Week #15: Gender and sexuality in the workplace

Wed 5:14pm

This week in seminar we're going to talk about your thoughts about and experiences with issues related to gender at your organization, and in the larger society. To have a few common texts to center our discussion, I'd like everyone to read the two articles below and answer some questions beforehand on your blog. That being said, I don't pretend to necessarily have the best questions to ask about this, so if you have suggestions for what you think would be other interesting ways to look at this issue together, please let me know (or just come to seminar ready to suggest them).

Some of you may have done more thinking than others up to now about how gender affects relationships and roles at your internship site, and other places. If you haven’t thought or noticed about this much yet, I encourage you to take a step back and consider that often these dynamics are not always obvious to everyone, but that they nevertheless do exist all around us. That’s not to say that every interaction is governed by gender dynamics--but many are, in subtle and not so subtle ways.

Lastly, this is a good time to repeat something I said back in January: If you feel personally affected by these issues at your internship, I hope you will let me (and/or another adult you trust) know about it so we can help you. It should go without saying, but it bears repeating, that no one should be subject to any inappropriate behavior, sexual harrasment, or other types of discrimination.

Articles:

"#MeToo Called for an Overhaul. Are Workplaces Really Changing?" www.nytimes.com/2018/03/23/us/sexual-harassment-workplace-response.html

"Sexual Harassment Training Doesn’t Work. But Some Things Do."
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/11/upshot/sexual-harassment-workplace-prevention-effective.html

Blog Questions:

1) Throughout your time at your internship, what have you noticed about how issues related to gender and sexuality (gender roles, gender and sexual identities of staff, sexism, homophobia, etc.) might affect the relationships and interactions among workers at your site? Have you seen these things playing out in relationships of your co-workers, or between you and others at your site?

2) What observations can you make about the role gender and/or sexuality may play in determining the types of positions and responsibilities workers have at your site? Is one gender more represented in the leadership positions, or in certain departments or jobs? Do people of certain genders tend to do more of certain types of labor? For example, do people of one gender do more of the "housework" around the office like ordering food, planning office events/parties, supervising lower-level employees or interns, taking notes in meetings, cleaning up, etc.?

3) To what extent do you think your organization encourages a culture of equality, empowerment, and respect among people of all genders and sexualities? What makes you feel this way about your site? Do you think people there feel able to challenge sexism, homophobia, and transphobia when they see it? Have you felt able to address any concerns you’ve had related to these issues?

4) According to the articles (and your own knowledge/experience), what are some systemic or institutional factors in society that contribute to the persistence of sexual harrassment and gender- and sexuality-based discrimination in American workplaces, despite the efforts and successes of movements against sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.?

5) What is your opinion of the points about what works or doesn’t work to combat sexual harrassment made in the article "Sexual Harassment Training Doesn’t Work. But Some Things Do”?