Topic > Finding a balance between family and career in "Why women still can't have it all"

In "Why women still can't have it all" Anne-Marie Slaughter details why it's harder to balance a dream career and a family for women than for men. He puts his position into perspective by saying, “I believe we can 'have it all at the same time.' But not…with the way the American economy and society are currently structured” (Slaughter 680). In “Why men still can't have it all” Richard Dorment argues, however, that it is not easy for anyone to work while spending as much time with their family as they would like. He makes his position clear when he says, “Here we are all the same” (Dorment 716). Both authors attempt to prove their point by discussing the differences faced by each gender in the workplace and bringing up the respective roles they play within the family. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Within the work environment, both Slaughter and Dorment believe there are some differences for each gender. Slaughter argues that women have a harder time making progress in their careers. She mentions how many people believe that "[W]hen the choice is whether or not to hire a man who will work when and where needed, or a woman who needs more flexibility, the man's choice will add more value to the company." (Massacre 689). She says that without flexible hours, women are forced to sacrifice time with family if they want to be promoted to higher positions or get a better job than they currently have. Putting the quote in this light allows us to see that she believes that men are given promotions that they can accept with less guilt and are hired with less doubt in the employer's mind about their abilities to handle the demands of the job. You may also be interested in the article on choosing your dream job, which details the best rules for choosing a job. However, Dorment counters Slaughter's argument with the idea that anyone who puts in the effort can make progress in their career. He emphasizes the fact that "Getting ahead in the workplace is really hard... And unless you're really, really lucky, there's always going to be someone smarter, faster, tougher, and ready and willing to take a job if you're not good enough." the task” (Dorment 716). His position is that if someone doesn't like something, they shouldn't do it only to then complain about it. If someone wants to have a better job, they must be willing to work at it and should expect to make some tough decisions, regardless of gender. Another point Slaughter and Dorment disagree on is how family roles differ. Slaughter argues that women have to find a way to balance family and work, while men are less attached to home life. She argues that, in the case of women, “[H]aving it all…depend[s] entirely on the type of work [they do]. [H]aving it all [is] not possible in many types of jobs” (Slaughter 681). However, he believes that “[y]oung people have not yet addressed the question of whether or not they are willing to…turn down a promotion…spend more time with their children and support their partner's career” (Slaughter 693). The gender contrast in these quotes reveals the existence of a gap between the realities faced by both men and women in relation to family and work. On one side of the divide is women, who need to choose a job that fits their professional and family goals. On the other side there are men, who don't.