging meetings with people, etc. DOWN 1. 2. 6. 11. a woman who works in business, especially at a high level a person whose job is cutting up and selling meat in a shop a person whose job is to remove waste from outside houses, etc. a person whose job is to make clothes, especially sb who makes suits, for individual customers
With the help of a dictionary find out what the following “work phrases” actually mean. Then use ten of them to form meaningful sentences. 2D to keep up the good work a backlog of work your life’s work to make light work of something not a stroke of work pressure of work work in progress a line of work a place of work a work of genius donkey work legwork 9 WOMEN AT WORK
2E Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Reaching for the top with everyday tools The following paragraphs offer some steps that one may take to break the “class ceiling”. Match the headlines (1‐7) with the information paragraphs (A‐G). 1 Build your network 2 Know your rights 3 Identify the key competencies within your organization 4 Find a mentor 5 Build your reputation 6 Set Objectives to Align Your Competencies with Top Management 
A 
B 
C 
D 
E 
F Companies that value innovation and strive to be leaders will probably promote individuals who are outgoing, risk takers, and not afraid to "tell it like it is". However, if you work for a conservative company chances are that top management are analytical thinkers, with a reputation for avoiding risk and making careful decisions. Ask yourself these questions:  What are the values of your organization?  What behaviours does your company value and reward? What type of person is promoted? Once you know your target, set goals to get there. You're responsible for determining your own career direction. Be proactive and go after what you want, because it probably won't be handed to you. Do the following:  Let your boss know that you want to work toward a higher‐level position.  Ask your boss what skill areas you need to develop. Work together with your boss to set goals and objectives, then monitor and measure your performance. You should also build relationships with other people in your organization. You never know who may be in a position to help you or provide you with valuable information. It's important to network in all areas and levels of your company. Many people tend to think it's best to make friends at the top. However, to be effective and actually make it to the top, you'll need the support of colleagues at other levels as well. Having a mentor is a powerful way to break through the glass ceiling. The barriers that you face have likely been there for a long time. Past practices, biases and stereotypes, and old ideas are often long established at the top of many organizations. Ultimately, the way to get ahead is to get noticed. You want people to see your competence, leadership abilities, communication skills, technical knowledge, and any other competencies that are typical of people at the top. Develop your skills and network with people so that your name becomes associated with top management potential. Finally, watch for discriminatory behaviour. Sometimes biases and stereotyping can cross the line into discrimination. It's unfortunate for both you and your organization when situations like this occur. Don't just accept frustration and failure. Know that you're doing everything right, and arm yourself with a good understanding of your rights regarding official company policies and local laws. Text adapted from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_71.htm 10 WOMEN AT WORK
2F 11 Look at the graphs below and discuss them in class. Try to compare the different European countries. Then study the short text. By rearranging the letters of the words in brackets, find the correct terms to complete the text. Find out which country it actually refers to. Graphs copied from: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/01/19/business/20100118_WOMEN_GRAPHIC.html Today, 73 _____________ (recpent) of women work. But for those with _____________ (richlend) under 3, that _____________ (urgeif) plunges to 58 percent. Only 27 percent of women with one child resume _____________ (fell‐tium) work and only 6 percent of _____________ (sheto) with two. One result: a _____________ (ratherbit) of 1.38 children per woman. This description refers to: ........................... WOMEN AT WORK
2G 12 The text below describes what business can do to support women at work. Some words are missing from the text however. Choose from the list (A‐L) the correct part for each gap (1‐7) in the text. There are two extra words that you should not use. Write your answers in the boxes provided. At Siemens, the 163-year-old
industrial symbol of Germany
Inc., it was long unknown for a
man to take time 1_____________
for children. Then in 2008, 638
employees took the “father
months.” Last year, 964 followed
suit.
Jill Lee, the company’s first
chief diversity officer, cares
2
_____________ fathers. She
thinks if career breaks become
less of a female exception, it
helps women.
Ms. Lee, 46, grew 3_____________
in Singapore and has worked with
American, Chinese and Japanese
companies. She has never seen
anything like what German
mothers face. “Some of the same
parents who encourage their
daughters to go to university
then expect them to leave work
4
_____________ care for her
child,” she said.
Having women — now more than
half of German university
graduates — out of the work
force is beginning to hurt. By
2017, demographers predict a
shortfall of 200,000 engineers
in Germany, Ms. Lee says.
So Siemens is courting women,
and mothers. It has 400 places
for employees’ children in day
care centers near production
sites and plans to double that
figure 5_____________ next year.
It has a high school science
camp for bright female
mathematics and physics students
and mentors female
undergraduates. In Germany, 21
percent of Siemens’s staff is
female; 6_____________ new
recruits, 34 percent.
What remains hazy is how many
women will make it to the top
echelons, and how fast. In
Germany, only 13 percent of
university professors are women.
Siemens is the only one of the
top 30 German companies with a
woman on its eight-person
management board: Barbara Kux,
55, who is unmarried and
childless. Only 2 percent of
those running Fortune 500
companies are women.
And, if women’s advancement to
date has been accepted by men,
might conflict loom as calls for
next steps — boardroom quotas or
mandatory paternity leave — grow
louder?
“Many obstacles remain, and a
backlash is always possible,”
said Ms. Hagemann, the history
professor in North Carolina.
But, in Germany and elsewhere,
once unthinkable notions are now
being entertained. “All change,”
she said, requires “a change
7
_____________ the head.”
Texts adapted from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/world/europe/18iht‐women.html?pagewanted=3 A by D of G to B off E up H about C among F with I in After reading the text, get together in groups of four students and discuss Ms. Hagemann’s statement that all change requires a change in the head. What does she mean? And how do you bring about a change in someone’s head? WOMEN AT WORK
2H Set up a debate about the question of whether men and women are equal at last. Split up your class into two groups ‐ one group arguing that equality has been achieved for women and one that feels that women have not yet attained true equality to men*. Use the clues and ideas below to help you create an argument for your appointed point of view with your team members: Yes, Women Are Now Equal To Men. 
Many governments have both male and female representatives. 
Many companies are now owned or managed by women. 
A lot of progress has been made since the 1960s. 
Television series now portray women as successful career makers. 
Men now share in the raising of children and household responsibilities. 
Many important laws have been passed to ensure equality in the workplace. 
In many places, a married couple can choose whether the man or the women takes leave from work to look after the newly arrived baby. Excuse Me? Women Still Have A Long Way to Go Before They Are Equal To Men. 
Women still earn less than men in many work situations. 
Women are still portrayed in a superficial manner in many television shows. 
Look at international sporting. How many professional female leagues are as successful as their male counterparts? 
Most governments still are made up in their majority of men. 
We are having this debate because women are not equal. Otherwise, there would be no need to discuss the matter. 
Women are often not given enough responsibility based on the possibility that they might become pregnant. Below you will also find phrases and language helpful in expressing opinions, offering explanations and disagreeing: Opinions, Preferences: I think..., In my opinion..., I'd like to..., I'd rather..., I'd prefer..., The way I see it..., As far as I'm concerned..., If it were up to me..., I suppose..., I suspect that..., I'm pretty sure that..., It is fairly certain that..., I'm convinced that..., I honestly feel that, I strongly believe that..., Without a doubt,..., Disagreeing: I don't think that..., Don't you think it would be better..., I don't agree, I'd prefer..., Shouldn't we consider..., But what about..., I'm afraid I don't agree..., Frankly, I doubt if..., Let's face it, The truth of the matter is..., The problem with your point of view is that... Giving Reasons and offering explanations: To start with, The reason why..., That's why..., For this reason..., That's the reason why..., Many people think...., Considering..., Allowing for the fact that..., When you consider that... Source: http://esl.about.com/od/conversationlessonplans/a/debate4.htm * Idea: Put students into the group with the opposite opinion of what they believe. 13 WOMEN AT WORK
3 3A 14 THE GENDER PAY GAP The European Commission offers the following definition of gender pay gap on its website. In teams of 3‐4 students discuss this definition as well as the pictures and information presented beneath. “The average difference between men’s and women’s hourly earnings is
known as the gender pay gap. The gender pay gap reflects ongoing
discrimination and inequalities in the labour market which, in practice, mainly
affect women. Its causes are complex and interrelated.”
3B value The European Commission also speculates about the reasons for the gender pay gap and names “Segregation in the labour market” among others. Read through the text and put in the words from the box to complete it. Make sure to use the correct form of these words. (2x) represent reinforce predominate account work WOMEN AT WORK
The gender pay gap is
15 1
_____________________ by the segregation in the
labour market. Women and men still tend to
2
_____________________ in
different jobs. On the one hand, women and men often predominate in
different
sectors.
On
the
other
hand,
within
the
same
sector
or
3
company women
_____________________ in lower valued and lower paid
occupations.
Women
often
work
in
sectors
where
their
work
is
lower
4
_____________________ and lower paid than those dominated by men. More
than 40% of women work in health, education and public administration.
This is twice as much as the share of men in the same sectors. When we
look
at
the
health
and
social
work
sector
alone,
80%
of
those
5
_____________________ in this sector are women.
Moreover, women are frequently employed as administrative assistants,
shop
assistants
occupations
or
low
6
skilled
_____________________
or
for
unskilled
almost
workers
half
of
—
the
these
female
workforce. Many women work in low-paying occupations, for example,
cleaning and care work.
Women are under-represented in managerial and senior positions. For
example, women
7
_____________________ only 32% of managers in companies
within the EU, 10% of members of management boards of the largest
companies, and 29% of scientists and engineers across Europe.
Text adapted from: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=682&langId=en 3C Segregation is frequently linked to traditions and stereotypes. In most lines of the following text on this topic there is an unnecessary word. Write the unnecessary word in the space provided after each line. Some lines are correct. Indicate these lines with a tick (). 1 Traditions and stereotypes may to influence, for example, the choice of 2 educational paths and, consequently, professional careers that girls and 3 women make. While 55% of the university students are women, they 4 are a minority in fields like the mathematics, computing and engineer‐ 5 ing. Only 8.4 in a 1.000 women aged 20‐29 are graduates in 6 mathematics, science and technology compared up to 17.6 men. 7 Consequently, there are fewer women than working in scientific and 8 technical jobs. In many cases this is results in women working in lower 9 valued and lower paid sectors and of the economy. Because of these 10 traditions and stereotypes, women are expected to reduce in their 11 working hours or exit the labour market to carry out child or elder care. WOMEN AT WORK
3D 16 According to European surveys, the average gender pay gap in Austria is 25,5%. Consider Austria’s situation in comparison to the other European countries as presented in the graph below. In groups of 3‐4 students try to find reasons for Austria’s almost leading position. Source: Eurostat 2008 except for EE (2007) __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________ WOMEN AT WORK
3E Read through the text and do the tasks below. The gender pay gap
could be down to boys
being more competitive
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
20 April 2011
Boys are more competitive than
girls from as early as four years
old and remain so into adulthood,
according to new a study, that the
authors claim could explain why
men earn more than women.
Researchers have found that there
is a gender gap between the sexes
when it comes to competition with
boys much more likely to want to
compete with others than girls.
Girls, who are often better than
their male counterparts, tend to
shy away from competing even if
they know they are going to win.
These were the key results of a
large-scale experiment with more
than 1,000 children and teenagers
aged between three and 18.
The study, by Professor Matthias
Sutter and Daniela Rützler, at Iza
research institute in Germany,
involved two experiments.
The younger children (aged three
to eight) took part in a 30m
sprint, while older children (aged
nine to 18) faced an easy maths
challenge, adding up two-digit
numbers.
In both experiments, the children
had to choose whether to perform
the
task
individually
or
in
competition with others.
Although
the
girls’
maths
performance was just good as the
boys’, girls expected to do much
worse: while roughly two in five
boys chose the tournament, only
one in five girls did so.
Results
were
similar
in
the
sprint, with girls significantly
less likely to want to compete
despite having a similar chance of
winning.
These results might provide one
reason why men consistently earn
more than women in the workplace.
The
authors
said:
"To
be
successful
in
getting
more
attractive and better paid jobs in
the
modern
economy,
it
is
important to face up to the
challenge of competition instead
of shying away from it."
The study was presented at the
Royal
Economic
Society’s
2011
annual conference. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science‐news/8461178/The‐gender‐pay‐gap‐could‐be‐down‐to‐boys‐being‐
more‐competitive.html a) Go through the text again and match the following definitions with the appropriate words from the text. _____________________ trying very hard to be better than others _____________________ a person or thing that has the same position or function as sb/sth else in a different place or situation _____________________ the state of being an adult _____________________ possibility of sth happening, especially sth that you want _____________________ the information that you get from a scientific test or piece of research _____________________ the office, factory, etc. where people work _____________________ an invitation or a suggestion to sb that they should enter a competition, fight, etc. 17 WOMEN AT WORK
b) 18 Answer the questions using a maximum of four words. Write the answers in the spaces provided. Q1 What’s the main difference between boys and girls when it comes to competition according to the study? Q2 Which task did children between 3 and 8 have to perform for the research? Q3 Which two options could children choose between in the two experiments conducted? Q4 How can one get better paid jobs according to the authors? 3F In order to close the gender pay gap it has been suggested to generally disclose income numbers in larger companies in Austria. Get together in research teams of 3‐
4 students and compile as much information as you can on this topic. Then prepare a short report which summarizes your findings and presents your personal opinion on the question of whether disclosure of income may actually enhance transparency and in effect also gender equality in the labour market. WOMEN AT WORK
4 4A THE FEMALE FACTOR In April 2002, the TIME magazine published a series of articles concerned with the question “Babies vs. Career: Which should come first for women who want both?”. Get together in small groups and think about this question yourselves. Also consider whether there has to be a contradiction (‘versus’) between “Babies” and “Career”. Afterwards, summarize your personal opinion in an opinion essay. Make sure that you stick to the formal criteria of an opinion essay! An opinion essay is a formal piece of essay which presents the author’s point of view supported by reasons and examples. 
Introduction: Specify the topic of your essay. Be clear about your ideas and attitudes. 
Paragraphs: Elaborate on a different aspect of your argument in each of your paragraphs. Summarize your ideas in a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph. Also mention the opposing viewpoint but show that it is not convincing. 
Conclusion: Summarize your main points briefly and clearly restate your opinion at the end of your essay. 4B How do you feel about the following information published by Statistics Austria? Present and discuss your ideas in class. Then get together in small research teams and investigate which framework conditions need to be set up in order to support mothers and actually also allow them to successfully combine babies and career. Summarize your findings visually and present them to the rest of the class.
Childcare: A field of activities with
many facets
Children change the daily
life. Feeding,
dressing, playing and comforting them, to look
after the homework and many other things Childcare has many facets. In general: Women care for the
children, men play with them. Bathing, brushing the teeth,
swaddling – activities that concern the hygiene of the child is
done by 16.4% of women and 8.2% of men. Also feeding, cuddling,
learning with the child and supervising the child at home or on
the playground and to accompany the child to school or leisure
events – all these activities are mainly preformed by women.
Only at the activity playing with the child the difference
between the sexes is not big. The quota for women who play is
13% on average and for men 10%. On weekends this proportion is
even reversed. 11% of women and 14% of men play with children.
Source: http://www.statistik.at/web_en/statistics/social_statistics/time_use/time_use_survey/index.html#index3 19 WOMEN AT WORK
4C 20 Carefully study the figure below and try to interpret it together with a partner. Focus on Austria in comparison to the other European countries and write down your interpretation. Compare your findings in class. 4D Read through the following article published by The New York Times and complete the tasks below. The Female Factor
In Germany, a Tradition Falls, and Women Rise
By Katrin Bennold Published: January 17, 2010 NEUÖTTING, Germany — Manuela Maier was
branded a bad mother. A Rabenmutter,
or raven mother, after the black bird
that pushes chicks out of the nest.
She was ostracized by other mothers,
berated by neighbors and family, and
screamed at in a local store.
Her crime? Signing up her 9-year-old
son when the local primary school
first offered lunch and afternoon
classes last autumn — and returning to
work.
“I was told: ‘Why do you have children
if you can’t take care of them?”’ said
Ms. Maier, 47. By comparison, having a
first son out of wedlock 21 years ago
raised
few
eyebrows
in
this
traditional Bavarian town, she said.
Ten years into the 21st century, most
schools
in
Germany
still
end
at
lunchtime, a tradition that dates back
nearly 250 years. That has powerfully
sustained the housewife/mother image
of German lore and was long credited
with producing well-bred, well-read
burghers.
Modern Germany may be run by a woman —
Chancellor Angela Merkel, routinely
called
the
world’s
most
powerful
female politician — but it seems no
coincidence that she is childless.
Across
the
developed
world,
a
combination of the effects of birth
control, social change, political progress
and
economic
necessity
has
produced a tipping point: numerically,
women now match or overtake men in the
WOMEN AT WORK
work force and in education. In the
developing world, too, the striving of
women and girls for schooling, small
loans and status is part of another
immense upheaval: the rise of nations
in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
In both these worlds, women can remain
trapped by tradition. Now, a social
revolution — peaceful, but profound —
is driving a search for new ways of
combining family life and motherhood
with a more powerful role for women.
Westerners
are
quick
to
denounce
customs in, say, the Muslim world that
they perceive as limiting women. But
in
Germany,
despite
its
vaunted
modernity, a traditional perception of
motherhood lingers.
The half-day school system survived
feudalism, the rise and demise of
Hitler’s mother cult, the women’s
movement
of
the
1970s
and
reunification with East Germany.
Now,
in
the
face
of
economic
necessity, it is crumbling: one of the
lowest birthrates in the world, the
specter
of
labor
shortages
and
slipping
education
standards
have
prompted a rethink. Since 2003, nearly
a fifth of Germany’s 40,000 schools
have phased in afternoon programs, and
more plan to follow suit.
“This is a taboo we just can’t afford
anymore; the country needs women to be
able to both work and have children,”
said Ursula von der Leyen, the German
labor minister. A mother of seven and
doctor-turned-politician, she baffles
housewives and childless career women
alike, not to mention many men in her
Christian Democratic Union.
The spread of all-day schooling in
Germany,
a
trend
she
considers
“irreversible,” is a sign of the
times, Ms. von der Leyen said in an
interview. “The 21st century belongs
to women.”
Women already form the majority of
university graduates in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development, which groups 30 nations
from Europe to the United States to
Turkey and South Korea; this year,
women will become the majority of the
American work force.
Add to that an economic crisis that
has hurt traditional male jobs in
manufacturing harder than female ones
in services — in Germany, only 10,000
of the 230,000 who have lost jobs in
the slump were women — and the female
factor emerges as stark.
Everywhere, women still earn less, are
more likely to work part time and less
likely to hold top jobs. But young
female doctors, for instance, are
rising in numbers, and women dominate
middle management in major consumer
companies.
They
could
run
the
hospitals
and
corporations
of
tomorrow.
Many
will
be
family
breadwinners; in Germany, every fifth
household is already sustained by
female income.
Working
women
seek
not
just
a
paycheck, but also fulfillment of
ambitions,
both
personal
and
professional. “I love my son, and I
love my work,” said Manuela Schwesig,
35, the new deputy leader of the
opposition Social Democrats, who is
the mother of a 3-year-old. “I am a
more fulfilled mother for working and
a more motivated politician for having
a child.”
This trend turns the question of child
care
into
one
of
economic
competitiveness, notes Karen Hagemann,
professor
of
European
and
gender
history at the University of North
Carolina
at
Chapel
Hill.
“High
birthrates and female employment rates
tend to move together,” said Ms.
Hagemann, an expert on the German care
system. “Child care and a school
system that covers the working day is
key.”
Text adapted from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/world/europe/18iht‐women.html?pagewanted=1 a) Enrich your vocabulary: Go through the article again and circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool any unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings. Then share your wordlists. 21 WOMEN AT WORK
22 b) Complete the following sentences in your own words. 1) Manuela Maier was considered to be a raven mother by others because ___________________ __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________ 2) The image of German women as housewives and mothers is ____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________ 3) While Westerners often criticize Muslim traditions that put women at a disadvantage, _______ __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________ 4) With reference to the half‐days school system, the German labour minister argues __________ __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________ 5) Karen Hageman considers child care _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________ c) Cut the following definitions of the verbs from the text into pieces and distribute them among students. Then students try to find their partner – who has the corresponding verb or the corresponding definition ‐ as quickly as possible.  to brand sb as sth to describe sb as being sth bad or unpleasant, especially unfairly to return (to … ) (from … ) to come or go back from one place to another WOMEN AT WORK
d) to take care of sb/sth / yourself to care for sb/sth/yourself to date back (to … ) to have existed since a particular time in the past or for the length of time mentioned to sustain to make sth continue for some time without becoming less to run sth to be in charge of a business, etc. to denounce to strongly criticize sb/sth that you think is wrong, illegal, etc. to seek to try to do sth; to look for sth/sb to consider to think about sth carefully, especially in order to make a decision to cover to include sth; to deal with sth to hurt to have a bad effect on sb/sth Read through the article again and together with a partner find five questions that can be answered with the information from the article. Write them on a sheet of paper together with the answer and hand it in. Your teacher will collect your questions and put them together in a questions pool. Then form two groups. Your teacher will read the questions to you. The group who knows the answer sends one student to the front of the class to answer the question. The group with the highest score wins. 23 WOMEN AT WORK
4E The childcare memory provides an overview of child care institutions offered in Austria. First study the terms and their definitions. Then work together in groups of 2‐3 students, cut them into pieces and start playing memory.  Crèches responsible for looking after children under the age of three in a manner suitable to their age. Nursery schools offer a supplement to family care for children from the age of 3 until they start school; generally accepted as a good pre‐school educational offer. Day homes responsible for the care of pupils in compulsory schooling after lessons have ended and on days without school; offer support in doing homework and for examination preparation, but also leisure time activities Children’s groups characterised by a high level of co‐
determination on the part of parents, who also share responsibility. The children are generally looked after in mixed‐age groups of 5‐10 children. Childminders look after small children, mostly together with their own children in a private home. In almost all provinces training courses are obligatory. A nationwide curriculum for training courses has been developed by the ministry. Babysitters temporary care for children; One may use these services completely according to one’s individual needs and wishes. The care can be arranged in the environment to which the child is accustomed. Grandmas‐for‐Hire/Grandpas‐for‐Hire for any cases where babysitter is needed more often; no domestic help, but dedicate themselves exclusively to the care of children. Au Pairs foreigners (mostly students) between the age of 18 and 28, who want to deepen the knowledge of German and take care of children and the household chores at the same time. 24 WOMEN AT WORK
4F Research project Childcare in Austria: The Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth considers the question of childcare in Austria on its website as follows: “The adequate and flexible provision of child
care facilities which fulfil the demands made
upon them makes an important contribution to
the reconciliation of family life and work,
because the employment chances of parents
particularly depend on the availability of
care offers for children and for other people
who require help.”
(http://www.en.bmwfj.gv.at/Family/ChildCareInAustria/Seiten/default.aspx, June 3, 2011) Get together in research teams of four students and prepare a presentation focusing on framework conditions for childcare as well as of maternity / paternal leave. Look up the ministry’s website as well as other sources to get as much information as you can about the current situation in Austria. Keep in mind that your presentation requires careful planning and preparation: 
Decide in advance which issues will be included in / excluded from your presentation. 
Decide who is to investigate which part of your presentation. 
Carefully reflect on the mode of your presentation: what kind of devices will you use? Will you take turns in presenting? .... 4G In 2010 the International Herald Tribune started an online discussion about The Child Care Conundrum: “The question of whether to work outside the home, to have children or
to do both is often not a choice at all for women, but is determined
by economic realities. Does government have a role in solving what has
become a vicious circle for many women? They need to work to support
their family, but their job barely pays the cost of providing day
care, which allows them the time to work in the first place.”
Read through some of the contributions online and then prepare your own statement in approximately 150 words. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/world/female‐factor‐conversations.html#/5/ __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________ 25 WOMEN AT WORK
ANSWERS 1C 1D 2B 2C 2E 2F 2G 3B 3C 3Ea 1 explanation, 2 judgment, 3 immediately, 4 subconscious, 5 gender, 6 firefighters, 7 female, 8 nurses, 9 tourism 1 work force, 2 male jobs, 3 management positions, 4 steadily increased, 5 glass ceiling, 6 top‐level, 7 same‐sex preference, 8 directly addressed, 9 personnel decisions, 10 discriminated against 1 House cleaner, 2 Male nurse, 3 Cover model, 4 Performer, dancer, 5 Waiter barber, businessperson, butcher, carpenter, disc jockey, electrician, florist, garbage man, beautician, photographer, plumber, reporter, scientist, secretary, tailor, waitress 1C, 2F, 3A, 4D, 5E, 6B percent, children, figure, full‐time, those, birthrate The country is Germany! 1B, 2H, 3E, 4G, 5A, 6C, 7I 1 reinforced, 2 work, 3 predominate, 4 valued, 5 working, 6 accounting, 7 represent 1 to, 3 the, 4 the, 5 a, 6 up, 7 than, 8 is, 9 and, 10 in, competitive, counterpart, adulthood, chance, result, workplace, challenge IMPRESSUM
Medieninhaber:
AWS Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wirtschaft und Schule im
Rahmen des Instituts für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft,
Wiedner Hauptstraße 63, 1045 Wien
Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wirtschaft und Schule (AWS) ist
eine Initiative von Wirtschaftskammer Österreich (WKÖ) und
Österreichischem Sparkassenverband und ist als Projekt am
Institut für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft (ibw),
Rainergasse 38, 1050 angesiedelt.
Leiter: Mag. Josef Wallner
Autorin: Mag. Angelika Breiteneder
Redaktion und Gestaltung: Gudrun Dietrich
26