For my final topic, I decided to further explore women’s role in the workplace. It is a matter that clearly affects me first-hand, being a female; and I find the topic particularly interesting and relevant. Women have made tremendous progress in the last 100 years; including the right to vote around 1920, wives no longer being viewed as “possessions” of their husbands, and particularly, their role in the professional workforce. I was increasingly captivated with this subject after reading excerpts from Lean In, a book published in 2013 by Sheryl Sandberg; chief operating officer of Facebook, one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, and one of Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. In her book, she shares her personal
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They highlight one 2014 news conference in which President Obama called on eight reporters – all eight being female. The result? “It made headlines worldwide. Had a politician given only men a chance to ask questions, it would not have been news; it would have been a regular day”. They also note in the workplace, “male executives who spoke more often than their peers were rewarded with 10% higher ratings of competence. When female executives spoke more than their peers, both men and women punished them with 14% lower ratings”. Therefore, women fear that if they talk too much or simply voice their opinions, they will be disliked and receive criticism (even if males are doing the same and being viewed as helpful!!). One interesting aspect I noted was why women were criticizing other women, rather than supporting them. Most women, by nature, are competitive. We constantly compete with each other over physical appearances, wardrobes, social status, grades, boys, jobs, etc. On October 31, 2015, Emily Gordon published an article in the New York Times explaining why this female to female competition exists. She focused on two theories – evolutionary psychology and feminist psychology. Evolutionary psychology “uses natural selection to explain our modern …show more content…
Here, women shared experiences of their interpersonal challenges; focusing on the usage of micro-aggressions. Women are constantly being told they are “too emotional” or to “act more lady-like”. Often times people make these comments unintentionally, but they do have real consequences. If a woman hears these subtle comments frequently, it could potentially change her behaviors and even effect her mental health. After hearing many stories of women that were degraded for sharing their interest in becoming married or having kids one day, the presenters shared positive strategies to effectively navigate these situations. Many of these recommendations were similar to ideas stated in the first session; including to find a mentor, believe in yourself and to be confident, and to speak up. However, new perspectives were also discussed. I learned about how important it is to work for people who value and respect you, and to make time for team building
They highlight one 2014 news conference in which President Obama called on eight reporters – all eight being female. The result? “It made headlines worldwide. Had a politician given only men a chance to ask questions, it would not have been news; it would have been a regular day”. They also note in the workplace, “male executives who spoke more often than their peers were rewarded with 10% higher ratings of competence. When female executives spoke more than their peers, both men and women punished them with 14% lower ratings”. Therefore, women fear that if they talk too much or simply voice their opinions, they will be disliked and receive criticism (even if males are doing the same and being viewed as helpful!!). One interesting aspect I noted was why women were criticizing other women, rather than supporting them. Most women, by nature, are competitive. We constantly compete with each other over physical appearances, wardrobes, social status, grades, boys, jobs, etc. On October 31, 2015, Emily Gordon published an article in the New York Times explaining why this female to female competition exists. She focused on two theories – evolutionary psychology and feminist psychology. Evolutionary psychology “uses natural selection to explain our modern …show more content…
Here, women shared experiences of their interpersonal challenges; focusing on the usage of micro-aggressions. Women are constantly being told they are “too emotional” or to “act more lady-like”. Often times people make these comments unintentionally, but they do have real consequences. If a woman hears these subtle comments frequently, it could potentially change her behaviors and even effect her mental health. After hearing many stories of women that were degraded for sharing their interest in becoming married or having kids one day, the presenters shared positive strategies to effectively navigate these situations. Many of these recommendations were similar to ideas stated in the first session; including to find a mentor, believe in yourself and to be confident, and to speak up. However, new perspectives were also discussed. I learned about how important it is to work for people who value and respect you, and to make time for team building