On Thu, 6 Jan 2000, Caitlyn Martin wrote:
> J B wrote:
>
> > Currently, if a woman wants to be in any field, and is of the proper
> > mindset, there is nothing that will keep her out...not sexism,
>
> Really???? You mean if a guy is sexist, doesn't take women seriously, and
> doesn't hire them for top positions, women can get in anyway? Hmmm... when did
> this happen?
I think we have to be careful about generalizing like this. Sexism is more
subtle than that, and less black-and-white.
One guy being sexist and not hiring/promoting women isn't going to be a
huge barrier, except to the women who apply to work for him. That's
clearly illegal in the US, but it won't be a major economic force.
But consider the case of the male manager who hires women for lots of
entry-level positions. In his experience, women work hard, and they'll
take less money. (After all, lots of women don't demand what they're
worth, both in interviews and in raises, but he doesn't realize that.)
Is it sexist for him not to offer $35k to a candidate who names her price
at $30k?
Or, a male manager has a positive view of women as geeks, but in his
opinion, the men who work for him are more "go-getters"--- they want the
hard projects, they're ambitious. They've been raised to be that way. Lots
of women haven't--- ambition is "unfeminine" in many cultures.
It's not surprising that this manager would promote men over women. It
could be a totally subjective opinion on his part, and he might not even
realize that it's gender-based.
He's not saying, "women don't deserve promotions," he's saying, "some of
the guys who work for me really want their careers to go somewhere." Is it
sexism when he picks males for promotion, because females haven't
expressed an interest in being given more responsibility?
as far as i can see, male behavior isn't the only cause of institutional
sexism. neither is female behavior. it's a mix.
srl
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