Debate Questions

Medina Khatib
Below are some questions to think about before our work-life conflict debate. Generate a response to
each question (submit and bring to class).

Also, generate a list of points, either for and against, the argument that women can "have it all",
depending on the group to which you were assigned (include these in your submission).
-------for list of points on position refer to numbers 1 and 2

1. Is this a women vs. men question? Can men have it all? Are there differences between women and
men as they approach this problem of having it all?
This isnt so much a women vs men question as it is women vs themselves and reality. Further, you
could say this is generations of women vs generations of other women in what it means to have it all and the
reality involved when it comes to trying to have it all.
This is a question that we need to begin to approach from another point of view that women cannot
have it all in todays society. Because although women have made substantial gains in terms of wages,
educational attainment and prestige, women are less happy today than their predecessors both in absolute
terms and relative to men.
This is a question of both men, women, society everyone. However, breaking it down is different; it
could be a question of men vs. women.
- Commitment to the job and position
o Leadership positions few women have leadership roles
o Balanced life male supreme court justices all have a family, two out of the three female
justices are single with no children and the third started her career when her child was grown.
o Obamas high-level women appointees who have stepped down, virtually all succeedd by
men
- Partner/marriage - supportive
o Work-life balance supportive significant other or no.
o Men obligation to be breadwinner; women obligation to be caregiver
o Maternal intuition and need to go home to help a child in need; paternal feels selfish
o Having a supportive mate may be necessary but not sufficient
- Can have it all but not all at once sequencing
o Having children
o Marriage
Women are scared to be ambitious. Again, women against women urging them to have families while
they are trying to succeed in their career.

2. What about people across the entire range of the economic spectrum?
This is applied to women who are able, as in some women dont really worry about having it all but
instead about holding on to what they do have. In this case this is women who are educated, well-off and
privileged. This debate is about women in high power positions and the expectation and pressures of
society on what their duties as women are and their role in advocating feminism and feminine power.
If anything, its women against the larger whole of everyone and the entire professional world. For
example, in Why Women Still Cant Have It All the best hope for improving the lot of al women and for
closing the new gender gap - measured by well-being rather than wages is to close the leadership gap: to
elect a woman president and 50 women senators; to ensure that women are equally represented in the ranks
of corporate executives and judicial leaders. Only when women yield power in sufficient numbers will we
create a society that genuinely works for all women. A society that works for everyone.
 Its an everyone issues talking about the culture of being a good employee; long hours, relentless
competition, travel, working on weekends, being on call, etc.
Women across all wages, careers, etc. Understanding what it means to have it all and to fight for all
womens ability to have it all or be real about trying to have it all.

3. Should we make changes to the work environment to deal with work-life conflict? What would they
be?
The culture and expectation of a good worker and what that entails. Time macho a relentless
competition to work harder, stay later, pull more all-nighters, travel around the world, etc. time equals more
value women and men are working harder and longer than ever. Always on mode, always available and
working.
What if they didnt have to be spent in the office? What if they were at home at least you are at home.
Allowing people to work from home, ensures that an employee never lets the team down, but still gets to take
care of things at home or familial responsibilities.
Changing the default rules that govern office work, to the advantage of all workers, and revaluing family
values. Letting go of this fully committed, fully available work identity for men and women.

4. What about single people? What if you never marry and never have kids? Are you a part of this
conversation?
Yes, they are a part of this conversation. They do this while stay out at work late, barely have time to do
everything and then they go home to nothing instead of making it work to go home to your family. Just as
busy people or observers think they are able to have it all together, they look right back at them and think
the same thing, along with the idea that they are making it work. Its still a lot for them.

5. Should this be a question of work-family balance or work-life balance?

Work-life balance for sure. Even people without a family have other things in life to attend to such as
health, hobbies, and remaining sane. Its important to keep in mind the research done on job satisfaction and
the role that having a work-life balance plays. Especially when considering that single people should
definitely be a part of this conversation.

6. Bertrand Russell said, "....I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in
the modern world by belief in the virtuousness of work..." What do you think about this statement?
Do we have an aversion to downtime?
Society may have taught us that there is a negative association with the idea of an individual having
downtime. The pressures of success have brought to society the idea of a need to be constantly productive
and working on an important project or having something to show for your time spent on an activity.