Essay 'What Gender Got To Do With It'

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In the “What Gender Got To Do With it” section of They say, I say, both authors Anne-Marie Slaughter and Richard Dorment argue why their gender can 't have it all. But first, what do they meaning by having it all? By my interpretation from their articles, having it all means being successful in your career and still maintaining an active role of parenting. Both authors argue about how their gender is keeping them from achieving that work-life balance goal. However, I believe we can have it all, regardless of our gender. Although, the reality of it is not as close to what we envisioned having it all to be. In her anecdote from the article, Slaughter is expressing a great concern towards her son whom she is unable to be there for him in person: “On a …show more content…

Richard Dorment, on the other hand, argues why men also can 't have it all. While Slaughter chooses to give up her job position to be with her family, like many women did, Dorment is stating why men ended up having to make the sacrifice to give up their family time as the result. However, “Chalk up to social conditioning ( men are raised to be the providers, so it 's easier for them to be them to be absent) or genetic predisposition ( men are not naturally nurturing) or emotional shallowness ( men aren 't as in touch with their feelings), but there is the sense, down to the man, that missing their kids is the price of doing business” (Dorment 709). Although men found it easier to go on a business trip, but they still miss and wish to spend time with their family: “...Nearly every [men] admitted to missing his kids on late nights at the office or aching for home while on a business trip” (Dorment 709). In addition, men have to work longer hours in office while women spend more time around the house and kids. By combining both hours spending in the office and taking care of the house and kids, men and women roughly have worked the same amount of hours (fifty-eight hours for men and fifty-nine for women) according to