Hey everyone,

We have been researching gender roles in class and we each picked out a source which we agree with. I wrote this essay discussing the issue of maternity leave: its significance, the controversies surrounding it, and an example of how it can be cut too short. Being a mother brings great responsibility, and it should be handled accordingly.

Five days. That is how much time off Justice Minister Rachida Dati of France took from work after giving birth to her daughter Zohra (Gibbs paragraph 1). One work-week. About the same amount of time taken off for a typical vacation. Nobody can afford to take unnecessary days off in this economy, but few would classify several weeks off after childbirth as "unnecessary", especially in "a societal system that allows women 16 weeks of paid maternity leave" (Gibbs paragraph 1). It is very difficult to manage both a family and a job, especially during a tough economic time period. Gibbs delves into the issues surrounding balancing the two, and the difficulty that follows.

The care of one's child, especially for a mother during the first few weeks, should take precedent over all other activities. Even if Dati loves her job, her actions are simply careless and set bad examples for working mothers-to-be. “A French feminist compared her to women in the 1920s who gave birth on the factory floor and kept working for fear of losing their job” (Gibbs paragraph 2). I believe her situation is actually worse due to the fact that her job was not in jeopardy, as were the jobs of the factory mothers of the ‘20s. There was no reason, besides from a possible love for her job, that Dati should have returned to her work so quickly. Mothers’ instincts are there for a reason; all mammals, from rabbits to humans, nurture and take care of their young. Though rabbits don’t have a 40-hour work week as humans do, we have the intelligence capacity to provide unrivaled care for our children. Because caring for our children is such a universal issue, no mother should allow her job, regardless of its significance, to interfere with her first several weeks of care.

Caring for a newborn child can be one of the most difficult yet most enjoyable periods of one’s life. While it is hard to step away from the responsibility of one’s job, this should be a no-brainer; the responsibility of one’s own child is of much greater importance. Rachida Dati should provide a lesson to all of us that we must set our priorities in life. Being on maternity leave is never looked down-upon since everybody knows the value of such childcare. Thus, women should never think twice about taking the necessary time off from work for being good mothers. Emphasizing work more than motherhood would be setting humans backwards in evolution; we cannot afford to forget human nature, even during the economic crisis we face today.

Works Cited

Gibbs, Nancy. "Married to the Job." Time. 02 FEB 2009. 16 Feb 2009 .

A Baseball Player

Hey guys,

In English class we're discussing diversity and how unique each individual is. Here is a project we just completed about our certain niches in society. This is really interesting to see how each person has a different set of rules and a unique thought process depending on their roles in society. I wrote mine about being a hitter in baseball. 

 

A Baseball Player

Always get to practice 15 minutes early; listen to what the coaches tell you; give 110% all the time; never give any attitude; keep your weight back; dig your feet in to prevent slipping; keep your eye on the ball; grip the bat with your knocking-knuckles aligned; start with your hands at ear height; squish the bug; don’t lunge; always keep your eye on the ball; hands

at ear height; stride softly; drive the back leg toward the ground; front leg straight; swing from the ground up; stride towards the pitcher; don’t hitch the bat back; don’t wrap the bat around; keep a level swing; don’t upp

ercut; finish with both hands on the bat; but “Big Mac” Mark McGwire only used one; don’t swing at every pitch; know your pitcher; try to reason what pitch will be thrown next; always keep your eye on the ball; know your count; know the game’s situation; know your signals; what if I miss a signal?: take your time between pitches; remember to call for “time” if the pitcher is taking too long; take the outside pitch opposite field; always take a strike after a walk on four pitches; take a pitch or two if it has been a 2 pitch-2 out inning; focus on the pitcher’s hat before the pitch; don’t square too early on a bunt for a hit; for a hit, get it down the third base line; for sacrifice, get it down the first base line; no matter what, always get the sacrifice down; keep the bat on an angle to prevent popping out; bend to bunt lower pitches, never stab at the ball; opt to fake a bunt on a 3-0 count; call for “time” if you manage to miss a signal; hustle down the line, even if you are walked; don’t throw the bat; don’t watch the ball after it is hit; on a strike three, don’t complain to or yell at the umpire; don’t argue with the umpire after any of his calls; and remember to shake the opposing team’s hands