I came across this interesting TED
Talk about why there are not more women in higher up positions. The speaker, Sheryl Sandberg,
acknowledged that women have made huge strides since the days of yore when
women were denied basic human rights.
Despite this progress however, there is still only a small percentage of
women in top positions whether it be in politics or corporations. But WHY?
On January 28 we touched briefly
on Critical Feminist Theory which takes a holistic approach in analyzing the
role of women in contemporary society.
In her 14-minute talk, Sandberg looks at how women have historically
viewed their role in achieving success. In
trying to balance their professional and personal lives, women may face obstacles that men don’t necessarily have to. Two
of the most striking things from this talk were 1) that women underestimate
their own abilities; whereas men attribute their success to themselves, women
usually attribute their success to outside factors (start watching around the 5:00
mark in the video); and 2) that success and likability are positively
correlated for men, but negatively for women (7:00 mark). Sandberg brings up a
fascinating case study about simply changing an applicant’s name from Heidi to
Howard. Despite the same credentials,
Howard was deemed more pleasant to work with on paper based simply on his gender.
I found these two things the most arresting
because, as a woman, I can relate to them. I’ve never
been able to pinpoint these factors or skillfully articulate why men still hold
a majority of top-ranked jobs. We can
look at theory all year, but these simple observations helped me make sense of
this issue in a way that I can relate to and eventually partake in.
Ultimately Sandberg looks at ways
to combat this discrimination, but for me, this video was simply a way to
reflect on my own mannerisms and ideologies as I get ready to compete for jobs
in the real world. However, it does place the
responsibility of inclusion on the shoulders of women which may be seen as
contentious by some. Do you agree with
Sandberg’s comments and solutions?
Great talk to share Maggie! I really enjoyed it and agree with this woman. In my own life I have felt that I constantly have to fight and prove myself and my abilities in my career and in my hobbies, even though the men I work and climb with don't feel the same competition for position with me. We all know that I'm film and tv production person, and that I do a lot of climbing & mountaineering. Both areas of my life are male dominated, and always have been. When a woman, like myself, steps up to the plate with the motivation, skills, and capabilities to be great at either thing, she stands out right. Well I think in a way this has created in me a mindset that I'm an exception - that not everyone can do what I do, and that I have to continually work harder and harder to maintain my position. And I wish that weren't the case because I often find myself doubting what I can do, relying on males only to be on my team or crew because they're more qualified, and looking for vocal recognition from my colleagues on my successes. I'm certainly a leader in my positions but I still sometimes feel inferior.
ReplyDeleteI have a great boss who I work film festivals with who leans on me all the time for advice, leadership, insight etc. I'm his only female employee among 12 other men. For one I have the tech knowledge to build and operate the equipment and also.. oddly enough.. because a lot of manual labor is involved with moving and building equipment and not many females have the strength. So its great to be held so highly in his company and in his mind, but at the same time being surrounded by so many men I often isolate myself. Especially when we're out in the field and many people come up to me, men and women, and tell me how cool it is that a girl can do this work. And how strong I must be to be able to keep up with these men. And my favorite is when men come up to me and ask, can I help you with this equipment? But they never ask the men of my crew.
Thankfully my boss, his name is Dave, is insistent on making me the leader and looking to me to guide everyone else because I think he recognizes my capabilities more then I do, and doesn't give a second thought to me being the only female.
To me the solution is really we need to find ways to exercise our mindsets and move past the idea that we're the exception to the rule when we excel in a certain field. Woman can understand wires and decks and computers and like star wars and lift heavy boxes etc. And we can speak up in politics and business. I work a lot about empowering women in other countries and what I've realized myself is what empowered actually means - it means a belief that you recognize an ability within yourself - and you stay true to yourself, your family, and God because at the end of the day those three areas are what matter the most and those are the relationships that create you and build you up. (a wise Nepali woman told me that)
I think women naturally understand better that no one achieves great success without the support of others. But we shouldn't then dumb down our own part in that success. So although we should continue to recognize the positive influences in our life, but also recognize the immense capabilities within ourselves.
Thanks for sharing Maggie - I have been following Sheryl Sandberg's admirable career for some time now, as well as the recent release of her novel "Lean In." I read a recent piece by Ariana Huffington of the Huffington Post where she discusses the book. In it she states, "For me, the most interesting is the one about the nature of the world women are leaning into. This is a great moment for all of us—women and men—to acknowledge that the current male-dominated model of success isn’t working for women, and it’s not working for men, either."
ReplyDeleteShe then goes into how, despite the fact that for the first time in history, we have more college educated women than men in our country, women still struggle in the workplace: with stress, with work-life balance, with various other barriers. What's interesting is that Sandberg does not simply discuss the outer barriers that women face in the workplace today, but also the iNNER ones - self doubt, lack of confidence, and lack of comfort in a male dominated workforce. I believe this is a big part of women's struggle in the workplace - that even outside the political and social structure issues related to women's role as leaders, women struggle within THEMSELVES to believe in their own capabilities. It is certainly something to keep in mind as women read this book and learn more about what lies within their own identities, as something to learn from in order to continue on a path of success and leadership in the world today.