According to a survey conducted by The Women in Law Committee of the State Bar of California there is a subtle but ever present gender bias toward women in the legal profession. They found that 85% of women felt this bias and 2 out of 3 women felt that they were not accepted as equals by their peers. In law firms where there were more females present, there was also a greater feeling of gender fairness. Minority female lawyers felt that they were subjected to bias for both their race and gender and they called it the “double bias.” Only 55% said they would prefer to work with female lawyers and 62% did not believe they had the opportunity for advancement. Women reported experiencing a negative bias very frequently; 76% from opposing counsel, 64% from clients, 48% from superiors and 43% from peers.
Those who could not deal with these biases left the firms; reportedly 35% left for this reason and 38% stayed because they felt it would not be better anywhere else. Making this move, however, maintains the status quo and the road to equality becomes prolonged. Instead, some advice for women about the gender expectations and stereotypes could be to just leave firms that are overtly discriminatory and join one that practices diversified hiring and promoting strategies. Companies that don’t value diversity will learn that their practices are wrong and will realize it when all of the women lawyers have left to join other firms. Also firms that practice the hiring and promoting of women and minorities are often more successful than those that don’t.
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/att06.htm
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Blog 39 Organization Initiatives for a Better Future
There are many organization initiatives that need to occur before work/life can be balanced among men and women. For example moving the fight against gender issues from the individual standpoint to an organizational one can be a great solution and strategy. Sometimes taking initiative on the organizational level is what it takes to create positive change. It can be argued big companies have no interest is promoting equality because there is nothing in it for them but this is incorrect. For example, if a company strives to hire equal amounts of men and women and remove “glass ceiling” practices, this company will be viewed in a positive light for doing the right thing and these are the kinds of companies that have solidarity within the business and gain a reputation for being the best (English, 2003).
Changes at the organizational level also include responsibilities that the workplace has for providing what is best for their employees in order to get the best results. The best example of this is maternity leave. For years it was argues that issues with the home are not issues of the workplace, but now it seems impractical and ridiculous to ignore recurring aspects of the home life that will interfere with work such as pregnancy. It would be the collective effort of the employee and employer to demand and provide healthcare as a way to be a solid team who looks out for each other’s interests, not against each other (English, 2003).
It is also in everyone’s best interest to be honest with each other about their underlying attitudes. This means that if someone has an issue with someone else concerning gender issues, it is best to air it out and openly discuss the problems so they do not happen again or to reach an agreement. Issues with male versus female, dominant versus submissive personalities should not be ignored. If someone works best in their gender stereotype, let it be and visa versa. This includes beliefs about parenting. For example, if a mother wants to put in several hours a week, or very few, that is her choice and the same goes for fathers who choose to stay home and raise their children (English, 2003).
Changes at the organizational level also include responsibilities that the workplace has for providing what is best for their employees in order to get the best results. The best example of this is maternity leave. For years it was argues that issues with the home are not issues of the workplace, but now it seems impractical and ridiculous to ignore recurring aspects of the home life that will interfere with work such as pregnancy. It would be the collective effort of the employee and employer to demand and provide healthcare as a way to be a solid team who looks out for each other’s interests, not against each other (English, 2003).
It is also in everyone’s best interest to be honest with each other about their underlying attitudes. This means that if someone has an issue with someone else concerning gender issues, it is best to air it out and openly discuss the problems so they do not happen again or to reach an agreement. Issues with male versus female, dominant versus submissive personalities should not be ignored. If someone works best in their gender stereotype, let it be and visa versa. This includes beliefs about parenting. For example, if a mother wants to put in several hours a week, or very few, that is her choice and the same goes for fathers who choose to stay home and raise their children (English, 2003).
Blog 38 Constance Baker Motely
Constance Baker Motley wanted to become a lawyer at a young age and although she faced much opposition, she chose to follow her dreams. She went to law school following the Great Depression, with very, very few women in her classes and even less who were minorities. Her graduating class was filled with remarkable women; first woman district attorney, women elected to congress, and a New York Supreme court Judge.
Her significance to the profession of law is that she is a role model for minority women to look up to and follow in her footsteps. One of NPR clips described that more women will climb the ranks of law firms if they have someone to look up to and aspire to. Constance Baker Motely became that woman for the countless females who followed her lead and pursued a career that was not typical, and not very acceptable for a women at the time.
http://library.law.columbia.edu/rise_of_women/judiciary/baker_motley.html
Her significance to the profession of law is that she is a role model for minority women to look up to and follow in her footsteps. One of NPR clips described that more women will climb the ranks of law firms if they have someone to look up to and aspire to. Constance Baker Motely became that woman for the countless females who followed her lead and pursued a career that was not typical, and not very acceptable for a women at the time.
http://library.law.columbia.edu/rise_of_women/judiciary/baker_motley.html
Blog 37
The report, Charting Our Progress, by the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession, had similar findings and recommendations as English showed in her study Gender on Trial. First of all both studies found that men and women lawyers experience stereotypes about woman lawyers being overly aggressive or overly emotional. As we know this is called the double bind, which English describes the dilemma that women lawyers face in taking on leadership styles than are either too feminine or too masculine and this causes their perceptions to be aggressive or emotional.
Both studies discussed the issues women lawyers face with the competency bias. In the book several clients and opposing attorneys showed overt and subtle discrimination against women who they viewed as too soft or “ill-equipped” to practice law, as The ABA commission states. This chart described to competency biases occurring for not only females but also minority females, who may join the workforce at a disadvantage because they lack “the social and professional contacts needed to develop a client base.”
These works both discussed the difficulties in balancing work and life. The chart discusses the repercussions that lawyers have of being part time worker in order to try to balance their work and family life. In the text these repercussions can be that their coworkers will view them as not committed and that they will feel guilty for not being there 100%. The recommendations that English makes for this issue in particular is to change the expectations of required what is required in order to make a good lawyer. This can be achieved by perhaps allowing for more flexible schedules or reduced hours, across the board. She also recommends that people should be more open to new ideas to step outside of gender roles and stereotypes.
Britton, D. M. (2003). At Waork in the Iron Cage: The Prison as Gendered
Organization . New York and London: The New York University Press.
http://www.abanet.org/women/ChartingOurProgress.pdf
Both studies discussed the issues women lawyers face with the competency bias. In the book several clients and opposing attorneys showed overt and subtle discrimination against women who they viewed as too soft or “ill-equipped” to practice law, as The ABA commission states. This chart described to competency biases occurring for not only females but also minority females, who may join the workforce at a disadvantage because they lack “the social and professional contacts needed to develop a client base.”
These works both discussed the difficulties in balancing work and life. The chart discusses the repercussions that lawyers have of being part time worker in order to try to balance their work and family life. In the text these repercussions can be that their coworkers will view them as not committed and that they will feel guilty for not being there 100%. The recommendations that English makes for this issue in particular is to change the expectations of required what is required in order to make a good lawyer. This can be achieved by perhaps allowing for more flexible schedules or reduced hours, across the board. She also recommends that people should be more open to new ideas to step outside of gender roles and stereotypes.
Britton, D. M. (2003). At Waork in the Iron Cage: The Prison as Gendered
Organization . New York and London: The New York University Press.
http://www.abanet.org/women/ChartingOurProgress.pdf
Blog 35 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The Equal Opportunity Commission issued a document pertaining to what the best practices should be in regards to the family and work balances. It serves two purposes; the first is to promote anti-discrimination laws in the workplace and the second is to find ways to adapt policies that will help employers exceed the legal minimum requirements. So by promoting anti-discrimination law they are also advocating for new ways to implement these laws in ways that surpass the minimum expectations of what is appropriate and inappropriate.
The EEOC It draws attention to the status of employers as more than workers, but also caregivers. These caregivers can be both female and male and it is important to bring this matter to the forefront because many only think of women as the caregivers. This perception is what creates negative stereotypes and lack of social progress towards equality. The sooner we come to realize that men too are caregivers, the sooner we will be able to find a solution to future problems that will arise in terms of the economic recession.
For example, men who work in industries that are getting hit hard by the recession are the ones losing their jobs. This means that their roles might reverse from breadwinner to caregivers. At the same time this means that the number of women in the workforce will increase. The bottom line is that the overlap between women’s rights and caregivers rights needs to be addressed for the sake of both males and females and the economic stability of this nation.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/grossman/20090512.html
The EEOC It draws attention to the status of employers as more than workers, but also caregivers. These caregivers can be both female and male and it is important to bring this matter to the forefront because many only think of women as the caregivers. This perception is what creates negative stereotypes and lack of social progress towards equality. The sooner we come to realize that men too are caregivers, the sooner we will be able to find a solution to future problems that will arise in terms of the economic recession.
For example, men who work in industries that are getting hit hard by the recession are the ones losing their jobs. This means that their roles might reverse from breadwinner to caregivers. At the same time this means that the number of women in the workforce will increase. The bottom line is that the overlap between women’s rights and caregivers rights needs to be addressed for the sake of both males and females and the economic stability of this nation.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/grossman/20090512.html
Blog 34 Unbending Gender and Gender on Trial
Joan Williams’ book title “unbending gender” relates two different trends, the first is that as a nation we have experienced a lot less progress toward gender equality than we had hoped for, and second is that the changes that have been made have not been based on androgyny but on preserving the differences between males and females. Based on this material, there are several parallels to the work/life balances described in Gender on Trial including refusal to work for a firm that is not family orientated and the conflicts that arise with notions of an “ideal worker” and a “part-timer” and the experiences of men.
Williams talks about how women leave the workplace as a form of resistance to a work culture that makes it difficult to raise children. Women lawyers are faced with this issue every day, especially women who are perceived as “suspect mothers” (2003: 230) who have to constantly worried about whether their choice to stay in a firm was the right one. They have to asses if it is worth the hassle of staying with a company that makes it difficult to raise children; shouldn’t they work for an employer who has their best interests at heart? They can choose to opt out like the women who went and started their own firm and rejected the work culture that made it difficult for them to achieve their goals.
Many women don’t see their goal as becoming as “ideal” worker. The term “ideal worker” is used in Williams’ book and is defined as someone who is able to work for 40 years straight and takes no time off for child bearing. This obviously suits men and not women because men can’t have children and don’t need time off unless they fall ill or chose to be stay at home dads which is rare. This is described in the “Real Workers don’t work Part-time” chapter of the Holly English study. Women who are given part time work are considered less competent and less committed that the full timers. Part timers feel underappreciated and guilty for feeling like they don’t contribute enough. The desire to be the ideal worker, as Williams describes it, but the responsibilities of the home are just too great to balance full time in both realms.
Finally, both authors describe how men also feel the strains in trying to balance a work/life balance. In both works, men describe how they feel the pressure of trying to be the breadwinner but also the pressures of trying to be a good father. Many men, according to Williams, think that he sheer time value and other work requirements that an “ideal worker” needs to posses are just too demanding and they would trade off this working time for more time with their family any day.
Britton, D. M. (2003). At Waork in the Iron Cage: The Prison as Gendered
Organization . New York and London: The New York University Press.
Williams, Joan. (2000)Unbending Gender: Why Family and Work Conflict and What To Do About It. Oxford University Press.
Williams talks about how women leave the workplace as a form of resistance to a work culture that makes it difficult to raise children. Women lawyers are faced with this issue every day, especially women who are perceived as “suspect mothers” (2003: 230) who have to constantly worried about whether their choice to stay in a firm was the right one. They have to asses if it is worth the hassle of staying with a company that makes it difficult to raise children; shouldn’t they work for an employer who has their best interests at heart? They can choose to opt out like the women who went and started their own firm and rejected the work culture that made it difficult for them to achieve their goals.
Many women don’t see their goal as becoming as “ideal” worker. The term “ideal worker” is used in Williams’ book and is defined as someone who is able to work for 40 years straight and takes no time off for child bearing. This obviously suits men and not women because men can’t have children and don’t need time off unless they fall ill or chose to be stay at home dads which is rare. This is described in the “Real Workers don’t work Part-time” chapter of the Holly English study. Women who are given part time work are considered less competent and less committed that the full timers. Part timers feel underappreciated and guilty for feeling like they don’t contribute enough. The desire to be the ideal worker, as Williams describes it, but the responsibilities of the home are just too great to balance full time in both realms.
Finally, both authors describe how men also feel the strains in trying to balance a work/life balance. In both works, men describe how they feel the pressure of trying to be the breadwinner but also the pressures of trying to be a good father. Many men, according to Williams, think that he sheer time value and other work requirements that an “ideal worker” needs to posses are just too demanding and they would trade off this working time for more time with their family any day.
Britton, D. M. (2003). At Waork in the Iron Cage: The Prison as Gendered
Organization . New York and London: The New York University Press.
Williams, Joan. (2000)Unbending Gender: Why Family and Work Conflict and What To Do About It. Oxford University Press.
Blog 36 Can corporate America lure the women back into the workforce?
There should be more women in top positions…but unfortunately there is not. This matter is discussed in Talk of the Nation concerning whether or not corporations could lure women back into the workforce. Personally, I don’t think that corporate America can lure women back into the top positions in the workforce because women will always put their family before their work, no matter what. Studies show that women experience the values vs. control dilemma, which means that they have to have a balance between their values and the control they have over exercising those values.
So for example if a women has no control over the amount of hours she has to work, she is sacrificing her family which she values more, which is am impediment to her desire to reach a higher position. This is a problem for many women because the top positions usually require being on call and to prioritize the company over their own lives. Corporations do a type of “hazing” to new top executives by over working them in order to asses how committed they are to their company. In fact, America is the most overworked industrialized country in the world; working over 500 hours more per year than in Germany.
No woman who values her family and the control she has over spending time with that family will choose to be in a top position that is so demanding. The only ways that women will be lured into corporate America is that if these women have a strong support system or if the rules of corporate America change. A strong support system, for example can be like having a stay at home dad to take care of the children so the woman can be free to pursue their careers because she can rest assured that her their family is being taken care of. Also, if rules for corporate America change by being less demanding and requiring less working hours per year then women could stay in top positions longer.
http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=5&prgDate=1-27-2004
So for example if a women has no control over the amount of hours she has to work, she is sacrificing her family which she values more, which is am impediment to her desire to reach a higher position. This is a problem for many women because the top positions usually require being on call and to prioritize the company over their own lives. Corporations do a type of “hazing” to new top executives by over working them in order to asses how committed they are to their company. In fact, America is the most overworked industrialized country in the world; working over 500 hours more per year than in Germany.
No woman who values her family and the control she has over spending time with that family will choose to be in a top position that is so demanding. The only ways that women will be lured into corporate America is that if these women have a strong support system or if the rules of corporate America change. A strong support system, for example can be like having a stay at home dad to take care of the children so the woman can be free to pursue their careers because she can rest assured that her their family is being taken care of. Also, if rules for corporate America change by being less demanding and requiring less working hours per year then women could stay in top positions longer.
http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=5&prgDate=1-27-2004
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Blog 33 Advances and Challenges for Women in the Legal Profession
Some of the challenges that women in the legal profession face are falling victim to the wage gap. All women face this challenge because they are making $.78 to every man’s dollar. There are many theories to explain this imbalance; one says that women negotiate less then men when they are offered a salary. In addition to not negotiating, they are also offered a lower starting salary than men. A final reason they make less than men is that they take more time off and are penalized for it. (2)
Advances are that women in the legal profession have made are apparent in the realm of education and starting careers. For example, in the last two decades women have graduated from law schools and started careers at the same rate as men. (1) In fact, currently women are receiving more PhDs than men and there are equal women in the workforce, but not equal numbers in higher levels of management. (2)
This impediment of the glass ceiling has not stopped all women from achieving their goals however. For example, one notable advance that women in the legal profession have made is the creation of the first law firm in New York City owned and run exclusively by women. This is a huge advance because thirty years ago this would have never been possible. Even in our modern times, it was a challenge for them to move up in the company they were at before. This inspired to quit the large firm to create their own because they were fed up with the glass ceiling and wanted to work somewhere with limitless possibilities for advancement. Although they had to sacrifice a higher salary, they say that the being their own boss and having independence is priceless. (3)
1. NOVEMBER 17, 2008 NAWL 2008 National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms
2. http://www.ny1.com/content/special_reports/womens_history/95645/-em-women-s-history-month--em---closing-in-on-office-gender-gap/Default.aspx
3. http://www.ny1.com/content/special_reports/womens_history/95898/-em-women-s-history-month--em---cracking-the-glass-ceiling-one-client-at-a-time/Default.aspx
Advances are that women in the legal profession have made are apparent in the realm of education and starting careers. For example, in the last two decades women have graduated from law schools and started careers at the same rate as men. (1) In fact, currently women are receiving more PhDs than men and there are equal women in the workforce, but not equal numbers in higher levels of management. (2)
This impediment of the glass ceiling has not stopped all women from achieving their goals however. For example, one notable advance that women in the legal profession have made is the creation of the first law firm in New York City owned and run exclusively by women. This is a huge advance because thirty years ago this would have never been possible. Even in our modern times, it was a challenge for them to move up in the company they were at before. This inspired to quit the large firm to create their own because they were fed up with the glass ceiling and wanted to work somewhere with limitless possibilities for advancement. Although they had to sacrifice a higher salary, they say that the being their own boss and having independence is priceless. (3)
1. NOVEMBER 17, 2008 NAWL 2008 National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms
2. http://www.ny1.com/content/special_reports/womens_history/95645/-em-women-s-history-month--em---closing-in-on-office-gender-gap/Default.aspx
3. http://www.ny1.com/content/special_reports/womens_history/95898/-em-women-s-history-month--em---cracking-the-glass-ceiling-one-client-at-a-time/Default.aspx
Blog 32 Perceptions of Parenthood for Female vs. Male Lawyers
The perceptions of parenthood for female and male lawyers are changing with newer ways of thinking but still clash with traditional stereotypes. The first generations of women lawyers did not understand how difficult it would be to have their careers and raise their children until they realized that they would not receive help from anyone but themselves. The newer generations were condident that they could could balance both roles because they believed they lived in a world free of sexism, but they experienced a rude awakening. Men have seem the impacts of parethood as well, for they are learning that simply being the breadwinner does not cut it if they want to be good fathers (2003:221). Also they realize that they may lose face if they say they have to go and pick up their kids so they resort to hiding the impacts of their parenthood and just say they have to leave without giving a reason (2003: 250).
For example, some of the ways that traditional values of parenthood affects men vs. female lawyers deponds on their role. One woman is accused of being unprofessional when she announces her pregnancy; as if it was offensive that she could take on the male role of being aggressive and and competetive and also the female role of being a nurturing mother. One father describes his role as stay at home dad and how that is gratifying for him, but at the same time he has to deal with judgment from people at his wifes firm. A woman describes how she took on the role of stay at home working mom, and she could not handle because she felt like she was not getting anything done at home. This role contradicts the traditional values that a mother should posess the maternal instinc of wanting to be home raising her children.
This is experienced by many high powered female lawyers with children who are viewed as bad mothers. The understanding is that the time it takes to be a powerful lawyer is inconsistent with the level of attention that a child needs (2003: 222) so many people judge these womens parenting abilitities. They criticize her skills as a parent but making remarks like their kids must be screwed up instead of prasing her skills at being a great lawyer. To avoid this criticism some moms just downplay their career outside of work in order to maximize her “good mother” role (2003: 231). Or they will do the oppisite and downplay their mother role inside the workplace to avoid judgment that she is not a committed worker (2003: 232).
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
For example, some of the ways that traditional values of parenthood affects men vs. female lawyers deponds on their role. One woman is accused of being unprofessional when she announces her pregnancy; as if it was offensive that she could take on the male role of being aggressive and and competetive and also the female role of being a nurturing mother. One father describes his role as stay at home dad and how that is gratifying for him, but at the same time he has to deal with judgment from people at his wifes firm. A woman describes how she took on the role of stay at home working mom, and she could not handle because she felt like she was not getting anything done at home. This role contradicts the traditional values that a mother should posess the maternal instinc of wanting to be home raising her children.
This is experienced by many high powered female lawyers with children who are viewed as bad mothers. The understanding is that the time it takes to be a powerful lawyer is inconsistent with the level of attention that a child needs (2003: 222) so many people judge these womens parenting abilitities. They criticize her skills as a parent but making remarks like their kids must be screwed up instead of prasing her skills at being a great lawyer. To avoid this criticism some moms just downplay their career outside of work in order to maximize her “good mother” role (2003: 231). Or they will do the oppisite and downplay their mother role inside the workplace to avoid judgment that she is not a committed worker (2003: 232).
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Blog 31 Problems and Solutions of Work/Family Balance in the Legal Profession
The difficulty of achieving a family/work balance in the legal profession was much discussed in the text. For women lawyers, it is difficult to continue to work at the competitive level once they become mothers because the roles of successful lawyer and successful parent each require a tremendous amount of time and energy. To solve this problem, parent could chose more flexible work schedules, reduced hours or telecommuting but these resulted in all new problems. Lawyers who decided to become part-timers were not considered “real” lawyers and they often they would get assigned less responsibility because they were seen as less committed (2003: 195).
Strong commitment is necessary when lawyers are expected to bill over 1,000 and sometimes over 2,000 hours a year. Because of such a high work demand, both women and men are requesting reduced hours and more flexible schedules to have time to do something other than their work like spend time with their families. These requests are usually denied because of financial objections that reduce hours will lead to reduced productivity and thus the loss of revenue. This however is untrue because it is more cost effective to give a female lawyer a part-time schedule for a few months during her pregnancy and appoint her back to full time later, than to hire a new person all together during this time because of the cost of training and forking out a whole new salary (2003: 199).
In this workaholic profession it will be difficult to find a solution to the work/family balance from within a system that has long established. Instead some solutions to these problems could simply come from the lawyers themselves in changing their perceptions of coworkers who choose to go part-time. They can just learn to find empathy or common ground for each other regardless of sex because when it comes down to it these issues affects all of them. This will create a sense of respect towards those who decide to go part-time who feel they are not appreciated. Also this will reduced the feeling of guilt that part-timers feel for not being as committed as their peers (2003: 216).
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Strong commitment is necessary when lawyers are expected to bill over 1,000 and sometimes over 2,000 hours a year. Because of such a high work demand, both women and men are requesting reduced hours and more flexible schedules to have time to do something other than their work like spend time with their families. These requests are usually denied because of financial objections that reduce hours will lead to reduced productivity and thus the loss of revenue. This however is untrue because it is more cost effective to give a female lawyer a part-time schedule for a few months during her pregnancy and appoint her back to full time later, than to hire a new person all together during this time because of the cost of training and forking out a whole new salary (2003: 199).
In this workaholic profession it will be difficult to find a solution to the work/family balance from within a system that has long established. Instead some solutions to these problems could simply come from the lawyers themselves in changing their perceptions of coworkers who choose to go part-time. They can just learn to find empathy or common ground for each other regardless of sex because when it comes down to it these issues affects all of them. This will create a sense of respect towards those who decide to go part-time who feel they are not appreciated. Also this will reduced the feeling of guilt that part-timers feel for not being as committed as their peers (2003: 216).
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Blog 30 Leadership Styles
Conventional views about leadership styles disadvantage women and advantage men because they are based on gender stereotypes. In the text, feminine qualities like being nurturing, kind and supportive create a double-bind for women in leadership positions. If she takes on the feminine leadership style she will be viewed as too soft of overly emotional which is a disadvantage. Male qualities are an advantage to them because they are consistent with the traits that an authoritative figure must poses (2003: 116) which include aggressiveness and competitiveness. This is where the double-bind comes into play because if women chose to take on the male conventional leadership style instead of the female style, she will be viewed as aggressive, rigid and unfriendly.
The conventional views about leadership styles inevitably frame expectations for leadership behavior. For example, in the text if a man in a leadership position has a laid back style and a friendly manner, he is perceived as “not the sharpest tool in the shed” (2003:115). Whereas if a woman only socializes with certain people, and not with everyone equally as it is expected of them, she is seen as conniving and manipulative. According to Madeleine Albright on the NPR clip Policy, Sexism and Politics, this is exactly what happened after she was sworn in as the first woman to be U.S. secretary of state. Her leadership style was always scrutinized especially when it corresponded with the expectations of the male leadership style. For example, her behavior would be judged differently than her male counterparts when they would act the exact same way; she be seen as aggressive where a man would be bold, she would be emotional and a man where a man would be sensitive.
How these expectations are framed relate to stereotypes in several ways. According to Deborah Rohde from the Does Gender Matter: Are Women Leaders Different video if a man leaves a meeting early to pick up the kids he is hailed as a new kind of parent and an amazing dad. On the other hand if a woman says she is leaving to pick up her child she is seen as unprofessional and disloyal to the company. This happens because people remember things that confirm their gender stereotypes but not the things that contradict their perceptions. So they will remember when a woman leaves early but will forget how she often stays late.
A negative outcome of possessing female and male leadership qualities can be that people won’t take you seriously as a leader, especially for women. Sometimes women are judged on their leadership qualities before they get to exercise them like with Sonia Sotomayer and other female politicians. For example, a panelist from the Women as Leaders video clip described her experience when trying to running for office at her local city counsel. She went door to door and experienced the negative perceptions that people have about women in leadership. She mentions knocking on the door of one woman who said, “I’ve been praying for you but I’m not voting for you” because of her personal choice in keeping her last name. This woman thought she would make a bad leader she was going to hell because she kept her last name instead of cherishing her husbands. She experienced much apprehension and even overt discriminating though hate mail for being a Mexican American woman.
I prefer shared leadership styles as described in Shared Leadership: The Value Women Leaders Bring, because it creates positive outcomes. First of all shared leadership makes a positive difference in production and performance. For example, the companies that have more women in management and more women on the board return 34% more in profits than the companies that don’t have many women in the company. Their presence leads to increase performances because they provide personal experiences that contribute to the management people, the development teams and the creation relationships and partnerships. All of these attributes combine with male leadership styles to create a more cohesive and successful work environment.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
The conventional views about leadership styles inevitably frame expectations for leadership behavior. For example, in the text if a man in a leadership position has a laid back style and a friendly manner, he is perceived as “not the sharpest tool in the shed” (2003:115). Whereas if a woman only socializes with certain people, and not with everyone equally as it is expected of them, she is seen as conniving and manipulative. According to Madeleine Albright on the NPR clip Policy, Sexism and Politics, this is exactly what happened after she was sworn in as the first woman to be U.S. secretary of state. Her leadership style was always scrutinized especially when it corresponded with the expectations of the male leadership style. For example, her behavior would be judged differently than her male counterparts when they would act the exact same way; she be seen as aggressive where a man would be bold, she would be emotional and a man where a man would be sensitive.
How these expectations are framed relate to stereotypes in several ways. According to Deborah Rohde from the Does Gender Matter: Are Women Leaders Different video if a man leaves a meeting early to pick up the kids he is hailed as a new kind of parent and an amazing dad. On the other hand if a woman says she is leaving to pick up her child she is seen as unprofessional and disloyal to the company. This happens because people remember things that confirm their gender stereotypes but not the things that contradict their perceptions. So they will remember when a woman leaves early but will forget how she often stays late.
A negative outcome of possessing female and male leadership qualities can be that people won’t take you seriously as a leader, especially for women. Sometimes women are judged on their leadership qualities before they get to exercise them like with Sonia Sotomayer and other female politicians. For example, a panelist from the Women as Leaders video clip described her experience when trying to running for office at her local city counsel. She went door to door and experienced the negative perceptions that people have about women in leadership. She mentions knocking on the door of one woman who said, “I’ve been praying for you but I’m not voting for you” because of her personal choice in keeping her last name. This woman thought she would make a bad leader she was going to hell because she kept her last name instead of cherishing her husbands. She experienced much apprehension and even overt discriminating though hate mail for being a Mexican American woman.
I prefer shared leadership styles as described in Shared Leadership: The Value Women Leaders Bring, because it creates positive outcomes. First of all shared leadership makes a positive difference in production and performance. For example, the companies that have more women in management and more women on the board return 34% more in profits than the companies that don’t have many women in the company. Their presence leads to increase performances because they provide personal experiences that contribute to the management people, the development teams and the creation relationships and partnerships. All of these attributes combine with male leadership styles to create a more cohesive and successful work environment.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Blog 29 Minority Women in Law: Dealing with Harassment
Minority women who work in law firms must deal with the double identity jeopardy’s of race and gender which make it hard for many to stay with law firms. In fact, it was mentioned in the NPR video All Things Considered, August 3, 2006, that only 4% of law firm partners are minorities, and even less are women. One senior female partner explained that these young women react this way because in college and law school they were treated as equals, “They came up in an environment where they never had to put up with that crap. Now they are in that situation with a client of senior lawyer, and they’ve lost their bearings” (2003: 56). Many women just believe that it is not worth it to stick it while putting up with underlying and overt harassment in the workplace.
This creates a lack of influential leaders available for other minority women to follow in their footsteps. According to Shared Leadership: The Value Women Leaders Bring, when women first started flooding the workforce they believed if they acquired enough positions at the bottom they would eventually make it to the top but this has not happened. According to Deborah Rohde from the Does Gender Matter: Are Women Leaders Different video, this is due to the fact that those at the top will hire people who are like them, which results in white males hiring more white males. With this disadvantage in advancing in a company, along with harassment revealed by colleagues and also by clients and opposing attorneys, make it even more difficult for minority women tolerate for very long.
A woman described in English’s study (2003: 87) said that she had to give a deposition to one of her male counterparts because the opposing attorney’s underlying harassment was downright nasty and she would not put up with it. A black woman in the NPR clip mentioned having to deal with more overt harassment when she was asked to sit in at a meeting with a company that was ending its relationship with the firm because the firm did not employ enough minorities. They were parading her gender and race around to prove they were “diverse”, but under no other circumstances was she ever invited to sit in at other meetings. In order to create work environments that are in fact diverse and non-threatening to minorities and females, it is going to take resistance from within the firms and also from outside firms to demand equal rights and equal treatment.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
This creates a lack of influential leaders available for other minority women to follow in their footsteps. According to Shared Leadership: The Value Women Leaders Bring, when women first started flooding the workforce they believed if they acquired enough positions at the bottom they would eventually make it to the top but this has not happened. According to Deborah Rohde from the Does Gender Matter: Are Women Leaders Different video, this is due to the fact that those at the top will hire people who are like them, which results in white males hiring more white males. With this disadvantage in advancing in a company, along with harassment revealed by colleagues and also by clients and opposing attorneys, make it even more difficult for minority women tolerate for very long.
A woman described in English’s study (2003: 87) said that she had to give a deposition to one of her male counterparts because the opposing attorney’s underlying harassment was downright nasty and she would not put up with it. A black woman in the NPR clip mentioned having to deal with more overt harassment when she was asked to sit in at a meeting with a company that was ending its relationship with the firm because the firm did not employ enough minorities. They were parading her gender and race around to prove they were “diverse”, but under no other circumstances was she ever invited to sit in at other meetings. In order to create work environments that are in fact diverse and non-threatening to minorities and females, it is going to take resistance from within the firms and also from outside firms to demand equal rights and equal treatment.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Blog 28 Sonia Sotomayer: The Facts and the Fiction
Why is it that a mans behavior is never scrutinized while women’s behavior is always under the microscope? This paradox has been true for men and women since the first equal rights amendments were passes. Currently, women in the political arena deal with this almost to a greater degree because they work in a higher gendered environment. A perfect example is Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer, whose nomination was highly questioned based on her behaviors and how they were inconsistent with male behavior, according to a Media Matters article
After her nomination her intelligence was questioned and debated on newspapers nationwide and became common practice. If a man would have been nominated, these types of insidious remarks about intelligence would have been unacceptable. For example, one journalist went out of his way to portray her in a negative light, which is not uncommon for a journalist, but refused to correct the facts after they were proved to be completely erroneous. The source, whose quote about Sotomayer’s intelligence was published in a slanderous manner, came forth and said that that he thought of her as actually quite smart. The newspaper never bothered to make the correction and the source never made a public statement about it. This caused other newspapers to follow suit and continue bashing on her intelligence based on the defamations on one article.
Her “temperament” was also debated because it was reported that she was a spit-fire who demanded lawyers to be on top of their fame and asked irrelevant questions to make sure they were listening. If these characteristics described a male’s behavior, his temperament would never be discussed. In fact he would be hailed at being a fair and dutiful judged with only the best interest it heart. Her behavior in regards to laziness was also discussed which could be a more racist stereotype about her Latina heritage but also an insult to her years of hard work, both graduating at the top of her class at Princeton and her hard work at climbing the ranks of the judicial latter.
http://mediamatters.org/columns/200905080032
After her nomination her intelligence was questioned and debated on newspapers nationwide and became common practice. If a man would have been nominated, these types of insidious remarks about intelligence would have been unacceptable. For example, one journalist went out of his way to portray her in a negative light, which is not uncommon for a journalist, but refused to correct the facts after they were proved to be completely erroneous. The source, whose quote about Sotomayer’s intelligence was published in a slanderous manner, came forth and said that that he thought of her as actually quite smart. The newspaper never bothered to make the correction and the source never made a public statement about it. This caused other newspapers to follow suit and continue bashing on her intelligence based on the defamations on one article.
Her “temperament” was also debated because it was reported that she was a spit-fire who demanded lawyers to be on top of their fame and asked irrelevant questions to make sure they were listening. If these characteristics described a male’s behavior, his temperament would never be discussed. In fact he would be hailed at being a fair and dutiful judged with only the best interest it heart. Her behavior in regards to laziness was also discussed which could be a more racist stereotype about her Latina heritage but also an insult to her years of hard work, both graduating at the top of her class at Princeton and her hard work at climbing the ranks of the judicial latter.
http://mediamatters.org/columns/200905080032
Blog 27 The Competancy Gap
According to Gender on Trial, The competency gap still remains between male and female lawyers; Mary B Cranston, CEO and Chair of Pillsbury Winthrop in San Francisco states, “Women have to be objectively better to be perceived as equal” (2003: 77). The gap also accounts for how women are treated, 70% of women stated that the feel they are treated condescendingly by their male colleges (2003:77). Women sense that thehttp://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2652550032560350388&postID=4491746401813259051ir presence is less threatening and less important than males. This false stereotype will prevail until lawyers, male and female, decide to take a stand against sexism now rather than wait for the older generation to retire who are perceived to be the ones to blame.
Thee consequences that women face because of the competency gap can range from underestimation from peers to demotion. This is what happened to a high ranking female executive Maureen Shaffer who was expecting to be promoted but was demoted instead. Apparently all the men of the council decided that she should be taken out of the general council role and replaced. They said it was “based on her merits” but her record was good for over 10 years. She believes that any GE executives don’t want to see women in executive positions so she filed a class action suit on behalf of 1,500 female employees in the company who witnessed events like this all across the country in the executive ranks. GE says they work hard to promote and encourage diversity, but they are doing the opposite.
When males attempt to win a case against women lawyers they assume they have the upper hand and they believe that they will easily triumph over her. This is a consequence of the stereotype that women are less competent than men. Women see this as a weapon in the arsenal of their femaleness because it actually gives them the upper had in the court room. When male lawyers show up with their guard down, the women “deliver a punch” (pg 82) because they show up with their guard up and fully prepared to counter anything the man has in store for them.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Thee consequences that women face because of the competency gap can range from underestimation from peers to demotion. This is what happened to a high ranking female executive Maureen Shaffer who was expecting to be promoted but was demoted instead. Apparently all the men of the council decided that she should be taken out of the general council role and replaced. They said it was “based on her merits” but her record was good for over 10 years. She believes that any GE executives don’t want to see women in executive positions so she filed a class action suit on behalf of 1,500 female employees in the company who witnessed events like this all across the country in the executive ranks. GE says they work hard to promote and encourage diversity, but they are doing the opposite.
When males attempt to win a case against women lawyers they assume they have the upper hand and they believe that they will easily triumph over her. This is a consequence of the stereotype that women are less competent than men. Women see this as a weapon in the arsenal of their femaleness because it actually gives them the upper had in the court room. When male lawyers show up with their guard down, the women “deliver a punch” (pg 82) because they show up with their guard up and fully prepared to counter anything the man has in store for them.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Blog 26 Male Roles in Assisting Women in Gendered Organizations
Men play various roles in assisting women lawyers. They can play the role of emphasizing and endorsing legal advice to clients who seem to not be listening to female lawyers. Male lawyers with female partners may be responsible for reassuring them that their female counterpart is just as educated and experienced as him. Other times men may have to step in and take depositions when the opposing attorney is being overly aggressive and obnoxious towards the female.
According to Britton, the theory of gendered organizations states, “we should see organizations not as neutral organisms infected by the germs of workers’ gender (and sexuality and race and class) identities but as sites in which these attributes are present in preexisting assumptions and constructed through ongoing practice” (2003: 3). The previous examples show that the workplace is not gender neutral Men are relieved of their responsibilities of their biases if they say that they see women and equally capable, even when clients and jury’s do not. Gender biased practices will prevail as long as they are disregarded, overlooked and made acceptable if females continue to turn to the males to swoop in and save them.
Gendered organizations in the legal setting exist because traditionally females were not allowed to practice law. For example, the author’s mother was one of only two females in a class of 83 students to graduate from Boston Law School in 1963. During this time the few women who practiced law were known as pioneers. Over the decades more and more women have attended law school and graduated to practice law, but there is still a significant gender gap. According to English, at this time men make up 70% of practicing lawyers placing women in the clear minority (2003: 4).
Britton, D. M. (2003). At Waork in the Iron Cage: The Prison as Gendered
Organization . New York and London: The New York University Press.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
According to Britton, the theory of gendered organizations states, “we should see organizations not as neutral organisms infected by the germs of workers’ gender (and sexuality and race and class) identities but as sites in which these attributes are present in preexisting assumptions and constructed through ongoing practice” (2003: 3). The previous examples show that the workplace is not gender neutral Men are relieved of their responsibilities of their biases if they say that they see women and equally capable, even when clients and jury’s do not. Gender biased practices will prevail as long as they are disregarded, overlooked and made acceptable if females continue to turn to the males to swoop in and save them.
Gendered organizations in the legal setting exist because traditionally females were not allowed to practice law. For example, the author’s mother was one of only two females in a class of 83 students to graduate from Boston Law School in 1963. During this time the few women who practiced law were known as pioneers. Over the decades more and more women have attended law school and graduated to practice law, but there is still a significant gender gap. According to English, at this time men make up 70% of practicing lawyers placing women in the clear minority (2003: 4).
Britton, D. M. (2003). At Waork in the Iron Cage: The Prison as Gendered
Organization . New York and London: The New York University Press.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Blog 25 Sexualized Behavior as "A Weapon in the Arsenal"
A woman having a “weapon in the arsenal” means she uses her femaleness to her benefit, especially sexualized behavior. For example, according to Gender on Trial, one attorney describes how she would wear short skirts with certain judges when she wanted a big favor. Along these same lines, another woman says that if, “Juror number 6 is looking at me…I’m going to lift up my skirt a little” (2003: 43). They dress this way not to attract these judges or jurors, but to attain a goal like closing a deal or getting a favorable ruling and at the same time portray a look of confidence and professionalism. In the media, the character of Eric Brockovich is a perfect example of how sexualized behavior can be advantageous. As a legal assistant she uses her sex appeal, among other things, to uncover the truth behind the hazardous effects of a polluting industry.
At the same time, it is important to understand that it takes more than a short skirt to get ahead. Using sexualized behavior as weapon towards career advancement is a major con for women in the workplace. According to Holly English, not only is it ineffective in the long run, but it also legitimizes stereotypes of women as sexual objects and not professional employees (2003: 41). Sexualized behavior has the same negative effect for minorities, especially Black males, who may have to work harder than their white counterparts to portray a cloak of competence.
Keeping boundaries between what is appropriate sexual behavior and what is inappropriate is the best way to avoid problems. For example, wives of lawyers may feel threatened by the sexualized presence of female lawyers to avoid any “ugly” rumors it is important to avoiding situations where members of the opposite sex are alone for too long. These boundaries can also serve as a method of preventing any claims of sexual harassment, which are now seen as serious allegation with severe consequences.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
At the same time, it is important to understand that it takes more than a short skirt to get ahead. Using sexualized behavior as weapon towards career advancement is a major con for women in the workplace. According to Holly English, not only is it ineffective in the long run, but it also legitimizes stereotypes of women as sexual objects and not professional employees (2003: 41). Sexualized behavior has the same negative effect for minorities, especially Black males, who may have to work harder than their white counterparts to portray a cloak of competence.
Keeping boundaries between what is appropriate sexual behavior and what is inappropriate is the best way to avoid problems. For example, wives of lawyers may feel threatened by the sexualized presence of female lawyers to avoid any “ugly” rumors it is important to avoiding situations where members of the opposite sex are alone for too long. These boundaries can also serve as a method of preventing any claims of sexual harassment, which are now seen as serious allegation with severe consequences.
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Blog 23 Politics of Fashion for Women Lawyers
According to the NPR clip called The Fashion Laws of Politics:Obama-style, Clothing and style can act as an important political weapon. Clothing creates the image of a charismatic figure or whatever the appropriate emotional and psychological messages may be. Michelle Obama sends a message of her own through her style. It is progressive and modern for Capitol Hill because she shows of her curves and which sets her apart. In fact, Jacqueline Kennedy was the last first lady to wear dresses until Michelle. Her implied message is that she is neither, “subversive or threatening”.
The appropriateness of how politicians dress is crucial to sending the right message because our culture sees some styles as a statement about who you are and it sets you apart like dreadlocks or afros for example. This is why making the right statement is so important for both politicians and lawyers. For example, Lawyers need to be concerned about the details of their appearance because there is a stereotype that women lawyers who dress in an attractive manner seem frivolous or incompetent. These are both undesirable traits to find in someone who is supposed to be intelligent and professional.
They, like politicians, can alter their style create the appropriate emotional or psychological message. One male lawyer describes how he wears his three piece suit when he wants to seem intimidating and powerful and give the impression that he will be a shark in the courtroom. At other times he may want to wear casual khakis and a buttoned up shirt to seem like his clients buddy in construction litigation. It all depends on the audience and the message that is going to be told through the politics of fashion (English, 2003).
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
The appropriateness of how politicians dress is crucial to sending the right message because our culture sees some styles as a statement about who you are and it sets you apart like dreadlocks or afros for example. This is why making the right statement is so important for both politicians and lawyers. For example, Lawyers need to be concerned about the details of their appearance because there is a stereotype that women lawyers who dress in an attractive manner seem frivolous or incompetent. These are both undesirable traits to find in someone who is supposed to be intelligent and professional.
They, like politicians, can alter their style create the appropriate emotional or psychological message. One male lawyer describes how he wears his three piece suit when he wants to seem intimidating and powerful and give the impression that he will be a shark in the courtroom. At other times he may want to wear casual khakis and a buttoned up shirt to seem like his clients buddy in construction litigation. It all depends on the audience and the message that is going to be told through the politics of fashion (English, 2003).
English, H. (2003). Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in
the Legal Workplace. New York: ALM Publishing.
Blog 22 Gender expectations and Stereotypes
Gender expectations and stereotypes exist in every profession and even more so in traditionally male work environments. None have been more traditionally male than the Supreme Court; in over two centuries only three women have been appointed to the Justice position. (1) Sonia Sotomayor was the third female and first Latina to ever be appointed to Supreme Court justice. Her nomination raised questions about how the stereotypical expectations of gender and race would come into play. First of all a deep gender bias exists in Court System of the United States because it disputed that a woman’s gender will make a difference in judging, and of course it does. However, Fred Strebeigh argues in his book, Equal: Women Reshape American Law, that Sotomayor is willing to address this issue directly and her response will be an indicator of her truthfulness and accuracy as a judge. (2)
Her race was also used to evaluate her qualifications to be a Supreme Court judge. After republicans and democrats voted to determine her appointment, it was revealed that she got all but 9 of the republican votes. With her nomination coming from a democratic president and a democratic majority in the house, it seems almost anti-Hispanic for republicans to vote against a sure bet. The republicans quickly attested that they voted against her not because of her race, but because they believed she would judge from an overly liberal standpoint. This stemmed from the stereotype that Latinos usually vote for the Democratic Party i.e. liberal party. When Sotomayer got wind of this she was outraged because she believes that, “Stereotyping is perhaps the most insidious of all problems in our society today.” (3)
Finally, it was argued by many that because she would use her position to make law instead of interpret it, especially in regards to affirmative action. This argument started after it was reported that her full ride to Yale was based on affirmative action practices. The same was said about her nomination; that President Obama was looking for a female to fill David Souter’s position and that having a Hispanic female fill this role was like a double whammy. This is such an insult to all women and Latinos’ because it implies that a person who falls under these categories cannot succeed without affirmative action. (4)
1. http://womensissues.about.com/od/genderwarriors/a/HistoryWomenSCOTUS.htm
2. http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2009/06/05/the-supreme-court-is-short-on-women-and-sotomayors-a-good-start.html?PageNr=2
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Sotomayor
4. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124334029177454217.html
Her race was also used to evaluate her qualifications to be a Supreme Court judge. After republicans and democrats voted to determine her appointment, it was revealed that she got all but 9 of the republican votes. With her nomination coming from a democratic president and a democratic majority in the house, it seems almost anti-Hispanic for republicans to vote against a sure bet. The republicans quickly attested that they voted against her not because of her race, but because they believed she would judge from an overly liberal standpoint. This stemmed from the stereotype that Latinos usually vote for the Democratic Party i.e. liberal party. When Sotomayer got wind of this she was outraged because she believes that, “Stereotyping is perhaps the most insidious of all problems in our society today.” (3)
Finally, it was argued by many that because she would use her position to make law instead of interpret it, especially in regards to affirmative action. This argument started after it was reported that her full ride to Yale was based on affirmative action practices. The same was said about her nomination; that President Obama was looking for a female to fill David Souter’s position and that having a Hispanic female fill this role was like a double whammy. This is such an insult to all women and Latinos’ because it implies that a person who falls under these categories cannot succeed without affirmative action. (4)
1. http://womensissues.about.com/od/genderwarriors/a/HistoryWomenSCOTUS.htm
2. http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2009/06/05/the-supreme-court-is-short-on-women-and-sotomayors-a-good-start.html?PageNr=2
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Sotomayor
4. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124334029177454217.html
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