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InterestingRead 7 - 28 Jun 2012 - Main.SherieGertler
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| | I'm sure that some of you have already heard about or read this article - "Why Women Still Can't Have it All", written by Anne-Marie Slaughter and published in the July/August edition of The Atlantic - but I thought I'd share it for those who haven't, as it provides some thought-provoking commentary on issues that both women and men face in striving to attain fulfillment at work and at home.
Slaughter specifically highlights the legal industry, built on the foundation of the billable hour, and discusses the unique challenges that this model presents for a law firm associate seeking to establish a work/life balance with which he or she is satisfied. | | | I do of course recognize that the rosy picture I painted is of a culture that permeates a single corporation, and of a culture that seems fairly anomalous for finance and probably can’t be extrapolated to law and other industries where working more absolute hours is directly related to greater individual or company-wide success. I also recognize that the process of transforming one corporation is certainly not indicative of the process that would be required to transform a society. However, I guess witnessing a reformation of a corporate culture has made me want to believe that a larger-scale change could one day be possible, if those who rise to the top of their respective fields cultivate value systems that genuinely emphasize work/life balance (though the question clearly remains whether individuals who adhere to such value systems are capable of rising to the top of their fields on more than a one-off basis). Thus, like Joyner, I’m just not sure that our nationwide work culture will ever undergo the type of sweeping transformation that’s possible on a micro level. In any event, I ultimately appreciate that Slaughter inspired me to reflect on these issues, and to reflect on my conception of what it means to “have it all”.
-- CourtneyDoak - 27 Jun 2012 | |
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> | Courtney, thank you for your thoughtful response!
I appreciate your point that Slaughter's biggest value (to you) was the reflection it inspired on whether anyone can really have it all, although, as you point out, "having it all" in the article reflects Slaughter's individualized conception of what that means.
In response to your point on Slaughter's conception of "having it all": I agree that Slaughter qualifies the population she is addressing, and therefore covers her claims in that way. However, I felt that her claims suffered from her one-dimensional view of professional success, in that she largely equates professional success with high-powered positions and hours invested. I thought her exploration could have been more valuable had she explored in-depth other dimensions of professional success (i.e., engaging in meaningful work, feeling passionately about the work you do) and whether there are inherent tradeoffs there as well. While her version of "having it all" is no less 'valid' than mine and yours, I believe she limits her basic premise by posing her conflict in this way. And here is where I most strongly agree with Gottlieb's response. Slaughter's premise boils down to the fact that she has 2 time-intensive endeavors which both demand more than half her time, and therefore cannot fully pursue both opportunities simultaneously. This upsets her, and it upsets her when she feels other people judge her for this, but to me it felt like a simple fact of life. And, as you point out with the personal example of your father, one not limited to professional women.
When the conflict becomes that one cannot occupy two places at once, the situation seems more black and white than work-life balance really is (in my limited experience). It also seems more despairing, barring a nation-wide overhaul of professional culture.
That being said, I appreciated your recognition of the value of the article for what it is (and not what it is missing) and its uplifting to hear that a company as large and pervasive as UBS can reform.
-- SherieGertler - 28 Jun 2012 |
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