UNIT 6

MALE & FEMALE ROLES Vocabulary Find the "odd one out".
There may be more than one answer. Give your reasons.

A B C
1. a baby-sitter a home-maker a bread-winner
2. prejudice harassment discrimination
. racism political
correctness
se!ism
". the chair the chair-person the chairman
#. a husband a wi$e a partner
%. &s &rs &iss
'. creches nurseries primary
schools
(. capabilities talent )uali*cations
MALE & FEMALE ROLES
+n the British ,eneral -lection in 1..'/ some o$ the most power$ul men in the
country lost their seats to professionally successful women. 0ne hundred and
nineteen women were elected to the 1ouse o$ Commons and *2e women
secured Cabinet posts. By 1..'/ o2er a million o$ Britain3s $our million small
businesses were run by women. &any o$ these women had le$t corporate li$e
because o$ their di4culties in pro5ressin5 in lar5e or5anisations/ especially in
the world o$ *nance/ where men are 5enerally $a2oured $or the top mana5erial
posts.
6urin5 the twentieth century/ women in Britain ha2e had to campaign
2i5orously $or equal rights - the right to education/ the right to vote and the
right to work in posts traditionally reser2ed $or men. +t was lar5ely throu5h war-
work that women pro2ed their capabilities.
&ore recently/ they ha2e been outperforming men in public e!aminations.
Women's rights campai5ns ha2e $ocused particularly on lan5ua5e and thou5ht.
7erms such as "chairman" ha2e been chan5ed to more neutral descriptions
such as "chair" or less ambi5uous alternati2es such as "president". 7his is part
o$ the recent concept known as "political correctness".
8ome men are care$ul to a2oid accusations o$ sexism and sexual harassment
while others ha2e reacted by campai5nin5 $or "men's rights".

Dialogue
A: What kind of rights do women and men want in your country9

B: To begin with/ most women and men want the ri5ht to work.

A: o you think both partners in a relationship should e!pect to work in times
o$ 1i5h unemployment9

B: !t's often an economic necessity for both partners to work/ especially i$
they3re buyin5 a house or pro2idin5 $or a $amily.
A: What if there isn't enou5h work to 5o round9

B: 7hen some people will be out o$ a job - they could be either women or men.

A: "ren't they more often women9

B: #es$ but it isn't that women don3t want to work. %or a start/ they su:er more
discrimination in the work-place. ;hen a youn5 woman applies $or a job/ it
isn3t
possible to ask her whether she intends to start a $amily or not/ but it is
possible to
5i2e the job to a man with $ewer )uali*cations.

A: oes that happen&

B: 'erhaps not as much as it used to/ but i$ a woman lea2es a job to start
$amily/
it may be 2ery di4cult $or her to return to $ull-time work. &any women are in
part-
time jobs and on 2ery low rates o$ pay. <nderemployment o$ well )uali*ed
women
who are workin5 as bar-maids or waitresses is a hu5e waste o$ talent.

A: Are there many underemployed men9

B: #es$ certainly. 7here are those who do seasonal work such as deck-chair
attendants or -n5lish lan5ua5e teachers and those who depend on the black
economy $or occasional jobs - they mi5ht repair your motorbike or clean your
windows=

A: (ow about unemployed men9

B: ;ell/ unemployment can be 2ery $rustratin5 $or those men who belie2e that
they should be the bread-winner in a relationship. &any li2e on state bene*ts.
7here is also a 5roup o$ men who ha2e become unemployable. 7hey ha2e
dropped out o$ the system alto5ether. 7he ad2enturous ones become >ew A5e
7ra2ellers/ the idealistic ones become political protesters and the dishonest
ones turn to crime.

A: 8o/ i$ the system doesn3t 5i2e you any ri5hts/ you live by your own rules=

DisDiscussion questions
1. Belinda Brooks-,ordon/ a uni2ersity psycholo5ist/ has done research
showin5 that men in a top international company cate5orise women into *2e
5roups?
Babes @youn5 and attracti2e women with little pro$essional credibilityA
&ums @considered unattracti2e and i5nored by male tradersA
Besbians @$eministsA
6ra5ons @women considered old or unattracti2e/ rudely treatedA
0ne-o$-the-boys @women who beha2e like men - only they pro5ressA
+n your country/ do women ha2e e)ual opportunities in the work-place e.5. the
same pay and promotion opportunities as men9 Are they cate5orised9
2. +s it easy $or women to continue their careers a$ter takin5 time o: work to
start a $amily9 6o companies pro2ide crCches or nurseries9
. 6o parents and teachers in your country encoura5e 5irls and boys to 5row
up di:erently9 6o they play with the same toys9 6o they recei2e the same
education at school and uni2ersity9
". 6o you think women and men should per$orm the same or di:erent roles9
Are men usually the bread-winners and women usually the home-makers in
your country9
#. Are there any "womenDs or menDs ri5hts" 5roups in your country9 Eou can
consult the $ollowin5 links to *nd out more.
http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/gender.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/gender/gender1.htm