To make a start on those difficult questions…
Here are a couple of things that have inspired me, irritated me, sparked difficult thoughts lately.
Various conversations about women and leadership:
- The Status of Women: Gender and the Ivory Ceiling of Service Work in the Academy on the FedCan blog.
- This parody of a post about the general issues: Four Ways Men Stunt Women’s Careers Unintentionally.
- And, though I agree with the points made in that parody, the original post: Four Ways Women Stunt Their Careers Unintentionally.
That little group together nicely illustrates the point about perspective. If I’m giving you individual advice about your career (which is a thing I do), then the latter really helps. Along with this advice from Leading Women about what kind of mentoring and support you might need.
However, the parody post makes some excellent points about the systemic problems. Those are a good starting point for activism to change the way the system works whether that is through your union, your own service on the relevant committees, professional development for faculty who serve on promotion committees or in management positions, or whatever.
Also, though the debate is framed in terms of women and leadership, a discussion on Twitter about the parody raised the point that it isn’t just women who are disadvantaged by this system.
There are men and non-binary folk who don’t speak up in meetings, blend in, and so on.
Here are my difficult questions
- Is the problem about women in management/leadership? Or, are the statistics on women and leadership indicative of a bigger problem?
- Is that bigger problem that people who would make great managers/leaders are not getting into those positions?
- In other words, is the problem that we don’t have the best leadership we could have?
I’ll leave you to follow those links and mull over the difficult issues with me. I’d love to hear even your semi-coherent thoughts in the comments.
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One of the aspects I think hold back many women from leadership, more so at higher levels, is often to progress you must be willing to dedicate your life to the job. I think men are more ok with the idea of living through their career while many women want more of a life outside of work.
Thanks. That’s a good point. Also difficult. Will ponder more and maybe return to it in a future post.