Research Paper By Lisa Sennhauser-Kelly
(Executive Coach, SWITZERLAND)
Synopsis
Anne-Marie Slaughter maintains in her article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” published in The Atlantic Monthly that women can’t have it all. Slaughter writes that the ability to control her own schedule is what prompted her to leave the State Department and return to her full time job at Princeton University. A response by Madeleine M. Kumin “Why Men Can’t Have it all” agrees with many of the findings and points out that because of the failings of ability to provide affordable quality childcare, men can’t have it all either. Lisa Sennhauser-Kelly wanted to explore this further.
- What do we mean by having it all?
- Are men having more than women?
- Where are we on the gender balance at work and in the family?
- What do working mothers and fathers really think?
- What are the opportunities and consequences for coaching?
Introduction
The question of whether women can have it all is not a new one. This paper will describe an investigation into some of the facts regarding the success of women in the workplace and whether women and or men are indeed, having or doing it all.
Definition of having it all
For the purpose of the research, the definition of having it all is having a successful career as well as having a family.
A renowned speaker on the topic sums up one view as follows:
Could a woman ‘have it all?’ was a pressing question in the past two decades. Could she have a glamorous rewarding career and a great loving family? The answer of course, was ‘no’. Women couldn’t have it all … because men did It is men who have the rewarding careers outside the home and the loving family to come home to. So if women are going to have it all, they are going to need men to share the housework and childcare. Michael Kimmel
So let’s investigate. Do women have greater challenges or obstacles to overcome to achieve success at their careers than men? Do men do less at home than the women? Let’s take a look at what we do know.