Administration and the Role of Women: Final Thoughts

This class has provided a plethora of useful information about the changing dynamics of the workforce. As seen over multiple class discussions throughout the semester, we have come a long way from a society that lived solely by gender norms and social constructs. Women are becoming more and more educated and entering the workforce at a more rapid pace now than ever before. However, we have yet to be completely free of gender biases and expectations, especially here in the United States (where we as an industrial country are severely behind).

One of the most intriguing topics in this class was the study on Shirley Chisholm. I for one have never heard of Shirley Chisholm. This was quite appalling considering the fact that I was a Political Science major. One would assume that a black woman running for presidency in the 70's and actually having some time of impact in the political arena would be phenomenal and worth mentioning. Yet, I never even as much as read a sentence about her before now. Baffling! Aside from this being black history, it is certainly U.S. history!

The huge take away from this class however, was the issue of work-life balance and family friendly policies. It is not the only challenge faced by women in the workforce, but it is one of the greatest. In the 21st Century women struggle with having to be a care-taker and a professional, a struggle that very few men are faced with. I have also come to realize that there really is no solution. I believe that family-friendly polices would be a huge benefit and assistance to working parents, however, it does not completely solve the problem. Even if women were extended longer parental leave with pay, very few of them would be able to continue that lifestyle, which is actually the REAL struggle for some women. Despite the normality of the ideas of work and family, they just seem to be two incompatible concepts. It can be done, but there will always be some type of lack, whether it be a predominately absent father or a predominately absent mother, there will always be a lack. The ultimate solution: Utopia!

Nonetheless, I loved this class. It was quite eye-opening! I find myself being more aware of things that as a woman who desires to have both a career and a family in the near future should definitely think about. As a professional, I would like to be treated equally to men, I would like equal pay, and I would like to opportunity to be a successful leader (maybe even a CEO). I would also like to have children, spend time with my family, take care of my household, and still have time to myself. So... since Utopia is non-existent (for now), I'll advocate for the family-friendly policies, feminist and womanist movements, women support groups, and other various empowerment techniques until..........Utopia.

In addition to the links offered throughout my blog, here are more encouraging/Informative links pertaining to Women in Administration:

Five links to website that offer insight:

Work-life balance: