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From: JPR1@ns.cc.lehigh.EDU ("James P. Reynolds")
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: An experience I had w/girlie calendars
Message-ID: <22069115.17.45JPR1@lehigh.bitnet>
Date: 24 Jun 91 16:58:54 GMT
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Seeing as how everyone here seems pretty interested in discussing the
subject, I had an experience with this kind of stuff myself when
starting a new job about a year ago.

This was a place that as far as I know didn't have any rules against
it.  Anyway, even if there were rules they certainly hadn't been
strictly enforced ... just about everyone in the whole office (about 7
people worked there) had girlie calendars up.  When I got to my desk I
noticed the last guy to have my desk and drafting table had left up a
copy of the "Rigid Tools" calendar.

For myself I can say that I'm usually really against any kind of this
stuff up on wallspace under my control.  So about the first thing I did
when setting up my arrangement was took it down and threw it out.
The reason I did it is because I like to project a much classier image
of myself to others, and theres other things nice to look at.

Later my new boss (who sits next to me in the same office) informed me
that after I left the office to go meet the shop foreman (the guy who
was to help me supervise the machinists building my designs) there had
been a big discussion about me taking it down.  I think the general
gist of it was that they thought I was going out of my way to assert
some difference of ideology and opinion.

I was kind of surprised at that.  I asked him why it mattered and he
said something like, "Well no it doesn't matter but it's like, you
know, you do what they do 'cause you're just trying to get along."

Now that I think about it, they might just have been scared that I was
trying to win the good graces of the middle and higher management by
projecting a certain image of myself.  In some offices anything you do
can be and IS interpreted by some officemates as a ploy to advance
your chances for a promotion.  They wanted to know whether this new
engineer was going to be "on their side" or was going to create a
division of alliances.  These divisions and alliances are closely
watched by many.

I also asked why they had girlie calendars up and he said "just because
its nice to look at."  I think that is the real basic reason even if
this behavior, like others, sometimes gets reinforced in an effort to
"be one of the guys."  It's started for a simple reason and sometimes
used to indicate alliances or differences.

My boss (former, I was laid off from that job) was a great guy and
generally defended me from any badmouthing.

In general, I think I tend to hold opinions that are a bit more
progressive than most of them.  This tended to generate some friction
sometimes; we sometimes had some discussions about issues like the
death penalty or gun control and often I would end up alone against
most of the rest of the office.  Which was okay with me but a lot of
times I think they got uncomfortable with it.  Again, same reason.

I think I would agree that in a lot of offices, particularly those
which are mostly men, conformity of opinion and behavior is
highlighted.  But I don't think this has much to do with masculine
insecurity so much as trying to "read" others in an attempt to use
office friendships and divisions to land oneself a promotion.

I just kind of stood my ground and tried not to be portrayed as being
on ANYONES side.  Pretty soon my subtle message got through.  My joke
nickname at that office was "Switzerland."  This being, because anytime
a war ever breaks out, Switzerland is always neutral.  Interesting.
I think what I just wrote pretty much summarizes it truthfully.  That
place was about as "real world", biases and prejudices and all, as the
real world gets!

--Jim Reynolds at Lehigh University