WOMEN AND WORK 2
1
Reading Response 4
Qianchi Chen
Women and Work
Inequality in job acquisition is still an ambiguous thing that strikes people now and then. Due to this inequality, another industry that is gender-biased has been created. There are some of the companies that have been created purposely to fit the female gender. These companies have created opportunities where the ladies hired work under conditions or the required status. This paper will reflect on different jobs offered strictly to the female gender, their requirements, and the risks they cause to the ladies.
There are several jobs associated with the female gender only; according to Mears & Finlay (2005), modeling is one of the ladies jobs. Modeling involves the exposition of the bodies of oneself during the showing workability of the things that are best suited to the people. They do this to attract more agents without considering the outcomes they might face afterward. Murphy refers to this as “Emotional labor” since it involves one’s emotions to carry out such a task.
Stripping is another activity or job mainly offered to women; it depends on their age and body configuration before acquiring the job. They usually dance in the strip clubs half-naked, which is why these jobs are referred to as “emotional labor.” According to Murphy, strippers though not grouped in the same as the models they both use their bodies to attract the customers of that very club Mears & Finlay (2005). Working in such premises lowers the dignity of women much below what it was in the traditions or there before.
Exotic dancing is the other job offered to women; though similar to stripping, exotic dancing involves dancing in other open areas except for the club. It is defined as the means some of the women of the tender age use to earn their living. It is usually done by dancing as they expose their bodies to the public, intending to attract more people for the ongoing activity. Exotic dancing is done contrary to the traditions and lowers the place of a woman in society. All these jobs and activities are offered and done due to the lack of routine jobs that suit women better.
There are specific requirements that need to be met before one is eligible for the work. Similarly, one is expected to maintain the exact requirements for them to continue serving in the job. According to Gruys (2019), women performing these duties should suit the customer’s taste. Age is the most crucial requirement that these women are considered for; they should be young and tender. Since it is an “Emotional labor,” they should be young enough to attract the customers and the agents. Due to a lack of quality jobs, some women may choose to alter the birth certificate to reduce the years to suit the job.
The woman’s exemplary body configuration is another requirement to suit before being eligible for the job. This means the woman should maintain a good look. Such features include clear skin, healthy teeth, good height as well as weight. These are the crucial body features that enable them to carry out all the activities required. Mainly, the skin color and the lady’s height may portray an attractable taste of the customer or the agent. According to Gruys (2019), this requirement is referred to as the “managing bodily capital” to maintain the shape needed by the agents.
These requirements may pose several risks to those women; contracting the diseases is one of these women’s risks. The rectification of the skin color may trigger some deadly diseases such as skin cancer. According to Robinson (2021), due to the extended emotions, there may be a contraction of the sexually transmitted diseases caused by the agents and the customers being served.
Criticism is the second risk that these women put themselves into; according to Mears & Finlay (2005), criticism will occur after the performance by the women. Criticism will lead to the stigma that causes the lady to lose weight, which is an essential requirement in the job. Having stigma makes it harder for one to continue with the job, and hence if the lady is light-heartedly, she will leave the job and be jobless.
Lowering one’s self-esteem is the third risk caused by these jobs; due to the culture and the believed customs, the lady might violate the customs. Consequently, the woman may lack confidence in herself, and this leads to depression Robinson, (2021). Depression comes along with many other illnesses that may lead to the dormancy of that lady until the time the depression will be treated.
In conclusion, women participating in the three jobs described by Successful Women’s Outfitters are faced with the enumerated risks. Some of the risks are caused by the requirements, while an outside factor causes others. The creations of these jobs have hence caused some disasters despite them being formulated to earn a living.
References
Gruys, K. (2019, March). “Making Over” Poor Women: Gender, Race, Class, and Body Size in a Welfare‐to‐Work Nonprofit Organization. In Sociological Forum (Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 47-70). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/socf.12480
Mears, A., & Finlay, W. (2005). Not just a paper doll: How models manage bodily capital and why they perform emotional labor. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 34(3), 317-343. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891241605274559
Robinson, S. (2021, March). Black Ballerinas: The Management of Emotional and Aesthetic Labor. In Sociological Forum. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/socf.12689
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