Blog 35

With more and more women choosing to have both a career and family life it is great to see that is becoming more accessible with the government and corporate backing. A company that promotes a work/family balance is going to end up with more satisfied employees who are able to focus more on their work and focus less on the stress and issues of how to balance the two. When I had my first child the option of being able to take a day off from work because he was sick was not allowed. I could take a sick day as long as I was sick but if I called in sick because my child was sick then I was just docked pay. By companies allowing more flexible use of their vacation and sick time and also allowing for maternity leave for both the mother and the father parents (woman in particular) are finding it easier with the support of their company to juggle both. The government by establishing such programs as the family medical leave act has back employees by saying that things are going to happen and there are going to be those unexpected emergencies where a worker has no other choice but to stay home and face the problem head on and while doing this the last thing on their mind should be “am I going to loose my job over this”? With the availability of breast pumps and the understanding and backing of her employer women are now able to provide breast milk for their child even while working by employers understanding the importance of the issue to the mother and allotting for time where she can get away in a private area and pump. By supporting your employee rather than working against them employers are seeing a much higher success rate in balancing home and work.

blog 33

Women have made great advances within the legal field over the past years but still the number are quite lower than that of males in the legal field. Woman had to work hard to be seen as equals amongst their coworkers. Woman have also had to over comes issues as woman can’t openly express their femininity by wearing lip stick or lip gloss in a courtroom, or wearing their down (unlike some of the older movies where women in the legal profession dressed in the square business attire and wore their hair up often times in a bun in order to look more professional and be taken more serious.) Women moved away from the square business attire and wore clothing with more colors that more closely expressed their individual style. Woman have conquered a career that was quite male dominant for sometime and been successful in doing so. Before women who did seek a profession in the legal field often times at some point have to choose between her career or a family giving up one for the other and yet today many women have shown that it is possible to have both. A great example of this is the law firm that was started by two women and to this day consists of only women. Although it has been a benefit to be able to work along side women who have to deal with some of the same issues that may come up in your life, it has also been hard to build a steady clientele and reassure possible new clientele of their ability to be assertive and strong and able to get the job done without the backing of male partners.

blog 32

Parenthood differs greatly between women and men lawyers. First of all for men lawyers they are the bread winners, the man of the house they go out each day and work and earning a living so that most of their wives financially do not have to work outside the home. There is no need to be out of the office a certain time each night so that you can pick up the kids from the sitters and still make it home in time to put a meal on the table. For men if the kids are up at night sick or there is a new baby in the house that requires nightly feedings this is usually done by the woman of the house there for allowing the man of the house to get a good nights rest so that he can have a productive day at work. Woman who balance motherhood have the worries of not only being able to work and be productive at work but also balance the schedules of her family. Once again if there is a new child in the home then there are going to be night feedings which will most likely be done by the woman (I said most likely I am sure there are men out there who take part in these night feedings whether it be by formula or mom pumping ahead of time.) anyways if it is mom then she has to be able to balance less sleep with the same demanding schedule at work. Men are seen as good providers for their family in the office while the wife stays home and takes care of the family while a women is sometimes looked down up as one who by trying to do both is actually only giving half an effort to work and the other half to her family which means that either way you look at it both sides are being shorted time.

blog 31

Balancing work and family when that career is in the legal field can be very difficult. First of all attorneys are know to work long hours and have very high stress, high demanding jobs. So what happens when a female lawyer who has put in many years worth of education and hard work to get where she is at decides to have a family? Does she have to choose between one and the other or is there a way to balance both with out loosing respect from her colleagues? In our lesson material we have read that often times certain firms and male lawyers feel that there is not such thing as a good part time attorney so what if you want to do both. Many professions such as nurses, doctor’s and judges have individuals who work part-time for one reason or another so why is it impossible to think that it can’t be done within the legal field? English stated in chapter 8 that firms were almost more accepting to partners who were married and had children because you fit in and were what they would call “one of them”. One lawyer said that she was upfront about her family plans from the beginning so there were no surprises, yet another woman wondered if stating your plans ahead of time could work against you in getting the job. With this issue becoming more common with more woman choosing to balance both lives some companies have implemented such these as alternative work schedules and flexible hours and yet some woman choose not to take advantage of these for fear of the way that colleagues will look at her or she may loose her status within the firm. So in other words these women walk a fine line because on one hand you don’t want to loose your standing at work but on the other hand if you don’t take off the time to be with your young family you can be negatively judge because of that also.

blog 29

Nationally, only 4 percent of law firm partners are minorities; even fewer are minority women. The NPR article discussed a recent study that was done by the American Bar Association and looked into cases of discrimination, exclusion, harassment and neglect that caused minority women to leave law firms. Of the women that they spoke to 49% said they had been the victim of demeaning comments or other types of harassment. Within this article we saw example such as the Asian partner that was embarrassed and humiliated in front of a client when called into the managing partners office and he insisted that she speak Korean to a client because she was also Korean. Another case involved a women of Indian descent who would receive such comments as you have tough skin, are you going to scalp me or can I call you Pocahontas and yet when she pointed out that these comments where inappropriate it was her that was accused of causing tension within the work place which ultimately lead to her leaving the firm. One woman compared herself to an exotic animal that was on display she was involved in speaking to upcoming students of color and plastered on many advertisements but when it came to actually being involved and representing the law firm it was her minority status they were most proud and her capable abilities to do the job in which she was hired to do were not recognized or used to their full potential. In a profession where it is your day to day job to upload and represent the law to the best of your abilities it amazes me that this does not hold true within the walls of their own firm. Equality and justice things that you read about and study in school and yet there are those certain individuals who just don’t get it or more importantly “don’t want to get it” .

blog 28

Rosen’s article was just a typical example of how news media will take comments made by individuals and twist and turn them around so that they convey the message that they would like it to convey whether it be fact or fiction. “Rosen's article wasn't based entirely on anonymous comments. He quoted 2nd Circuit judge Jose Cabranes by name. Unfortunately, he cropped Cabranes' comment to make it appear he was criticizing Sotomayor's intelligence. That's pretty bad. What's worse is that Cabranes was actually praising Sotomayor's intelligence With all the hype that took place with Sotomayor’s nomination I was no surprised by Rosen’s article. Sotomayor’s nomination did bring into question her tactics on ways that she rules in certain cases and we do as citizens have a right to be concerned and question any individual who is being nominated to such a position. The most consistent concern was that Sotomayor, although an able lawyer, was "not that smart and kind of a bully on the bench," as one former Second Circuit clerk for another judge put it. "She has an inflated opinion of herself, and is domineering during oral arguments, but her questions aren't penetrating and don't get to the heart of the issue." Sotomayor was not only a woman, but also a woman of Latino descent which right there should have raised a lot of red flags that there is going to be a lot of dirt digging regarding this nomination. A lot of questions were raised on her being a bully on the bench and letting her own opinion getting in the way of been just and fair and yet the “White House points out, "Known as a moderate on the court, Sotomayor often forges consensus and agreeing with her more conservative nominees far more frequently than she disagrees with them. In cases where Sotomayor and at least one judge appointed by a Republican president were on the three-judge panel, Sotomayor and the Republican appointee(s) agreed on the outcome 95% of the time." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/01/sonia-sotomayor-supreme-c_n_194470.html)

blog 27

The competency gap between women and men within the law field has always existed. When women began to enter the workforce within the law field men were intimidated. The role of lawyer had always been held by a male figure due to their strength, tough exterior and intimidation. Women were not openly welcomed into the field because men felt that a woman could not possibly embrace these qualities. Now women have made giant leaps and bounds in being seen as equals to their male coworkers and yet we have the have the law suit that was file on behalf of Ms. Shaffer. Ms Shaffer’s lawsuit against GE claims that after thirteen years of loyal service and working her way to the highest ranking legal employee in transportation, she was suddenly demoted. The reason given for her demotion was that John Denim wanted to replace her with a big time GC, yet when asked what that meant Shaffer’s response was “I think that’s a fabulous question”. GE a very successful well known and studied corporation says that it worked hard to promote and encourage diversity and yet none of the major GE subsidiaries is headed by a woman.

Blog 26

In chapter four English talks about male backing and the different ways that female partners would turn to their male partners for assistance. “Women sometimes find that they need male colleagues to step in to grapple with unruly opposing counsel, or endorse their advice to clients to get them on board. A female partner mentions how she can draft something and the clients won’t listen to her yet her male partner will draft the same thing and they listen to him. This goes to show that women not only have to fight for equality within the work place amongst their male coworkers but they also have to fight for equality amongst customers. Another attorney expressed how she would look to her mail coworker for validation when clients would show up and seek her male partner due to his reputation they would seem a little uneasy when met by a five foot tall female. The male coworker in this case however showed respect for his female coworker by having the first initial meeting with the clients being with both of them and then he would say a few things in regards to his female coworker regarding her background and qualifications to convince the clients of her ability to do the job. It is important for female lawyers to have the respect and equality from their male coworkers but that respect is not always given from the opposing male attorneys who then they see a female attorney as their opponent feel the need to bully and intimidate the female lawyer and like one of the examples given by English when the female experienced what was being done by the opposing male attorney and putting the best interests of the client first she sought assistance from a male coworker who stepped in and surprisingly the opposing attorneys attitude changed.

Blog 25

The pros and cons of using sexualized behavior as "a weapon in the arsenal”. There are many women in this world who have used or will use their sexuality as a weapon and on the other hand there are women out there who will be accused of moving up in the corporate ladder due to their sexuality. I walk into a department store to shop for jeans with my daughter and as we go to check out we are meet by a woman who normally I would describe as being fairly attractive but at this moment the first worlds to go through my mind were what a slut. Her hair was long and well manicured, her makeup was soft and subtle and yet she had on a top that plunged so low that I waited nervously with each move she made wondering if this was going to be the moment that her breast was going to pop out her top. My thirteen year old instantly made eye contact with me rolling her eyes in disgust. Now I don’t see how when this woman got ready for work that day she put that top and looked at herself in the mirror and said “Yep this is professional and appropriate to wear to work”. I have worked several different places growing up and throughout my life and each place seemed to go over a dress code in the new employee orientation so who blame the woman for wearing that top to work or the employer that deems that sort of dress appropriate attire for their place of employment. I worked for an eye doctor once and I had a co-worker that like to dress according to what the younger girls were wearing often times forgetting that she was in her late forties. The tops were often times to tight showing more skin than they were probably designed to and the skirts and dressed seemed to get shorter and shorter. Now I worked for 2 female doctors in an office that consisted of all women with exception of the office manager who was male. This certain co-worker showed up one day for work wearing a jean skirt that was not only to tight but offensively short and I was delighted when she was approached by the doctor and told that her outfit was inappropriate for the standard they had set for the office and she needed to go home and return in a more appropriate outfit. I don’t know how many times I have sat amongst a group of woman and heard comments like “I wonder who she had to sleep with in order to get that” or “I wonder who’s attention she is trying to get by dressing like that”? I was not the innocent bystander when these comments were being made because frankly I was thinking the same thing. In a society that screams sexuality everywhere you look from billboards to television, to magazines how do we teach the youth of today that sex is not something to be used as a weapon or a tool to get what you want?

Blog 24

I met Amber in a justice studies class at Arizona State University I sat next to her in class and we began chatting and I learned that she was going to continue her study in law she was married and expecting her first child whom she had just found out was going to be a girl. Amber is a stunning woman with long blonde highlighted hair. She wears makeup very fashionable clothing which shows off her curves. Amber carried a designer handbag to every class and she was an amazing student who was very in tune with her studies. Amber would be not be the first lawyer in her family I learned through our conversations that her older brother was currently practicing law and she also had a brother who was a police officer. Amber shared with me the pictures of the nursery she had finished decorating and it was like looking at something out of a fashion magazine. This room was decorated to the tee in pink and black and everything about this room screamed little girl. I enjoyed very much working with Amber on an assigned class project where she instantly took control and when it came time to present I was a nervous wreck, where as Amber stood up there with confidence almost demanding the attention of the room. Amber was someone who seemed to keep a keen eye on fashion trends and what was in; I can’t imagine someone saying that her skills and all her educational training could be judged solely on an outfit she would wear. I googled advice for women lawyers and the one theme that kept popping up was to strive forward to reach your goal, you have chose a well respect career despite all the lawyers jokes and not only as an attorney but also as a woman you will find yourself in the position to have an affect on the law.

Blog 23

When Sarah Palin campaigned with John McCain she under went much scrutiny regarding her appearance and wardrobe. Now call me crazy but I don’t see the connection between Sarah Palin’s abilities to effectively perform her job duties and what she is going to be wearing when she gives her next speech. It seems to me that there are people out there who just look for things to complain about, and they are not happy unless they are putting someone else down. Hilary Clinton was another woman who received much scrutiny for her wardrobe but the comments towards Clinton dealt more with her lack of femininity in her wardrobe and not paying close enough attention to fashion. So Palin’s look is too soft and Clinton’s look is to harsh but what does this have to do with either one of these talented woman abilities to hold a public office. English’s interviews pointed out that woman need to maintain a “Power Look” somewhere between not being to feminine and also not being to masculine, they are to blend in with their male co-workers. I found it appalling that it was brought up that a woman who dresses too feminine and shows off her figure could be considered a distraction in a courtroom or could intimidate a possible client. English compared woman entering the profession of law as to immigrants making their way into new territory facing opposition, hostility and rejection. I have daughter who is 13 now and is developing her owns sense of style that she is most comfortable with and yet when she was younger I bought her the dresses and the tights and the bows and she had a box full of dress up clothes with the costume jewelry, and the plastic high heels all of these items of which can be purchased at the local Toys R Us along with hot wheels, transformers, toy guns and army men. The old saying is that girls are sugar and spice and everything nice I find it sad individuals are judged not on their talents but their fashion.

Blog 22

“Change we can believe in” is the campaign slogan we heard over and over during the Presidential campaign and it seems to be a promise he intended to keep when he nominated Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor was a woman, she was catholic and she was of Puerto Rican decent all which ruffled a few feathers in Washington. Three women in history have been appointed as a Supreme Court Justice in the United States, a moment in history that should be recognized and celebrated and yet Sonia Sotomayor nomination was met with much scrutiny. Following her nomination Sotomayor would undergo intense questioning of her past judicial decisions, her stand on important issues such as abortion and they would ask her to address her comment made in 2001 when she stated, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” Sotomayor’s nomination was met with much opposition mainly impart to her gender and race. In an article posted on Politico a writer stated “There is a reason that Lady Justice is blindfolded; she symbolizes that the judicial system is blind in interpreting the law. There is no room for personal feelings or prejudice in the court room. It is a place intended to be devoid of personal stories, designed this way to ensure the equal treatment of all people”. The questions being raised then was Sotomayor going to be able to uphold the law fairly without bias? One must ask themselves if the nomination had gone to a white female or even a white male would they had been met with such scrutiny?

Blog 21

The National Association of Female Correctional Officers (NAFCO) is dedicated to improving working conditions in prisons, jails and correctional facilities in the United States. Our mission is to serve as the national voice of female correctional officers; to improve working conditions; to work toward eliminating sexual assault and harassment of female officers; and to promote the development and use of cutting edge technology. Under the legislation tab it discusses the “Rape and Sexual Assault of Female Corrections Officers Elimination Act of 2008. This Act is an important step in setting up a zero tolerance policy for a sexual assault against a female prison guard and employees in state facilities nation wide. Sexual Assault against female prison guards needs to become top priority and measure need to be taken to train personnel in recognizing potential situations so that we can reduce and eliminate the sexual harassment and abuse of female detention officers. This goes along with Britton’s remarks that women have just as much right as men to feel safe from sexual harassment while on the job. The time has come to promote this measure and make people aware that this violence towards women will not be tolerated or accepted.

Blog 20

The Phoenix Magazines coverage of the hostage crisis at Lewis Prison in 2004 shows the harsh truth regarding the dangerous conditions and circumstances that prison guards face. Lois Fraley recalls and shares with us those 15 terrifying days where she was raped and humiliated, contemplated taking her own life while at the same time having no certainty as to whether she was going to make it out of this alive. Britton’s study discussed how inmates are trained in depth on how to deal with inmates in different situations. Fraley’s personal account of her ordeal mirrors a lot of the techniques talked about in Britton’s study. The other officer in the tower at the time was a male and so the first instinct of prisoners seemed to be was to take out the initial threat which they saw as the male guard. Wassenaar swung at Officer Auld with a metal object “hitting him as though he were hitting a home run knocking Auld unconscious.” Fraley they tied up immediately and began taking turns raping her repeatedly. Now we have two Officers who have gone through the same training and are both equally qualified to wear the title of Prison Guard and yet the typical male response of the prisoners was to see the male guard as their primary threat and there for chose to incapacitate him. Fraley on the other hand being a female they chose to use her for the one thing they felt that they could get from her and that was sexual pleasure on their part. Although both guards could have been victims of rape they chose the female as the one to abuse and violate. One thing that Fraley did that works along with the idea’s shared in Britton’s study was she found away to associate with the inmates. By suggesting that they speak to Schriro (the prison director) she was showing them that she was trying to help them. Fraley also did a smart thing but talking about her family and her children she was able to let the inmates see her as a person; a mother, daughter and granddaughter rather than just a prison guard. At one point during the hostage interviews they stated that there was no way for Fraley to make it out of this situation alive and yet when the time came for this stand off to end they both calmly walked out with Fraley. She also like the prison guard who made the inmate aware that her ketchup packet was considered contraband Fraley also by attending the court hearings not only allowed herself a chance to heal but also showed these prisoners that you hurt me but you did not break me. She sat in that court room and faced those men as they were handed down their punishment.
I found the description of Dora Schriro very amusing when they said that she resembled an actor not a prison chief. A Prison Chief was a cowboy type man who wore large belt buckles. I mean give me a break did they just pull that stereo type out of some John Wayne movie. This goes to show the perception that the media has given to certain stereo types.

Blog 19

Gina Davis uses humor to discuss how the world reacted to a movie that showed woman using guns, and taking the law into their own hands in regards to the situation of Thelma being sexually assaulted and the situation with the truck driver who uses many male stereotypes to show how he perceives women as sex objects. Gina discusses how there was such a severe range of mixed reactions from the public in regards to this film. Gina had people approaching her in stores telling her how much this movie had changed her life, and vehicles of women parked next to her shouting and waving their arms in approval. This movie also brought about very passionate editorials regarding how awful it was to see a movie where guns were being placed in the hands of women and they were shooting and killing people. The movie Thelma and Louise landed on the front cover of Time Magazine a week after its release. Gina also discusses the same response she received from her next movie “A League of their Own”. It was during these movies that Gina became aware of the power of media images. I found it interesting that the public was having such a problem with a movie depicting women with a gun and yet “Point Break” a movie released the same year as “Thelma and Louise” shows a group of men who run around with guns robbing banks was seen as entertainment and acceptable because it was men who totting the guns and not women.
Britton’s study noted a situation where mail prison guards actually walked off shift in protest of women being allowed to work beside them. We have stereo typed and associated the use of guns as to be a male thing that only men can handle and some act outraged at a movie that shows a women defending her friend from a horrible sexual assault. Gina Davis made a good point as to how these ideas are planted with in our minds at such early ages as we watch children shows such as Beauty and the Beast where the town’s men arm themselves with guns and weapons to go fight the beast and it is the woman who needs to be rescued. The perception that these movies give to young boys that men are the rough and tough ones and women are the little innocent helpless ones, so when they enter the job market and all of a sudden they are in a job that on T.V was a pretty male dominated field and now they are expected to share this field with women one can see where confusion and resentment may come into play.

Blog 18

The job of a prison guard can often times can be viewed as a very masculine job. First of all women and men go through the same training for these jobs. They study the same curriculum and take the same tests. Some officers are trained in handgun use, self-defense, and strategies to deal with inmates along with a physical abilities test. These sounds like physical tasks that men might go through when entering the army, but women are there right along side the men training for these positions. One example given in the book is how trainees were given a violent training video to watch and that both men and women had been known to quit after watching this video. (however the men never admitted that it was the video that gave them second thoughts). Although throughout the NBC video violence between inmates and guards was not mentioned. The did go into the safety precautions that take place when dealing with individuals who are housed in the single cell units, such as shackling their hands and feet when escorting them anywhere outside their cell and housing them is confined spaces during there 45 minutes of outside time. Beyond the physical threats to prison guards in a female prison I feel that the emotional threats run much higher. As we saw in the interview with Devon who openly admitted to seducing and baiting prison guards to get money and other things she wanted. You also can have incidents where guards came become to emotionally involved in the inmates life problems. This can lead to sympathy for the inmate over shadowing the rules and expectations of the guard.

Blog 17

After watching the NBC video “Locked up in North Carolina” I was able to identify many similarities between the video and Bitton. In our power point presentation it lists three similarities between a Prison Guard and Childcare. First Prison Guards are expected to control individual’s behavior (sometimes negatively). We saw examples of this in the NBC video such as the Officer in the kitchen who had to inform the inmate that her ketchup packet even though allowed on some days was actually considered contra ban that day because it was not handed out with their meal. The inmate maintained control although voicing her opinion not only to her peers but to the camera as to how silly she felt about a packet of ketchup being considered contra ban. Although it may seem like a little harmless thing, the Officer however has to maintain her position of authority with in the prison and letting her inmates know that she will not tolerate inmates breaking the rules. Another example of guards having to control individual’s behavior is the intimacy that takes place inside a female prison. Although the Officers and the Warden realize the woman long for a sense of knowing that someone cares about them and having moments of intimacy they also have to enforce that is it a violation that has consequences if taken to far. As seen in the video although some things such as holding hands are sometimes and most often ignored they must also keep an eye on groups of women who gather in the yard and constantly remind them to make some space between themselves. Although it is very common for female inmates to experiment with affections toward the same sex while incarcerated, and there are those woman whether in our out of prison prefer to be with women rather than men so it is even more difficult at times for them to deny their true feelings. A second way that Prison Guards resemble childcare is by providing positive guidance. Jennifer is one of the women in the video who is in confinement and away from her girlfriend and she is unsure of how long it will be. Jennifer is finally sent to answer to the charges and finds out that it will actually be less than what she expects and she struggles a bit to contain her excitement and they reassure her that they understand her excitement but she needs to sit down and listen. Another great example of this in the video takes place as Jessica leaves the prison with a chance at a new life. She is encouraged and treated respectful by the guards to go out and make something of herself and not come back. The prison does the best it can with limited resources to educate and train these women with a skill so that their chances of making it on the outside are far better when the leave than when they came in. Jennifer while incarcerated received her GED other women are being trained in skills such as travel, making teeth and license plates. Just like women in prison who do not want to return to this place once they have served their time the prison doesn’t want them to return either and does their best to provide them with tools that will help them in seeing that they don’t. The final way that the job of a Prison Guard resembles that of childcare is doing the body work involved in supervising inmates, bathing, dressing and eating. Watching to make sure an inmate is bathing properly, eating there meals and disposing of the leftovers as well as dressing properly and getting their laundry out are things that a mother would do to supervise her young children. Although you are not physically washing the inmates you have to sit and supervise them as though you were watching a toddler in the bathtub, there is no telling of what could happen in a split second. Within Britton’s study men and women prison guards are formally trained and each are required to study and past test of the same curriculum and yet there are those that will make mistakes both men and women. In the video we were introduced to Devin who is in a relationship with Cathy admits that she in the past baited staff into relationships to get money. Now the Warden admits that there have been staff members who have gotten to closely involved with inmates and they have had to pay the consequences which vary according to the offense. In a prison filled with women the staff have gone to great measures to eliminate false accusations against male inmates by having them announce their entry into buildings and cells along with being accompanied by a female guard. This not only protects the inmates but provides protection for the guard against any false accusations.

Blog 16

As a child I can remember wanting to be many things when I grew up. There was the Doctor somewhat because of the size of income a doctor made on the game life. There as a nurse because that would be following in the footsteps of my mother. I also wanted to be a teacher, a vet and at one point I just wanted to be a Mom and have ten kids. (Yes that’s right TEN kids)
“A 1967 survey found that only 1 percent of youth mentioned “prison guard” as their preferred occupation. While few adolescents imagine themselves in this occupation, it is an even rarer choice for girls than boys” (pg. 79)
Britton discusses how difficult working conditions and the ignominy that come with doing society’s “dirty work” added to the unattractiveness of prison jobs. Times have changed which has brought about significant changes in prison employment. The working conditions have changed over the years in the prisons with climate control being added along with video monitoring of inmates which adds to the safety of the workers. These changes have not taken place in all prison as some are still barely tolerable during the summer months and heated to a minimum during the winter months and they rely on razor ribbon wire as their back up means of security. Though the job of prison guard may not be ideal it does bring in a paycheck and comes with some reassurance of job security with the populations of prisons growing, along with the benefits that come with government employment.
Stereo types abound about how one comes to be a correctional officer. In a study that included both men and women few indicated that they were in the occupation in which they had always aspired, and most reported that they “drifted” into the work. (pg. 80) Due to the low wages that accompany the job of prison guard we see a great turn over in workers. In the 1990’s we saw a economical growth which sent many white males leaving their low paying prison jobs and seeking high paid employment elsewhere. This is turned left many job positions opened which we saw being filled my African-American’s, Hispanics and Women. In the study women stated that often they simply drifted into these jobs. Men also drifted into these jobs but coming from different working backgrounds than the women, who often brought with them nothing but clerical skills.

Blog 15

While women comprise just a small segment of all the people serving prison terms in the U.S, there number is rising at a far faster rate than men. “Industrialization created huge wealth disparities which created panic over property crime and increased in mobilization meant more strangers lurking around” (PP). With crime on the rise we saw a great more number of people that according to the law had to be punished. Within the power point 2 different prison models were discussed the Pennsylvania Style and the Auburn Plan however both centered their discipline strategies on separations, obedience and labor. The Pennsylvania style consisted of complete solitary confinement and work for Idle hands. Under this model woman prisoners were not considered real women but rather aberrations of the norm. The work that women performed was typical women’s work which consisted of cooking, gardening and sewing. The Auburn style was more militaristic and involved such things as marching in lock step, no eye contact with each other and beatings as a form of punishment there work consisted of manual labor and work on chain gangs. Although there is no talk of beatings going on with the women’s prisoners there was a lot speculation that was taking about women prisoners being raped. As covered in our material it was stated that “because men are less often than women the victims of sexual assault, men guarding women if more disconcerting than women guarding men.” Because of the crimes that were being committed against female prisoner during their incarceration is initiated a reform to have separate facilities for women and men.

Blog 14

Britton’s theory of Gendered Organization centers on the large and persistent wage gap between men and women workers. Women make up 47 of the workforce who work full-time and year round and yet they make only 73% of the salaries of their male peers. Now we have more and more single mothers who are raising children on their own playing the role of mom and dad and head of the household and yet because this head of household happens to be a woman she will make less money than that of her male co-workers even though they may be equal in the workforce.
Women have continued to grow in the workforce and integrate into formerly male dominated jobs and yet even with men and women working side by side in the same occupation women still continue to make less. “This difference is largely due to internal stratification; women tend to occupy the lowest rungs of the occupational ladder.” (pg 5) Britton gives examples using Attorneys and top administrative posts, and Prison Wardens. When we look at Attorneys we see that both male and female attorneys had to get an education, attend law school and pass the Bar in order to practice law and yet the male Attorney will make more than the female because she will be given the less important roles in the office such as family law, government law and public defense which pay less than that of corporate law which is a male dominated specialty.
When it comes to Wardens in adult facilities, including women’s prisons fewer than 10 percent are women. (pg 5) This I struggle with because early on page 2 its states that “It only makes sense that men are the natural guardians over men” and yet this does not seem to hold true for women.
One of the reasons that we see this trend of women making less that their male co-workers has to deal with the issue that women also have their other fulltime job which takes place in their personal life and sometimes we see these two jobs that woman hold working against each other now and then which is a factor that employers take into consideration when considering a woman for a job.

Blog # 13

Britton’s opening comments about images of prison guards/correctional officers has you seeing a large man in stature, tough, armed and able to go one on one with inmates. So how does this image compare to the image we see in the media? When I sat and thought of prison guards I instantly thought of a man, muscular, physically fit, intimidating, and his body language demanding respect. Britton goes on to show that media’s representation of bodyguards in such films as Penitentiary, ConAir, Cool Hand Look, and Brubaker co-inside with how the general population view prison guards. Often times in the movies listed above and other movies like them the roles played by women within the prison are often that of a secretary.
The number of female prison guards along with the number of female prisoners continues to grow yet still this is not being portrayed by the media. Even as the number of female prison guards grows there are still boundaries that they have yet to break through. “Women correctional officers make 83 percent of the wages their male counterparts, and they are more likely to be found in the state rather than federal prisons.” Chapter One
We read that the job of the correctional officer is the same in both settings; officers are responsible for enforcing institutional rules, dealing with inmate problems and complaints, supervising routine daily activities of inmates and maintaining security. Chapter One
So if an individual is qualified and is able to perform all the tasks listed above then why should the question of gender be an issue?
The objective in making a film is to make the film as realistic as possible so that you draw your audience into the movie. You want your audience to be able to relate to the realism of the movie and yet in some of the movies listed above had the guards been mainly women I feel although it may have empowered women it would have made the movie less appealing to the male audience.

Blog 12

Reflecting on the concept of occupational segregation we take a look at how men and women are employed in different occupations separating each other according to gender. Women throughout history have been seen as the softer more caring gender which has played to their benefit in role such as nurses, social workers, counselors and daycare providers. Women are seen as being strong in domesticated skills such as cooking, cleaning and sewing which has played to their benefit in such jobs as maids, housekeepers and cooks. Women are seen as the more attractive well manicured gender which has made them candidates for positions such as receptionist, models, sales persons and hairdressers. Men on the other hand are seen as the provider and the problem solvers which has opened up such jobs as CEO’s, Doctors, Politicians and Bank Executives. Men are also seen as being more macho with a rugged exterior which has opened up such positions as construction workers, farmers, mechanics and more labor intense jobs. The big problem here is that we have been reared up in a society that has always classified what is women’s work and what is man’s work and these stereotypes are just not true. Yet when women attempt to break into a career that has been dominated by men they are labeled as butch and the same goes for men who have tried to break into careers that have been dominated by women they are considered soft, girly and at times gay. I find these stereo typing appalling to go so far to label individuals according to the career choice that most appeals to them. If a man chooses to be an artist society can accept that yet if that man choose to express himself artistically through hair and become a hair dresser then some automatically assume that he has feminine side to him and must be gay. We can also look at the women’s side of this. It seems perfectly normal to see a woman used in an advertisement or commercial to sell a car yet it that same woman’s interest in cars swayed more towards the driving and racing of cars then society would look at her as though something was wrong with her. Women are seen as fragile and petite and racing cars is a dangerous career where she could get hurt yet it is completely acceptable for men to do it. A question asked was how can segregation like this exists when there are laws that prohibit sexual discrimination? The problem being is the law is written and yes although it can be enforced by the property authority but it can not force people to change there way of thinking.

Blog 11

A recent story ran by azfamily.com discussed proposed dramatic increase in what childcare facilities pay for their licensing fee. A normal annual three year licensing fee has been a flat rate of $150 put the proposed fee increase could sky rocket some facilities fee’s as high as $13,442 depending on the number of children enrolled in that facility. The announcement of this proposal has childcare facilities struggling to find ways to deal with the proposed hike and many say that passing the cost hike onto the parents may be on the only way they may be able to stay in business. Talk about pouring salt in an already deep wound. Recently two friends of mine were told that all employees would take a 20% pay cut deduction effective immediately in hopes of saving jobs and avoiding more lay-offs and now State health care regulators want to increase the cost of childcare license fees to make up for state funding cuts. This all comes at a time when companies and business are struggling to stay afloat. Wages are being cut and benefits are being pulled which is increasing the out of pocket costs for most people. And now there is a black cloud looming over their heads that come Jan 1st 2010 they may see a significant rise in their childcare costs. With some parents who live pay check to pay check this increase could mean that something else it going to have to give in order to compensate for the rate increase. So what does this mean for single poor mothers who are already struggling to get by? Will it be food, clothing or healthcare that will have to suffer?

Blog 10

I didn’t know Motherhood would be this hard.


The birth of a child should be a wonderful experience for Mothers and yet so many are faced hardships they did not foresee. We learn through the women in Chaudry’s book the challenges that women facing when trying to better themselves for the benefit of their families while also looking out for the best interest of their children. Sara for example was a mother a mother who took drastic steps to ensure to ensure safe and adequate childcare for her daughter. With limited resources available to Sara she turned to the first at only option available to her at the time which was family. Family can be a strong helping hand to a mother trying to work and raise her children but there are also times like Sara’s for example where family is not always the best option. The help that Sara’s mother provided was a roof over their head and a safe place to sleep at night, but along with this came the constant arguments and reminder that Sara and her daughter were making things harder and really not that welcome. Sara was able to see that this situation was not good for her or her daughter and left. The next kin support that Sara sought out was Cristina’s father and his family back in Ecuador. Living conditions there were also crowded and with women being expected to stay home with their children and jobs and income scarce for Cristina’s father Sara new that returning to the States would still offer the most benefits to her and her child. Sara experienced a fear that no mother should feel when her wonderful daycare provider asked Sara to give her Cristina because she loved the baby and could provide more for her than Sara could. Due to this experience Sara became even more determined to find childcare for Cristina in an environment that Sara felt safe leaving her there and to know that her child would be loved and cared for. It’s a sad time when a mother such as Sara turns to a shelter as her only hope of getting adequate help for her and her child. Lying in a room in a shelter with a table against a door as your only protection fearing that if you close your eyes someone may enter and hurt you or your child, this is a situation you would expect to see play out in a movie and yet this is really happening to real people. That fear of constantly wondering if your child was safe is a fear so close to my own heart. I was 22 years old when my son was born and his father and I had to hold down full-time low paying jobs to make ends meet which limited our daycare options. I opted to place my son with an in home childcare provider because of costs and the benefits I felt he would receive with a more one on one atmosphere. The first provider was recommended by a family member and was within our budget. She was great and I felt safe leaving my son in her care. Unfortunately the sitter’s financial situation changed which forced her to seek employment outside of the home. The next childcare provider we found off of a list of highly recommended providers and she too did childcare out of her home. She was great and once again I felt safe and comfortable leaving my son in her care but do to changes in my childcare providers circumstances I was once again forced to look again for childcare. This time I turned to the previous sitter’s back up sitter who had watched my son while his regular sitter was out of town. She came highly recommended and she had an opening, my son started bright and early Monday morning and my son was killed Thursday morning the day before he turned 2. My son was beaten and suffocated by the babysitter I hired to take care of him. The following year I had a daughter and I could not face the thought of leaving her in the care of anyone so I quit work and started watching children out of my home as a form of income. My marriage did not survive the death of our son so not I was single, raising a child on my own and unable to leave her in anyone else’s care. I had to sacrifice many things in my life to be able to stay home with my daughter and its amazing how the government decides how much money is too much money for a mom to make to receive benefits. Sara saw that the only way to make a better life for her and her daughter and get assistance in doing so was to enter the shelters and follow the sometimes ridiculous steps on the system to get housing for her and her daughter. Sara states in her interview that although things got really rough at times her daughters life was less interrupted due to the quality of childcare Sara sought out and arranged for her through her determination and never giving up.

Blog 9

Blog 9

An income of $20,000 a year for a family of four is below the federal poverty level and that is exactly where nearly 13 Million children land. From 2000 to 2005 this number increased by 11% that’s adding another 1.3 million children who are living in poverty. The accuracy of these numbers has been greatly questioned and is being acknowledged as inadequate. In the 1950’s data collected showed that families spent one-third of their income on food. Now a days families spend far less than one-third of their income on food due to the disproportionately growth costs of housing, transportation and childcare. The system is being stamped as flaw to do the fact that there are things that should be looked at and considered when determining ones poverty level such as: child-care, transportation and work related expense. The systems also take individuals and lumps them into groups under standard categories rather than considering the varying needs of individual families. Who are these nearly 13 million children living in poverty? A graph breaks down the children living in poverty by race which shows us that 10% are white children, 11% are Asian children, 28% are Latino children, 29% are American Indian children and 35% are black children. If we take into account the States of California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas which hold the highest number of immigrants we learn that children with immigrant parents have higher chance of being poor than that children born to native parents. Poverty is not something that will ever go away, yet changes need to be made to stop the rise in numbers of children living below the poverty level. One of the greatest challenges parents face to day is making work pay. Without regular increases in minimum wage to combat the rising costs of food, housing and transportation families have to go without choosing to forgo adequate childcare and healthy meals to compensate. The scales have gotten to balance out more equally in order to change the number of children living below the federal poverty level

blog 8

Problems that Urban poverty create for poor working mothers ranges from childcare, adequate safe housing, resources available to students in public schools along with the conditions of the schools that these children attend. Jessica raises her three boys in a neighborhood that she refers to as bad. She does not allow her children to play outside for fear of them being shot or killed. The neighbors next door could be selling drugs within a 100 ft of her children yet this is all Jessica can afford on minimum wage. Jessica takes her children to the park to play in a safe environment away from their neighborhood. How is that right, a home should be a place that one can go to, too feel loved and protected from the outside world and yet Jessica takes her children away from their home so they can play safely outdoors. No mother should have to live under those conditions and no children should fear what is right outside their front door. Schools in areas like Jessica also have to deal with used and out dated school books, run down buildings and inadequate resources. Jessica and her children are victims of a society that believes that a single mother of three children can live adequately on minimum wage. So how do these problems differ from those of poor women living in mixed income neighborhoods? Looks can be deceiving of poor women living in mixed income neighborhoods. From the outside yes there neighborhood may be more inviting say that of Jessica’s and there may be more opportunities and resources available at the schools in the mixed income neighborhoods yet these are still single mothers who are working hard to raise their children and balance work and home with no time for themselves and little time left over for their children after work.

Blog 7

How does a minimum wage job add to the poor working women’s ability to find and maintain stable and safe childcare and make a better living? In regards to the story of Julia a young mother who turned to the system for help while she tried to better herself for a career that would allow her to provide for her children and yet around each corner there seemed to be another road block in Julia’s way. One of the biggest challenges Julia faced was providing quality childcare for her children when she has to rely on the government checks to pay the childcare provider. Julia’s troubles with the checks included checks not arriving on time, checks showing up short of what they were originally suppose to be or just not showing up at all due to paperwork being misplaced or lost. Julia stated the respect that she had for Sonia (her babysitter) and that Sonia herself was just trying to work and provide for her family also. Sonia did her best to work with Julia in regards to shit changes and mistakes with the checks but it all comes down being able to provide for your family and Sonia’s finances were being affected due to the mix up with Julia’s checks. It’s a shame that Julia was approved for a certain amount of money and yet due to clerical error she was forced at times to use family members like her cousin who seemed more bothered than anything at having to watch Julia’s children. She watched as her children were removed from an atmosphere that they enjoyed, felt comfortable and safe to an environment were they were bored with nothing to do and no one to play with except for Julia’s mother who was ill most of the time and really not a suitable caregiver for the children at her age. Julia was a woman who sought out an education a way to better self and received PA to help assist in her schooling cost, yet Julia had to choose between a part-time job to help make ends meet and school because if she tried to do both the would stop her PA. Julia was out there taking low paying or no paying internships to try and get her foot in the door she wanted a job and she wanted to provide a good life for her children. Julia’s problem like most was that she needed some assistance while she was working and going to school and yet according to the state the little amount of money she did make was going to be too much and would cause her to loose her benefits. It seems like the assistance and help that one receives from the state can at sometimes act as an anchor tied to their feet. No matter how hard they try to get out and better themselves something is always pulling them back. After watching the videos hosted by Roseanne Barr it is true no individual can live off of minimum wage. Jessica the mother raising her three boys, in a horrible neighborhood because that is all she can afford. Jessica gave the greatest example of how society holds individuals back. Jessica goes in early and often times stays late, she is an ideal employee yet she gets paid minimum wage with no chance of a raise and yet when she sets out to seek employment elsewhere they offer to pay her what she was making at her last job. How is she to get ahead when society has decided she is a minimum wage employee and no human being should have to raise a family on that.

Blog 6

Low-income Mothers especially low-income single Mothers struggle to find quality day-care within their budget. A childcare provider is someone who spends a great deal of time with your children each work day. This childcare provider is someone who is going to assist you in caring for, teaching, comforting and disciplining your child. Often times Mothers have an idea in mind of the perfect person to care for their child, yet unfortunately finances force them to look elsewhere. In chapter two of Chaudry’s book he discusses some of the different childcare options available to single low-income Mothers. Out of the 42 children involved in this study 39.5 % used Kin care and informal care which includes relatives, non family but acquaintances of the family and due to the closeness and relationship with the provider often times fee’s were negotiable and more flexible. Kin care however is not always available or the best option so the Mother must look to over crowded daycare centers, or licensed or non-licensed in home childcare providers. With a license daycare facility there are often times set fee’s and rules that must be followed and there is very little room for compromise. A licensed daycare also takes in a certain amount of children per adult so the chance of your child receiving one on one contact and a chance to bond with a certain provider can be limited. If you are a Mother receiving financial assistance with your childcare then you face another challenge of finding a provider that has an opening and is willing to work with your financial assistance. When seeking an in home childcare provider there are still many obstacles a mother faces. First and for most is once again finding a licensed in-home provider that the state will accept and accepting that there is usually no other adult there so you have to trust the judgments of your provider when it comes to outside activities, meals, safety precautions in their home and others who are allowed to visit the home. All of these issues weigh heavy on a mothers mind when all she is seeking to do is to work and provide for her children and while she is doing that she wants a provider that will love and care for her children the way she would. It’s a sad thing that finances dictate the quality of care that children receive and to some there is no other choice.

Blog 5

Working poor, it is amazing exactly how many individuals actually fit into this category. To me working poor are individuals who work and are still unable to make ends meet or are barely able to scrap by. Some individuals are working multiple jobs just to survive and yet often times their basic needs as human beings are not being met. Adding to their troubles is a government that says you are providing an income for your family there for any government assistance will be limited or denied. What a choice to make, work hard and still not be able to make ends meet because according to state agencies you make to much or quit working so that you do qualify for medical coverage for your kids and assistance with food. To often children born into poor families and disadvantaged communities are being denied health care, well balanced meals and proper childcare. A single mother working to raise her children may hold down two or three part time jobs because it is cheaper for her employer to hire part-time employees and there forgo the expense of having to pay that full-time employee benefits. If individuals continue to disregard the public responsibility for children born into poor families and disadvantages communities how are to change this viscous of the working poor. Children born to parents who are considered working poor are at a disadvantage right from the start, quality childcare and education are not always available in their communities which means these vital tools that are needed to help children later excel in college, or any kind of continuing education are missing. If we were to take a look and exam a school from a disadvantaged community along with a school from a non-disadvantaged community would the quality of education be the same? Would the quality of resources available to both schools be the same? Shouldn't’t they be? Should a child be denied the rights of other children because of the neighborhood he lives in and the amount of money his parents make?

Blog #4

What are the characteristics of a good family? I don't feel that there is one answer for this question but rather everyone is going to answer the question differently based on what there perception of a good family is. To me a good family is a family that spends quality time together. A family that respects and loves one another and they work together to benefit the family as a whole. To me my family is good family when I know that I am caring for my daughter to the best of my ability and seeing to all of her needs while at the same time spending quality time with my daughter and being able to connect and form that special bond with her that will last forever. Although these things make work for our family they may not be the needs or desire of another family.

What does it mean to balance career and family? To me balancing career and family is being able to do work and take care of my family equally so that neither side suffers. Being able to drop my daughter off at school every day and then go to work to me is balancing my work and my family because I know that she is arriving safely at school and I get to share in those moments of taking her and being able to talk to her on the drive there as to what she will be doing in her classes today and doing any last minute preperations for tests. I am lucky to have a job that understands that there are certain events for my daughter that I have made a commentent to her to be at. For example parent teacher conferences and after school functions that she should be able to enjoy as a child along with her peers. Another way that I am able to balance work and family is being able to talk on the phone with my daughter as she is walking home from schoool and again when she arrives to home safely. I think one of the best things that I learned as working mother was not to take my work home with me. Once I get home that is our time, its time to fix dinner and talk about how her day went. Its a time to sit down and do homework together and leave the cell phone in the other room.

What factors make this balancing difficult to achieve? Some times things come up that are unavoidable like getting a call from the school nurse that my child is sick and we are already 2 people down that day and it is impossible for me to just pick up and leave. Now that my daughter is getting older she has become more active in sports so balancing family and work has become more of a challenge. My daughter plays softball and they practice 2 nights a week and practice starts the same time I get off work. It take me 30 mins to drive to and from work so I would have to leave work almost and hour and a half early to be able to drive home pick up my daughter and drive her back to practice which happens to be right down the street from where I work. So in order for this to work we had to reach out to family for help in getting her to practice and then I would meet her there and take her home after practice which meant that 2 nights a week we no longer got to sit down as a family and eat dinner together.

How have changes in traditional gender roles made work and family issues more complex? With more women getting educated and wanting careers it is changing the way the traditional roles within the family. With mom now out of the home working the husband may have to step up and take on more roles and responsabilities within the home such as cleaning, preparing meals and shuffling the children to their various activities. This can be challenging for the family when the roles of the parents are suddenly reversed. Children may be accustome to the way mom did things and it may be an adjustment to the way dad does things. We can only hope that there would be no atimosity or resentment from the father who has now having to do things which for generations individuals have labeled womans work.
Employers can be sensitive to their employees family needs or obligations by sitting down and discussing the needs of the employees family one on one with the employee. The employee needs to understand that they have been hired to perform a certain task and that these tasks need to be done. The employer on the other hand could realize the time and expense that has gone into training this employee and the benefit of working with this employee so that both parties benefit from a situation that may be short lived.
How might having the support of family members, workers or neighbors make balancing priorities easier? I think it is very important to reach out when help is needed rather than to try and burden the load on your own in silence. When there is an issue of children arriving home prior to their parents check with a neighbor to see if it your children could go their till your arrival home. If your children will be arriving home along after school then sit down and work with them and so that they know what the rules are while they are home alone and what their roles and responsabilities are until you arrive home. Also involve your coworkers in the change that has taken place make them aware that you will be recieving a call everyday around this time from children to let you know that have arrived home safely. If there is an issue of getting children to after school activies for example team sports work with the other parents on the team to secure your child a ride to the activity and in return you could be the picking up parent that drives the children home.

Blog #3

I have had two children in my life. With my first child "Bronson" I worked full time while Bronson was cared for in a private in home daycare. It was difficult trying to get time off without jeopardizing my job to get Bronson to his checkups at the Doctors and then having to call in sick to stay home when Bronson was ill. There were times when I felt overwhelmed because I was the one who dropped Bronson off at the sitters then went to work, sometimes my lunch hour was spent running errands to pick up household items that we needed, and then it was back to work were I had to make sure that I got out of there on time in order to make it back to the babysitters before a certain time. With me being the primary contact person with the babysitter I had to make sure that she had diapers and wipes and other things that he needed while at her home and I also got to write that check to her every week and yes there were times that I felt like all I did was work to pay the sitter and was it all really worth it? Most often my husbands work kept him out later and on call so I was usually the one to arrive home first and start dinner and maybe a load of laundry along with feeding and bathing Bronson. With my second child Bailey I decided to be a stay at home mom but I still need to help support my family so I decided to do childcare out of my home as a way of supplementing my income. Now instead of working 40 hours a week I worked an average of 50 to 60 hours a week doing childcare which mean 3 times more the mouths to feed for breakfast and lunch, my house had to been cleaned thoroughly daily (where as with my first child I would do a thorough cleaning each weekend) When my daughter turned 2 I suddenly found myself a single parent which meant that when childcare ended at 6pm I still had to go out and do the shopping and worry about servicing the car along with paying all the bills doing all the household upkeep and repairs and the dreaded yard work. One valuable lesson that I learned about childcare is that many people assumed that just because I worked out of my home that I had more free time on my hands. When it came to needing someone to help out with a project within the community or my family MY name was always the first to come up because I was the one who was home all day. People didn't realize that although I was home I had a very difficult job of caring for not only my child but other peoples children. Running a simple errand meant packing up one very large diaper bag with different sizes of diapers and sippy cups extra outfits in case of an accident and loading several car seats into my car. I believe that the work that women do raising children and tending to a home is greatly under appreciated.

Blog #2

Sex Segregation is the segregation or dividing of individuals by sex (gender). As far as how I feel about how sex segregation is represented in the employment at ASU I really never thought about it. So I sat down and made a list and I have to say that my instructors at ASU have been pretty evenly divided as far as male and female. I also looked at other areas within ASU that I had come within close contact. The two adviser's that were available for me to meet with since starting ASU have been females until recently my advisor is now a male. One area that I did not a slight tip in the scale was my involvement with TA's all but one have been female. Within my home and work place I am surrounded by women. My home right now consists of 3 females: First there is my mother who is a nurse ( a job which is most often held by women), then there is me; I work front office specialist for a private practice(again another job which is often times held by a women ) here the Dr's are both female and the only male working in our office is Jason the office manager.... and then we have my daughter who is only 13 but hopes to grow up to be a nurse one day. ..After listening to the radio report, "Moms Become Breadwinners As Job Losses Hit Men," discusses how women are more and more becoming the Breadwinners of their families and the reason this is happening is because of the downfall of the economy and the jobs that are being hit. We have seen a significant decrease in the construction and manufacturing jobs, these were jobs that were typically held by males. This forced more women into the breadwinner roles in their family with some women taking on second jobs to support their families and still women are being paid less than men in the workforce.

It's all about me

Hi my name is Jill and I am soo exicted that I have finally figured out this blogging stuff. I am a Senior at ASU graduating this Fall as a Justice Studies major. You can't even begin to describe the feeling of finally being able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Right now I work full time and I"m taking my final four classes at ASU. I am a single mom of a beautiful 13 year old daughter who is the love of my life and she plays club softball....so if I'm not at work or sitting at home on the computer doing homework...I am at the field watching her play which brings me great joy...I am so excited to be in this class and look forward to the interesting material that lies ahead.....