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From: mary@bunker.UUCP (Mary Shurtleff)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Women vs. women in the workplace
Message-ID: <872@bunker.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Jun-85 13:19:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: bunker.872
Posted: Thu Jun 13 13:19:24 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Jun-85 08:25:48 EDT
References: <1598@amdcad.UUCP>
Organization: Bunker Ramo, Trumbull Ct
Lines: 47

> I've seen a great deal about changing men's attitudes, but what about
> changing women's attitudes.  Some of the worst experiences a woman
> can have on the job or at a university may be because of other
> (non-feminist) women.  Examples:
> 
> (1)  Many women wear high heels and bleach their hair blond not
> because it's prettier or more comfortable, but because it will
> get them ahead professionally.
> 
> (2)  It is a common practice for non-feminist women in the workplace
> to start trouble (untrue gossip or complaints about a technical
> matter) against other women, in order to show anti-feminist managers
> that they will not push for promotions of more women.
> 
> (3)  There are some women who, at meetings, will make faces or
> snicker when another woman talks.
> 
> (4)  One time in one of my classes, another graduate student
> (female) came in every week and sat next to the professor
> (we all sat at a table).  She would wear provocative clothing,
> such as a sweatshirt and tights (with no shorts or skirt),
> very high heels, and lots of make-up.  She never did any of
> the assignments.  (and she criticized one of mine very strongly
> in class - luckily, the professor defended my work).  One
> day, in the middle of a discussion, she burst out with "I
> don't see why we have to do all of this - it's all so DIFFICULT!".
> When it came time for grades - she got the same grade as mine.
> My complaint about it only aliented the professor, who essentially
> felt that it was none of my business.  (Music composition classes
> are not graded by numerical scores like math classes).

Let's not forget the "queen bee" syndrome, when an established woman
both refuses to mentor and actively holds back other, younger women
on their way up.  In doing so, she is perpetuating the very situation
she most likely had to fight on HER way up.  I recall a conversation with
a co-worker (also female) about a prospective new hire to our group, also
a woman.  My co-worker said "I hope she doesn't get it--we have enough
girls around here already".  I was appalled--I was hired after she was,
and now wonder if perhaps the other women already in the group felt that
way about ME.  It's pretty discouraging when you consider the good that
could be accomplished by more experienced women in the workplace helping
their less-experienced peers rather than hindering them.

> 
> 					Linda Seltzer

Mary Shurtleff