#unc libraries

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UNC Libraries. Books in Wilson Library, by Mark B. Perry, Jr. 

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Q: Where have all the good memes gone?

A:

They’re out there, you just have to believe! And maybe do some good faith hunting for more obscure ones.

All memes go through a life-cycle. How quickly they go through them however, is dependant upon the meme’s popularity and how widespread it becomes. Patrick Davidson, in “The Language of Internet Memes,” a chapter in The Social Media Reader (2014), defines an Internet meme as a “piece of culture, typically a joke, which gains influence through online transmission,” such as social media.

This, of course, is helped along by Internet culture and sites such as Tumblr, Facebook, and Omegle. These sites often take memes and “run with it,” turning the image or GIF into almost a joke of itself at its peak popularity. The constant cycle of memes being selected, adjusted, and reposted, allows for many iterations of the original meme, with the original intent usually lost. A sign of the downfall of a meme is when it over-saturates social media, to the point where even your grandparents are sharing it on Facebook (think of all the Minion memes - they couldn’t be escaped).

Sometimes corporations, such as Arby’s or Chili’s will try to “cash in” on meme culture to appear hip and cool. The most notable one of these is Denny’s, a 24-hour breakfast restaurant. Through their tumblr, they are an “early adopter of the corporatization of memes,” and have since built a legacy around their usage of social media.

The lifecycle can be long or short. In the instance of the “Harlem Shake” phenomenon from 2013. Everywhere you looked on YouTube, there was a “Harlem Shake” video; perhaps you even participated in one! You might have thought the trend died rather quickly after it shot to fame, but it actually is still going, as evidenced in this article from 2014. Since the meme is “always...new to someone,” it will continue to evolve and thrive online, even in the quiet corners of the Internet.

We now turn to Tumblr, a hotbed of meme activity. The intensity of meme-fans vary here, from a passing “like,” to entire blogs dedicated to tracking the histories of individual memes, from their first inception to when and where they spread to. One Tumblr user however, has figured out the lifecycle of a meme, based on their own experiences. Originally six steps, other people have added on to make it eight steps (at last count). Starting with Birth, the meme then goes through a rise in popularity, peaking at Stage Four: Oh Lord It’s Everywhere, before being used ironically, and eventually dying off; in rare cases, it could become a Vintage Meme.

So when you miss a meme, bring it back yourself! Or, wait long enough and it’s sure to make a comeback as tales of old.

References:

(n.d.). Denny’s Blog. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://blog.dennys.com/

(n.d.). Meme Archives. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://memearchives.tumblr.com/origins2013

(2015, July 15). Meme Documentation. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://memedocumentation.tumblr.com/post/124203616590/margotkim-tedathon-margotkim-ah-i-see

(n.d.). Meme Documentation. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://memedocumentation.tumblr.com/tagged/memes+explained

(2016, October 8). Themysticdreambouquet. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://themysticdreambouquet.tumblr.com/post/151540756154/the-life-cycle-of-a-meme

Davison, P. (2012). The language of internet memes. In M. Mandiberg (Eds.), The Social Media Reader. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uncch/reader.action?ppg=131&docID=10535662&tm=1490127372994

Dewey, C. (2014). What makes some internet memes immortal. Washington: WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1623136801?accountid=14244

Rankin, S. (2017, February 7). After 11 Long Years, Chili’s Finally Forgave The Office’s Pam Halpert. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.eonline.com/news/827456/after-11-long-years-chili-s-finally-forgave-the-office-s-pam-halpert

Shugarts, A. (2013). Survival of the fittest: An examination of the high park fire news meme lifecycle on news organizations' facebook and web pages. Retrieved from http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1413313931?accountid=14244

Image References:

Harlem Shake GIF. Digital image. GIPHY. https://giphy.com/gifs/harlem-shake-ENfPkrr3m1o1G

I Want to Believe GIF. Digital image. GIPHY. https://giphy.com/gifs/i-want-to-believe-Hv4gRoRw2MmjK

Justin Gammon GIF. Digital image. GIPHY. https://giphy.com/gifs/lol-halloween-wtf-l2JhLtBeXBa3hOq64

Written by Brenna Edwards

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How do dogs know that other dogs are dogs too?

With so many varieties of dogs, how is it possible that they can recognize each other? What is keeping a Golden Retriever from chasing after a Toy Yorkshire Terrier with the same fervor with which they seek out squirrels? With over 340 dog breeds recognized worldwide, and 192 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, there are many varieties of dogs— not to mention our loveable friends who don’t fit into any breed category! Dogs also have the greatest variability of appearance out of any domesticated animals, ranging in weight from 2 pounds to over 200 pounds, and in height from 4 inches to 48 inches. Despite these great differences, studies have shown that they can in fact tell dogs apart from other animals!

There has actually been considerable research into dog cognition and vision, which relates to whether or not they would be able to recognize another of their species. Some findings have proven that different types of dogs perform better on certain visual tasks than others. For example, some dogs are better able to perceive their surroundings depending on eye placement or nose length. A sight-hound, such as a Greyhound or Borzoi, might have far better distance vision than a Pug. Dogs were historically bred for different purposes, so it makes sense that some are better at seeing or smelling, based on what they were bred to do. Regardless of how well they see, scientists have found that dogs can visually differentiate dogs from other animals and species!

In a recent study, scientists took nine dogs and trained them using a clicker and treat rewards in an attempt to determine whether dogs had the capacity of species determination despite how much breeds varied. The nine dogs are pictured below (tag yourself, I’m Bag):

In that study, dogs looked at images on a side-by-side computer display. The dog’s face was next to another creature, which included wild cats, sheep, goats, cows, birds, reptiles, and humans. They did not use wolves or foxes, as even humans have trouble differentiating those species from dogs. They also made sure to include purebred and mixed-bred dogs, as well as dogs from different morphological groups. The researchers compiled 3,000 images of dogs and 3,000 images of non-dogs to use. They used different angles, as well, which can be seen in the image below:

In the study, the dogs consistently were able to pick out the dog over another species. Some of them, like Babel, Bag, Cyane, and Vodka, were able to select dogs very quickly, while Bahia and Cusco were slower. The scientists concluded, however, that different factors could impact the speed with which dogs identified other dogs. Despite the appearances in the images, all dogs were able to distinguish dogs on visuals alone! So while we don’t know how this works, we do have very good proof that dogs can tell other dogs are dogs too by how they look.

No matter the dog, one thing is clear: all doggos are good doggos.

Works Cited

Autier-Dérian, D., Deputte, B.L., Chalvet-Monfray, K. et al. (2013).  Visual discrimination of species in dogs (Canis familiaris). Animal Cognition. 16(4). 637-651. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-013-0600-8

Byosiere, SE., Chouinard, P.A., Howell, T.J. et al. (2018). What do dogs (Canis familiaris) see? A review of vision in dogs and implications for cognition research

Psychonomic Bulletin Review. 25(5). 1798-1913. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-017-1404-7

Claiborne Ray, C. (2016, Feb. 15). How does one dog recognize another as a dog? The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/16/science/how-does-one-dog-recognize-another-as-a-dog.html

Coren, S. (2013, Oct. 8). Do dogs know the difference between dogs and other animals? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201310/do-dogs-know-the-difference-between-dogs-and-other-animals

Hecht, J. (2015, Dec. 29). Do dogs know other dogs are dogs? Scientific American. Retrieved from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/dog-spies/do-dogs-know-other-dogs-are-dogs/

NA. (N.D.) Dog Breeds. American Kennel Club. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/page/23/

GIFs and Images

https://giphy.com/gifs/guide-gets-meet-OjknAbFT4X2b6

https://giphy.com/gifs/cage-helps-shepherd-10UGblPjc1Q7Mk

https://giphy.com/gifs/animals-being-jerks-9iiGPmnKa2GZ2

https://media.springernature.com/original/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs10071-013-0600-8/MediaObjects/10071_2013_600_Fig1_HTML.jpg

https://media.springernature.com/original/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs10071-013-0600-8/MediaObjects/10071_2013_600_Fig2_HTML.jpg

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Is it cultural appropriation to have Chinese characters tattooed on your body?

People typically get tattoos for one of two reasons: 1) for the aesthetics, a.k.a. how it will look or 2) because the image or phrase has a significant meaning to the person. The frequently asked question of “what does your tattoo mean?” has become a joke within the tattoo community and members of said community often defend one’s right to get a tattoo without it having a greater meaning. However, this choice does become more complex when it comes to individuals getting tattoos that borrow images or phrases from cultures or identities that they themselves do not belong to.

There is an ongoing debate in the tattoo community, and society at large, about whether or not getting tattoos that borrow from other cultures counts as cultural appropriation or if it’s just a form of appreciation. Some argue that tattooing has a long history of cultural borrowing and the new outrage around culturally appropriative tattoos is a result of a hypersensitive, “social justice warrior” social climate. There is the more practical stance of why would you want to get a tattoo that represents a culture, language, or concept that you yourself don’t understand or have any ties to. The practice of translating character tattoos from Asian languages, most often Chinese and Japanese, has actually become a popular meme online and the subject of blogs and articles. It points out the absurdity of people getting Chinese or Japanese character tattoos for the aesthetic and being led to believe their tattoo means something like “strength” or “peace” when in fact it says something random or non-sensical like “swift-dumb.” Most notably as of late, pop star Ariana Grande got a Japanese character tattooed on her hand thinking it said “7 Rings,” the name of one of her songs, but it actually translates to “barbecue grill.”

In light of these new conversations around the appropriative nature of tattoos using images and concepts from non-Western cultures, some individuals have even gone so far as to have tattoos covered or removed out of shame and a desire to acknowledge the damaging effects of colonialism.

Overall, there’s no definitive stance on whether or not tattoos inspired by aspects of non-Western culture become cultural appropriation when they are tattooed on individuals that do not belong to those cultures or identities. The best approach is to do your research, consider the potential long term consequences of the tattoo such as how its meaning may change or carry different weight over time as social climates change, and, if nothing else, double check the meaning of your desired tattoo if it’s in a language that you yourself don’t understand.

Sources:

Wolfe, Liz. “Your Tattoos Are Problematic.” Reason, Reason Foundation, Mar. 2018, https://reason.com/archives/2018/02/24/your-tattoos-are-problematic.

Christensen, Wendy. “Lost in Translation: Tattoos and Cultural Appropriation.” The Society Pages, The Society Pages, 13 Apr. 2012, https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/04/13/lost-in-translation-tattoos-and-cultural-appropriation/.

Tian. Hanzi Smatter, Blogger, http://hanzismatter.blogspot.com/. Accessed 3 Apr. 2019.

Hall, Ellie, and Kevin Tang. “34 Ridiculous Chinese Character Tattoos Translated.” BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed, Inc, 2 Aug. 2013, https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/ridiculous-chinese-character-tattoos-translated.

Maicki, Salvatore. “Ariana Grande’s New Japanese Tattoo Translates to ‘Barbecue Grill.’” The Fader, The Fader, Inc., 30 Jan. 2019, https://www.thefader.com/2019/01/30/ariana-grande-japanese-tattoo-translation-7-rings-bbq-grill.

Demone, Courtney. “What Do You Do with a Culturally Appropriative Tattoo?” Mashable, Mashable, Inc., 12 Mar. 2016, https://mashable.com/2016/03/12/tattoo-cultural-appropriation/#S2_dIheCXgqG.

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How was homosexuality treated in medieval times?

There is no denying that there have always been LGBTQ folks throughout history. But to understand the answer to this question we have to define the time period of the Middle Ages and understand how same-sex relations were viewed before the Middle Ages. For the purposes of this question, I am going to go with Britannica’s definition of the Middle Ages and say it was the period of 500 AD to 1400 AD.

During Greco-Roman times same-sex relations were not uncommon and it should be noted that the same-sex relations were not always consensual. Many Greco-Roman conquerors would take the people they conquered as slaves and use both genders as concubines. How people acted as a married couple was different too. Many men had lovers outside of their marriage and sometimes these lovers were men. It was different for most women of the time. They were not able to participate in outside relations like men for the most part, because at that time women were still considered to be the property of men.

With a base understanding of what same-sex relations were like before the Medieval Times, we can now understand how LGBTQ people were treated during the Medieval Times. The simplest answer to who people were treated is it depended on a couple of factors. It depended on where they lived. It depended on if it was two men together or two women together. It even depends on the specific years during the Medieval Ages one looks. Furthermore, there wasn’t a concept of “homosexuality” or “heterosexuality” during the Medieval Ages. Sexuality was more viewed as is it “normal” sexual behavior and “not-normal” sexual behavior. The group deciding what was “normal” was none other than the Christian Church at that time.

Loving a person of the same gender during the Middle Ages fell under the category of sodomy. Sodomy at this time meant any sexual act that wasn’t “normal.” Normal in this context meant any sex that did not result in procreation. Sodomy of heteronormative sexual acts usually resulted in much less persecution than acts that were between two people of the same gender. The Church also didn’t really persecute sodomy until the early thirteenth century, so 1200 AD. For the beginning of the Medieval Ages, it was similar to how it was in Greco-Roman times. People really didn’t get mad or persecuting LGBTQ folks unless it was at a more individual level because it was inferring with their marriage or something like that.

However, like stated earlier around 1200 AD the Church decided to start persecuting LGBT folks under the banner of sodomy. Historians speculate that this started happening because of societal changes reflecting the rejection of the other, though it is hard to say because historians can only speculate. The Medieval punishments for LGBTQ folks were swift, often without trial, and more often than not deadly. This was often the fate of LGBTQ folks during the 1200 AD - 1400 AD, at the end of the Medieval Ages. This persecution continued well past the Middle Ages in various forms always as destructive to the health and well-being of LGBTQ people if not as deadly. We can even see echoes of this choice in today's society, and how certain subgroups of people treat LGBTQ folks with contempt and hate.

I want to make sure that I say that we at the UNC library system are accepting of all people. It doesn’t matter what race, religion, sexuality, gender expression, or culture you are. We accept you and are committed to helping you in whatever way we can.

SOURCES:

(2018). Middle Ages HISTORICAL ERA. Retrieved October 8, 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Middle-Ages 

Boswell, J. (1994). Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe. New York, NY: Villard Books.  

Karras, R. M. (2012). Sexuality In Medieval Europe: Doing Unto Others. New York, NY: Routledge.

Halsall, P. (1988). The Experience of Homosexuality in the Middle Ages. Retrieved October 8, 2018, from https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/pwh/gaymidages.asp

IMAGES

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Rm5qBsyHea8/hqdefault.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OU9gW7W3rlg/SWLng7lGB-I/AAAAAAAAGVo/Ba4sGecv_nI/s320/MiddleAges.jpg

by Meg McMahon

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What is the science behind "liking" something? For example, why do some people like the color yellow while others do not?

Though we often see it as a passive activity, “liking” things and building preferences is a way of processing and organizing information. In an article from the Atlantic, American journalist Tom Vanderbuilt proposes that our sense of taste emerged in early human societies as more than one food source became available and humans were suddenly faced with choice amidst sheer survival. As the options before us have continued to multiply from food in grocery stores, to playlists and albums on streaming platforms and of course posts, tweets, and statuses, our sense of taste helps guide us and narrow in on what really sparks our interest and attention.

More often than not, taste and preference is guided by the familiar. We’re drawn to what we know and have an inherent ability to understand. And though we experience periods where we grow tired of the familiar and go in search of new foods to try and different genres to listen to, we tend to return to what we know or our “new” interests become our familiar. This correlation between familiarity and positive reception actually influences and is evidenced by the use of exposure therapy to treat phobias.

Yale psychologist Paul Bloom points out that what we like is not always guided simply by how we experience something, but also by what we believe that thing to be. For example, you may like or gain pleasure from seeing a movie because you heard it received good reviews and was considered quality cinema rather than like it because of your personal reaction to its storyline, cinematography, etc.  

Relatedly, context also helps determine why or how or when we “like” something. You could like the color yellow when it comes to decor or wildlife, but dislike it in clothing. The context of our initial exposure to a concept or item also has the potential to influence our preference or dislike for it. Context can affect the standards that we use to determine or rank our preferences. If you’re trying to pick a movie for the sake of passive entertainment and you’re not looking for something to introduce new concepts or to critically engage with, then you’re more inclined to “like” a wider variety of films. And when we enter spaces such as art galleries and concert venues, we’re likely to have higher expectations and standards for the items than if we were viewing them through a screen.

Speaking of screens, the act of digital liking has morphed beyond expressing preference. When it comes to “liking” things on social media, it serves a dual function of social interaction with other users and asserting your preferences and who you are. When you “like” a status, you’re not only signaling that that you like the content of the status, but that you like the person who posted the status and that you want them to know that you saw it.

Since it is influenced by so many changing or unchanging factors, it will always be difficult to pin down exactly why we like what we like. But personal reflection can be a helpful process in evaluating how our upbringing, cultural exposure, and inherent privileges may influence or limit our preferences, for better or for worse.

References

Beck, J. (2016, May 16). The Complex Psychology of Why People Like Things. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/05/the-complex-psychology-of-why-people-like-things/482196/

Flatow, I. (2010, July 23). Why Do We Like What We Like? [Radio Transcript]. Talk of the Nation. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128721732

Graf, L. K. M., & Landwehr, J. R. (2015). A Dual-Process Perspective on Fluency- Based Aesthetics: The Pleasure-Interest Model of Aesthetic Liking. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 19(4). Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/doi/full/10.1177/1088868315574978

de Zilva, D., Newell, B. R., & Mitchell, C. J. (2016). Multiple context mere exposure: Examining the limits of liking. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 69(3). Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/doi/10.1080/17470218.2015.1057188

Patel, N. (2015, August 12). The Psychology Of Liking On Facebook. Retrieved September 16, 2018, from https://marketingland.com/psychology-liking-facebook-135599

Images

Dumb and Dumber Yes GIF. Retrieved from: https://media.giphy.com/media/Xh1vgIUkJbPKo/giphy.gif

This Pleases Me Loki GIF. Retrieved from: https://media1.tenor.com/images/303f79eab453fb878193cdff4b969a8b/tenor.gif?itemid=5152402

Facebook ‘Like’ GIF. Retrieved from: http://digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/16/22/480x240/landscape-1464793292-facebook-like-gif.gif.

Written by Macy Ferguson

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What is the origin of the academic degree?

Many would think that the origin of the academic degree would come from the oldest university in the world, but that is not the case. The world’s very first university, University of Al Quaraouiyine was founded in 859 by Fatima Al-Fihri, a daughter of a wealthy merchant at the time.

While the university focused on prayer and education it didn’t start granting degrees until much later, after Medieval Universities started granting degrees. This is slightly ironic considering most scholars believe Medieval Universities created during the 10th-13th century were based on the University of Al Quaraouiyine.

Historically there were three very familiar degree types. In the 12th century universities started granting the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. One key difference is that of this time is that the doctorate degree was not above a master’s degree, they were both on the same level.

The question is then, how did someone get a bachelors or masters/doctorate degree? After studying three or four years of trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) a student would be presented with an exam from their masters (what professors where called at the time). If the student passed they would receive a bachelor’s degree. Fun fact: the very first bachelor’s degree was given out at Paris in 1231.

Then after completing that degree students wanting more would study quadrivium, which was four years of music, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, among other things. Students who finished studying quadrivium would be either given a doctorate or a master’s degree. Someone who studied arts and grammar was granted a masters and someone who studied law, medicine, or theology was given a doctorate. Once given a master’s degree or a doctorate degree the student would be admitted into the guild of “Master of Arts” and would be able to teach at a university.

Side Note: It was around this time that students and faculty started wearing costumes that identified them as part of the academic community. It was a tradition that still is carried out to this day. Today, we see academic garb during important school events like convocation and graduation.

As time went on the masters and doctorate degree started to mean different things, much more akin to what we see today. A master’s degree became linked to the arts of grammar, which one had to get before getting a doctorate degree that focused on something like theology, medicine, or law.  

From that point it morphed into what we know today. The sequence goes: bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate. Though today, unlike the past, someone can get a doctorate in something different than theology, medicine, or law or a master’s in something different than the arts of grammar.

At least whatever degree you are pursuing, you know will be able to dress up in a costume to celebrate it.

Reference

Academic Apparel. (2007) History of Academic Degrees. Retrieved from: http://www.academicapparel.com/caps/History-Academic-Degrees.html

Academic Apparel. (2007). History of College Education. Retrieved from: http://www.academicapparel.com/caps/History-College-Education.html

High Priority Targeting, Inc. (2012). Degree Explanations. Retrieved from: http://www.hitechcj.com/criminal-justice-degree-online/degree_explanations.html

K12 Academics. (2018). Academic Degree. Retrieved from: https://www.k12academics.com/higher-education/academic-degree#.U75_Eo1_v20

Lockmiller. D. (1969). Scholars On Parade: Colleges, Universities, Costumes and Degrees. [Macmillian Company Version] Retrieved From: https://ia801901.us.archive.org/6/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.112061/2015.112061.Scholars-On-Parade.pdf

Images 

Run the World GIF. Retrieved from: https://giphy.com/gifs/beyonce-girls-HLrWXhKzIgwM0

Back to School College GIF. Retrieved from: https://giphy.com/gifs/rodneydangerfield-rodney-dangerfield-l4HoeVtb6LMTRfJII

Graduation Fail GIF. Retrieved from: https://giphy.com/gifs/fail-flips-graduation-BfcNk5h20pdte

Written by Meg McMahon

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Why isn’t paid maternity leave mandated?

Paid maternity leave is not mandated on a federal level in the United States, despite a growing push from Americans. Making paid family leave a law depends on the federal government’s willingness to invest in social policy. Only a handful of countries do not mandate paid maternity leave. The Family Leave and Medical Act, the nation’s single federal law for family leave, offers 12 weeks of unpaid leave to new parents or those taking care of a sick relative. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that only 13 percent of civilian workers had access to paid leave in 2016. In comparison to other developed countries, the United States gives employees paid leave depending on the benefits offered by their workplaces, rather than making it a guarantee.

As more Republican lawmakers throw their support behind the policy, consensus still needs to happen on a national level. A proposal from Senator Marco Rubio offers citizens to take out Social Security funds for a new birth or adoption. However, they would have to defer retirement payments later, which would severely limit the country’s current support of the aging population. Across the aisle, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has proposed the FAMILY Act, which would guarantee at least two thirds pay for 12 weeks of leave. The exceptions to this law are freelancers and people who work at a company of fewer than 50 employees. Currently, 82 countries offer 14 weeks or fewer for paid family leave. While there are many proposals for how the United States could mandate this policy, American lawmakers disagree over how to fund it.

So far, five states and several cities have paid family leave policies, including the District of Columbia. At least one in every three companies offers paid maternity leave to employees. The use and benefits of each company or government policy can vary greatly. For example, Starbucks offers 12 weeks of paid leave to its corporate employees and 6 weeks to its baristas and managers. Six percent of low-income employees have access to paid leave altogether (bloomberg). Within the same company or organization, access to paid leave can depend on the employee’s rank and salary. In contrast, local and state family leave policies for government workers do not vary depending on income.

Federal policies for paid family leave look different for each country and depend on the country’s overall investment in social policy. Let’s take a look at a few. In France, new parents receive 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave. Compared to other European nations, France also spends the most on social policy. This month, Macron pledged to make cuts to this spending and reform the nation’s welfare state. The United Kingdom offers 39 weeks of paid leave with some stipulations. For the first 6 weeks, new parents receive 90 percent of their pay. After that, families receive 138 pounds per week or 90 percent of their average weekly pay, depending on which value is lower. These conditions fall in line with the UK’s increasingly diminished welfare system. Compared to both France and the UK, Denmark offers a far more comprehensive policy in which parents can take off up to a year of leave. Mothers receive 18 weeks of fully paid leave, while fathers receive 2 weeks. Parents then have to decide how to manage the remaining partial paid leave. Its welfare state is similar to other Scandinavian countries. However, the number of female top executives in Denmark has risen by 5 percent in the past 20 years. One factor for this lack of female leadership is that parents do not always take parental leave even when it is offered. Additionally, a recent study found Danish women earn 20 percent less than their male counterparts. While Danish women demonstrate one of the highest rates of labor participation in the world, they still experience a socioeconomic phenomenon known as the motherhood wage penalty. Working mothers experience systemic barriers to receiving equitable pay compared to women who don’t have children. Studies have found that mothers are also perceived as less competent compared to non-mothers. In contrast, men receive a pay boost for fathering children. While it is difficult for a single policy to address these barriers, it is also important to note that paid family leave is not a panacea for the gender wage gap and the challenges of being a working mother.

References

(2015, November 18). Maternity Leaves Around The World: Worst And Best Countries For Paid Maternity Leave . Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/22/maternity-leaves-around-the-world_n_1536120.html

(2016, November 4). 13 percent of private industry workers had access to paid family leave in March 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2018, from https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/13-percent-of-private-industry-workers-had-access-to-paid-family-leave-in-march-2016.htm

Budig, M., & England, P. (2001). The Wage Penalty for Motherhood. American Sociological Review, 66(2), 204-225. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2657415

Burton, T. (2018, July 19). Christians are calling for better family leave policies. That wasn’t always the case. Retrieved July 20, 2018, from https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/7/19/17576310/christian-family-leave-child-care-ivanka-gillibrand-senate

Cain Miller, C. (2014, September 6). The Motherhood Penalty vs. the Fatherhood Bonus. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/upshot/a-child-helps-your-career-if-youre-a-man.html

Correll, S. J., Benard, S., & Paik, I. (2007). Getting a job: Is there a motherhood penalty?American Journal of Sociology, 112(5), 1297-1338. doi:10.1086/511799

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Images

Pregnant Dance - SNL GIF [Digital Image] Retrieved from https://tenor.com/view/snl-saturday-night-live-pregnant-amy-poehler-belly-gif-4480029

Pregnant Beyonce Gif [Digital Image] Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/beyonce-babies-twins-l4lRtYQCc81Dbo42A

PREGNANT ALI WONG GIF BY NETFLIX [Digital Image] Retrieved from https://gph.is/2byMBLE

Excited Saturday Night Live Gif [Digital Image] Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/funny-dance-qdgV0s2gm7QY0

Written by Devon Waugh