From the following list of claims select the ones you find most controversial. Then try to defend or reject each claim. Can you give examples to support any of the claims?

1. It’s nonsense to claim that men and women are equal and have the same abilities to work.

2. Individual success at finding viable employment is more dependent on individual effort.

3. Money is the most important factor in choosing a career.

3. Some jobs do require a certain type of appearance.

4. For Russians, unemployment is the most important issue.

5. Unequal pay is wrong. Women should be paid as much as men for the same work.

6. Women’s job is to get married and to have children.

7. ‘A beauty lives an easier life’ (a saying which means, among other things, that attractive women have more chances to achieve professional success than less attractive ones).

8. There shouldn’t be more women in top managerial positions.

9. Work is a waste of time.

10. For people to be happy, they must have a balance between work and play (зд. досуг).

DISCUSSION POINTS

1. There are many factors you might consider preparing yourself for some career or looking for a job. Some people become doctors or lawyers, because these careers can offer them high income and high social status. Others think money is one of the most important factors. Some people regard personal satisfaction as the most significant thing in their future careers. Which of the following -being your own boss, high income, self- fulfillment, future prospects, flexible hours– is more important for you? Select three items and rank them in order of importance. Give reasons for your choice.

2. Which of the following occupations - doctor - farm-worker - policeman - lawyer - teacher- reporter - is the most important in your opinion? Which of them do you think earns more? Which of them do you think should earn more?

3. Young people are more career-minded nowadays than ever. But a tense competition makes it more and more difficult for them to achieve success. Look at the list of qualities below. Which of the qualities -ambition, ruthlessness, enthusiasm, energy, flexibility, physical attractiveness, intelligence, ability to work hard, sociability - do you think are important for making a career? Why?

4. Some employment practices are not ‘fair’. Discuss with your partners ‘unfair’ recruitment practices in Russia. Give 3-4 examples. Here's one point for you to start: You can’t find a job if you don't have the so-called ‘domicile registration’ (прописка по месту жительства).

5. There are certain people who are addicted to their work. These people are known as ‘workaholics’. Very often they have their own firms or companies. People say that they are ‘married’ to their businesses. They often say things like ‘time is money’ and ‘business before pleasure’. They are usually successful in their careers, but they often have dull personalities and are not fun to be with. Do you think it is necessary for a person to like his job to be happy? Can workaholics be really happy? Why or why not?

6. What do you think you are prepared to do as a part of your job?Rank the following factors in order of acceptability: spending hours getting to and from (commuting) your work; spending a lot of time travelling abroad; moving to live in another place away from your family; working in conditions where you are physically at risk; working regularly overtime without extra pay; working without holiday and sick pay; working with a very rude and demanding boss. Give your reasons.

Are Men Superior to Women?

Here is one person’s opinion: ‘There is no denying the fact that men and women are completely different. They have their own modes of behaviour, emotional needs and attitudes to work.

Society expects men and women to fulfill different roles and it’s really a kind of paradox, and, in terms of work, women continue to be regarded as second-rate citizens. At the same time, women have succeeded in many fields. Modern women become doctors, university teachers, company directors and even presidents of countries. In Russia a lot of women run their own businesses, get top positions in banking and even become politicians. What is more, they often succeed brilliantly in all these fields in addition to raising children. Why does it happen so? Maybe because they are much more conscientious and responsible than men? Men try to guard their so-called rights. ‘Women, they say, are weak and unreliable. They depend too little on cool reasoning (здравый смысл) and too much on intuition to arrive at decisions.’

Do you agree with this opinion? Haven’t women proved repeatedly that they are equal and often superior to men in almost every field? Don’t women feel satisfaction when they achieve a goal or solve a problem? Is ‘winning a race’ less important for them than for men?