Friday, February 23, 2007

How Much Do Leaders Unstated Prejudices Influence Others Actions?

I wonder how much leaders unstated prejudices influence the actions of others, almost like a net of doubt, when it comes to such controversial things as gender and race 'differences'.

Here is an example I observed in my life --
Educated at the UW Architecture dept, my mom was a planner throughout Alaska. Eventually she not only was a senior land planner for the largest private corporate land owner in the world, but also an energy planner for the state. She acquired funding for multi-million dollar projects through her grantsmanship.

Yet, she was required by her male employers to serve them coffee in meetings. At home at night those memories regularly brought her to tears.

Supporting three children, she also earned less money than males in similar positions (I never thought she had any male 'peers'). Sometimes we lived very close to poverty, yet she refused on principle to take any public assistance and sometimes worked 3 jobs.

Myself working in male dominated environments, I encountered prejudice so often I didn't really even notice anymore - being female became just my 'disability'; even when I became certified in various skills, once I was hired, generally the same day I started, I would be re-positioned to a lower job.

At a progressive company I was hired as a Network Engineer and became a Support Engineer for the product line the day I started, under a manager whose entire technical experience was limited to working in a movie theater. At another I was hired as a Web Services Manager for a large team with a budget and the same day the job changed to a front line worker, with an office in a closet. When discussing this with male co-workers over the years not one of them recognized any differences in the way women are treated.

Male co-workers said such things to me as "for a woman you sure know a lot about this technology."

My intuitive response has been interesting. I frequently ask my co-workers if they would like some coffee or something to drink and I serve it to them - because at least I am not required to do so. It is my choice, so I take pleasure in it, and I always think of my mom.

Only once has any one noticed this, saying "Linda you shouldn't be serving others here you are the manager". When I explained this reasoning, that I can do it, that it is my choice, to my male co-worker he understood.

When negotiating a new job I ALWAYS ask for a higher salary.

My other response has been to switch jobs whenever offered better pay, or to remove myself from being victimized by inappropriate management. If it is not good for me I reasoned, it certainly can not be any good for them.

During interviews I have been propositioned, even when looking for housing this has happened. In the business environment I learned to actually say something in the case of gender harassment. That took years to come to terms with, and it was incredibly difficult to deal with. Like many woman I somehow tended to blame myself.

If you ask why would I put up with this? I am without other means of support - when you need a job you need a job, you take what you can find. The idea of 'career' is essentially foreign to my experience.

I believe that even unstated prejudices influence our own and the actions of others. My own goal is to find these things in myself and expose them to the sunlight of compassion/kindness, which does not mean permissiveness.

Here is a link the Boston Globe's article on the former President of Harvard, Harvard women's group rips Summers.
http://www.b
oston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/01/19/harvard_womens_group_rips_summers/?page=2

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