Présentation

Voici un exemple de présentation orale à partir du document A.

To me, the document that best illustrates the notion of public versus private sphere is the first. It is a cartoon drawn by David Sipress and published in the New Yorker in 2017.

Working in an office or a study?

First, let's see how this cartoon illustrates a specific way of working: teleworking.

At first sight, the man who is working behind a computer screen seems to be in an office building: papers are scattered on the floor, a cork board hangs behind him… We can immediately grasp that what is at stake here is professional. No element whatsoever testifies that this scene is set somewhere other than in an office.

Yet, thanks to the woman who is standing at the door, and the caption we can understand that somehow we were wrong, and that the scene actually takes place in the man's house. The man is tele­working, that is to say that he works from his home.

The advantages of teleworking

Indeed, teleworking is a practice that has developed recently, and offers a number of advantages.

Although some employers are still reluctant to have their employees telework it has become common practice in a lot of countries. Globally, it reduces absenteeism, tensions between employees and the costs of having someone on the spot. And the Covid crisis has facilitated the development of this practice which has become the new norm for many people.

Teleworking also has advantages for workers, as their work becomes more flexible. They spend less time commuting and theoretically have more time to spend with their families, hence a better quality of life.

The drawbacks of teleworking

In spite of this, teleworking also has undeniable drawbacks.

Indeed, we come to grasp how this interferes with someone's private life, it is not always so. Very often, as this cartoon illustrates, the worker's private life can't be distinct from their job because the boundaries are blurred. Because this way of working makes you available to your boss at any time, and because you can't just close the door and move on to something else.

Therefore, unlike the promises granted by teleworking, this method often leads to more stress and tensions within the family, which is in a way very paradoxical.

Conclusion

To put it in a nutshell, teleworking seems to be the epitome of how public and private life can blend nowadays, which leads us to wonder if this is a desirable form of evolution.

Entretien

Voici quelques questions que l'examinateur pourrait vous poser.

▶ You seem to be critical of teleworking. Would you refuse a job if you had to telework?

Honestly, I don't think this is a sufficient reason to refuse a job. But if I had the choice, I'd rather go to work than stay at home – provided I didn't work too far from home of course. At any rate, I think it is crucial to have social interactions with colleagues and real people. I don't think staying at home all the time is healthy.

▶ What role should the family play if one of its members has to telework?

Well, obviously, I guess everyone should try to let this person work at peace. It's easier when the flat or the house is big, but not so when it is small and you have to be careful and make no noise all day long… Now that I think of it, the family may also help by encouraging the worker to put limits, and not mix the private and the public sphere.