2.4 A QUIET REVOLUTION

Are there traditional gender roles in your country?

Of course they are!

What are they?

Roles for men and roles for women.

A husband and wife should have clearly defined roles in terms of who does what.

Yes, but...

I would say I have traditional values regarding these roles.

It's true, but I think otherwise.

I would prefer my partner to take care of the children so that I can develop my career.

And about when both have the same career?

If I were the opposite gender, I would still answer in the same way.

Yes, and that is the big problem!

What is the "quiet revolution" that is taking place?

Things are changing. Mentality, customs and traditions.

What reasons can you think of for this change? List at least three ideas.

Education. Both genders have the same access to the same levels of education. Salaries are insufficient. Husband and wife must take money home. It's the economy, stupid! Mentality is changing.

also making sure we didn’t disrupt the home life, and make sure we actually spend time with the boys.

to spent more time with his family - Rob Sinclair.

let my wife concentrate on her corporate career

to help his partner's career. Rob

and let me do some more time with my writing as well.

To have more time for himself. Rob

there was no sort of barrier to when work finished.

to have more time for himself. Richard.

It’s a sort of transition really, from a very busy week to recharging and having time for me

to get back lost energy. Richard.

A: Money. Well not ‘A: money’, but that helps a heck of a lot. B: Boredom. I can’t sit around doing nothing.

to make money. to avoid getting bored. Bernard.

How to find the right work-life balance in today’s demanding world

the gist.

Is your country seeing similar trends to those described?

I don't know.

Which reasons for men going part-time would be a "revolution" in your country?

Housework. regular work done in housekeeping, especially cleaning and tidying. Unemployment.

Reasons

Generally, experts explain the departure of these 7 million men from the workforce as a combination of factors — the Great Recession, globalization, the entry of women in the workforce and increased immigration.

What are the pros and cons of traditional gender roles?

Pro: women have more time with children - closeness with mother is important. con: family depends primarily on man for financial support.

Our presentation is about

the pros and cons of traditional roles in a family.

First, to make it clear what we mean by traditional roles

we're thinking of the man as breadwinner, as the one who earns the money to support the family, while the woman stays at home and takes care of the children.

At home, generally speaking the woman does the housework

the cooking, cleaning, etcetera

while the man

might do home repairs and take care of the car.

So, on the positive side

the roles are very clearly defined; both the man and woman know who does what, so there's less confusion and fewer conflicts about that.

So, on the negative side,

, if the man is always the one who works, there can be too little contact between father and child, and that can’t be good for the family.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly,

a lot of women will of course want to work and develop a career, both for their own satisfaction and independence, and also to be a role model for their children.

that's bound to be good for

the health of the whole family.

Also, in some couples, the woman will be good at tasks traditionally done by the man, and vice-versa

For instance, if the man is a better cook than the woman, while the woman is better at fixing the car and mowing the lawn

Prepare a presentation on the pros and cons of one of the topics below 1

Women and men competing in the same teams and leagues in sports.

Prepare a presentation on the pros and cons of one of the topics below 2

Laws that say companies should have 50% men and 50% women as directors.

Prepare a presentation on the pros and cons of one of the topics below 3

Husbands and wives sharing household chores equaly (housework and home repairs)

Agree on who will 1

introduce the presentation

Agree on who will 2

give more information about your topic

Agree on who will 3

state the pros

Agree on who will 4

state the cons

Agree on who will 5

make a summary statement

Full salary for whichever parent stays at home with children

may change how society regards men/women

Gender-blind hiring - your name, gender and photo do not appear on job applications

best person chosen for the job; no problems re sex discrimination; impractical: how to conduct interviews?; problem with gender-specific positions, e.g. casting female role in film

Compulsory school uniforms, identical for boys and girls

no problems re sex discrimination; may change how society regards men/women; resistance from traditionally minded people/cultures

chore

a job that you have to do, especially a boring one: household chores

How does the writer make the notes as short as possible?

Reduction to the core idea of the sentences. Abbreviations. "re" - regarding.