Nov 8, 2012

Different genders, different worlds

By Joanne McGrath Cohoon, Associate Professor, University of Virginia.

Gender inequality persists. Both data and personal reports from transgendered people make this reality clear. For example, transgendered men received more workplace respect and more opportunities to speak than they had as women. Their observations illustrate how subtly and profoundly gender affects our lives, even the lives of exceptional people.

Culturally, gendered expectations of others and ourselves interact with race and class to shape our language, our interrelations, and our beliefs about what we might achieve and where we belong. Organizations in our immediate environment also affect us at each stage of our lives —schools; businesses; churches, temples, mosques; etc. Each has its own set of policies, practices, and local cultures that differentiate more or less between men and women. So, if Steve Jobs had been a woman, he would have lived in a different world than the world he knew as a man.

«Jobs lived in a world where technical interests, technical education, and aggressive business behavior were appropriate. Had Jobs been a woman, his behavior may not have been interpreted in such a positive light»

Steve Jobs, the man, lived in a world where technical interests, technical education, and aggressive business behavior were appropriate. Investors saw potential for his success, because Jobs fit their expectations for technical business genius. Employees tolerated his eccentricities because they saw him as a successful leader. Had Jobs been a woman, his behavior may not have been interpreted in such a positive light.

Stephanie Jobs, the woman, could have behaved in the same ways, but her behavior would have been interpreted differently. By violating expected behavior for women, she would have incurred harsh judgments about her likability, even if people thought her competent. And being thought competent would require performance several times better than Steve would have needed.

Stephanie would have had less opportunity than Steve to develop skills that contribute to success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She might have been explicitly discouraged from taking elective STEM courses. Had she taken the courses anyway, she would have experienced isolation, stereotype threat, and less encouragement than her male classmates. Investors would likely have failed to see beyond her femininity to recognize her vision and ability to carry it out. Employees might have labeled her a crazy bitch and refused to contribute their passion in fulfillment of her dreams.

«Stephanie Jobs might have been wildly successful as a high tech entrepreneur and innovator, but she would have had to overcome many more barriers than Steve overcame»

Stephanie Jobs might have been wildly successful as a high tech entrepreneur and innovator, but she would have had to overcome many more barriers than Steve overcame. An astonishing achievement would have been even more spectacular, unless of course, the world changed at the same time Steve’s gender changed. 

It is difficult to know whether we are moving toward a world where Steve and Stephanie have equal chance of success. Obviously, women are advancing in education and economic independence in many countries. Yet, even in those countries where women seem to have the most parity with men, occupational gender segregation persists: women, more than men, are in fields with fewer economic rewards, less autonomy, and lower job satisfaction.

5 comments :

  1. I completely disagree. I feel you picked the wrong subject.

    Hackers don't discriminate. We live in a nearly complete meritocracy where the level of respect you are given is based solely on what you can do, what you have done, and why you did it.

    Any person with the same level of drive, the same philosophy, and the same talent as Steve Jobs will be given the same support and opportunities as Steve Jobs within our community regardless of gender, race, or anything else.

    Although Apple is a mega-corporation now, it started as a collection of hackers.

    This article smells like link bait.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Certainly there are many times and places that operate in more or less meritocratic ways, but unless you want to claim women in general inherently lack the ability to succeed as hackers, the demographics make clear that computing and the path to it are not meritocracies. For a good explanation, see http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/

      Delete
  2. Steve Jobs was an individual- a unique collection of thoughts, feelings, ideas, experiences, hopes, fears- his masculinity can not be taken away without affecting his identity and personal array of virtues.

    I understand that "Stephanie Jobs" is hypothetical, but you diminish his journey by not respecting the fact that his manhood played a massive role in it.

    Besides, the next Steve Jobs or Stephanie Jobs won't need any investor's approval. Keep internet technologies (and classrooms for them) open and everyone will be able to succeed by their own capacity.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My point exactly is that Jobs' masculinity "played a massive role" in his success. My concern is that we still have work to do in leveling the playing field.

    ReplyDelete
  4. nice work and good idea. there is always Different worlds from different genders.
    UK Essay service

    ReplyDelete


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