The Workday Reading: November 11, 2015
Nov 11, 2015
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1) Is emotional labor — remember birthdays, shopping lists, handling health emergencies — feminism’s next frontier?
2) This lipstick red Anya Luchini tote packs a lot of punch into $95. This chic dome satchel is also an incredible buy.
3) The Four Horseman of Gentrification is one of the greatest pieces of satire that I have ever seen.
4) I would love to pass time with these Clinique ‘Days of the Week’ Lipsticks. So chic. And if you’re looking for a lot of colors for a small price, Sephora all the way.
5) How the Zara retail chain is taking the fashion world by storm by breaking the year into 104 seasons instead of four.
6) Looking for long necklaces? Don’t miss this druzy pendant. This geometric Alejo pendant goes with anything. And I still love this simple necklace with black enamel accents.
7) Five words to remove from your e-mail vocabulary, now.
8) This Lavish cape coat is phenom. I also love this jewel-tone patchwork cape for weekend wear.
9) Facebook is stealing billions of video views and millions in revenue from content creators. Guess I won’t be sharing videos on Facebook anymore.
Eye Candy. Herkimer diamonds give you the sparkle you want in a shape that is modern, unexpected, and not too pretty.
*image found here.
Love the 5 Words to Remove from Email. My current employer discourages the use of the word “I” in emails to clients. Instead, we are to use “we” as often as possible – even if you’re the only person working on the project. Our emails end up looking like this:
Hi Client,
Hope you’re having a great Tuesday. Just checking in on the date we discussed for our upcoming meeting. We’re in the process of preparing all of the necessary documents and look forward to working with you. Happy to answer any questions you might have.
It drives us bananas and we’re having to retrain ourselves now that we’re leaving. I mean, I’M having to retrain MYSELF now that I’M leaving.
re: feminism’s next frontier – YES! I’m constantly trying to draw lines and labor-share in my relationship.
Women’s Studies professor here! I love that emotional labor is being mentioned. FWIW, women activists and scholars have been talking about more just and equitable sharing of emotional labor since the 1970s and 80s. So perhaps feminisms past…and future frontier.
Feminism’s next frontier? Emotional labor? Things have to get done. Do we not respond to emergencies, birthdays, stuff in our life just to make a feminist point? Ridiculous.
I think it’s more that the vast majority of this falls to women by wrote. For example, the gf remembering to buy b-day cards to the bf’s family, or when the mother does all of the comforting, instead of sharing the duty with the father. It’s not about getting it done, it’s about the assumption that the woman will remember/act and should be the one to remember/act.
I agree, and this drives me bonkers! I frequently tell my friends that while we are blessed to be women living in this day and age, it’s also challenging because we are still expected to accomplish the social and domestic responsibilities (clean the house, cook, run errands, raise the kids, maintain friend and extended family relationships) -all while looking amazing- but now we are also expected to work 40+ hours a week. Excuse me? I’m not sure how many hours you have in the day, but I only have 24, and I would like to sleep for a few those! I believe this is why women are stereotypically considered uptight and stressed. Who wouldn’t be?
I agree. It’s not that we stop responding to birthdays out of protest, but we have to challenge the idea that we alone are responsible for this in our relationships. Just this week I bought and shipped gifts to my husbands’ brother’s family, send Thanksgiving cards with pictures to everyone, and bought (and subsequently express shipped) a birthday present for a party my husband RSVP’d for last week. All the while my husband has no clue any of this is happening or required. It would be a huge relief to ask / expect him to do some of this.
Why don’t you simply stop doing some of this? I don’t mean it in a rude way, but Thanksgiving cards? It seems an extra stress that is totally not needed. And just tell your husband to mail his own cards for his family. If it doesn’t happen, it’s not your fault. It seems that we want men to recognize us for these types of things, get all stressed out about them, when in reality, it can be as simple as just saying that it’s not my responsibility. It doesn’t seem so much a feminist issue as good communication and relationship issue with our significant other.
I no longer send all these cards. Great waste of time and money. Sorry.
Little note: Herkimer Diamonds are quartz crystal, not diamonds. I found that name quite misleading, especially as it’s used on the Net-A-Porter website where they write “Herkimer diamond” instead of “Herkimer Diamond.” The Responsible Jewellry Council deals with supply and trade of real diamonds, and little has little or nothing to do with Herkimer diamonds.
Good tip, thanks.
Hi, if you are interested in “Herkimer diamond” jewelry, I wanted to share that I recently purchased a pair of studs and necklace at Saressa Designs. Simple, pretty, and within my budget.
Studs: Accepting pre-orders (mine shipped in about 4 weeks) https://www.saressadesigns.com/products/herkimer-diamond-studs-a-collaboration-w-the-small-things-blog
Necklace https://www.saressadesigns.com/products/refraction-hexagon-necklace-herkimer-diamond
p.s. I am not affiliated with Saressa Designs–I am a happy customer.