IELTS Writing Task 2: Looking after Children
These days more fathers stay at home and take care of their children while mothers go out to work.
What could be the reasons for this? Is it a positive or negative development?
It is becoming increasingly common for fathers to be primary caretakers while wives develop their careers. I believe this is because of a societal shift in gender relations and it is a positive development.
The most obvious cause of more women in the workplace is modern gender relations. As recently as the 1950s in the United States, it was the unquestioned role of women to cook, clean, and look after the children. Many progressive women began to feel that they were more than their biological prerogative and feminism movements sprouted up in the 1960s. There have been years of struggle and the wage gap is still a hotly debated issue but now most reasonable adults accept that both men and women should have equal opportunity to pursue a career.
On the whole, I believe this is a positive development because women can contribute greatly to society. Since women have come into the workforce en masse there are countless examples of high performing professionals including CEOs like Shery Sandberg, athletes like Serena Williams, and authors like Margaret Atwood. That belies the impact of millions of women performing well in the average job. A company meeting a few decades ago might have been more one-sided in its male dominated viewpoints, but now it is likely to showcase more female viewpoints. This added perspective is one key to creative thinking and greatly enhances decision-making and the resultant products and services of many companies.
In conclusion, the advent of women in the workforce has brought great benefits to the world. The pertinent question is now how quickly will all parts of the world adopt these progressive improvements.
VOCABULARY
- increasingly common more and more popular
- primary caretakers main persona responsible for looking after the kids
- societal shift change in how society thinks
- gender relations how men/women interact
- most obvious cause clearest source
- modern gender relations recent developments in males and females in society
- as recently as starting as soon as
- unquestioned role undoubted place
- look after take care of
- progressive women forward thinking women
- biological prerogative what our bodies are meant to do naturally
- feminism movements the rights of women
- sprouted up started to appear
- struggle conflict with
- wage gap differences in pay
- hotly debated issue fiercely argued topic
- most reasonable adults accept the majority of normal people recognise
- equal opportunity the same access, ability
- pursue a career have a job
- contribute greatly add a lot
- come into the workforce start working
- en masse in total
- countless examples many instances
- high performing professionals top level workers
- belies undermines
- performing well doing a good job
- average job normal work
- a few decades ago 20 – 30 years ago
- one-sided not showing both perspectives
- male dominated viewpoints the opinions of men
- showcase display
- female viewpoints women’s opinions
- added perspective different viewpoint
- one key one important part
- greatly enhances decision-making makes a big difference in making decisions
- resultant products products produced as a result
- advent of women start of women
- brought great benefits to the world added a lot of positives for everyone
- pertinent question pressing concern
- adopt enact
- progressive improvements modern changes
