Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!rsp@pbhyf.PacBell.COM
From: rsp@pbhyf.PacBell.COM (Steve Price)
Newsgroups: comp.society.women
Subject: Re: Women Wizards?
Message-ID: <12365@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 20 Jul 88 15:41:22 GMT
References: <11787@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <12107@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <12209@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
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In article <12209@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>, shore@ncifcrf.gov (Melinda Shore) writes:
> In article <12107@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> cook@Alliant.COM (Dale C. Cook) writes:
>       In my last job I was the first woman hired onto the technical
> staff and I'm the only woman on the technical staff at this job, as
> well.  At the last position we eventually hired more women into both
> entry-level and senior positions, but it still wasn't unusual to hear
> senior members of the the technical staff referred to as "pretty
> girls." 

On National Public radio this AM I heard a report about "career women" in
Japan that makes me think that American sexism, while deplorable and in 
urgent need of being hauled to the dump, is not as bad as that in Japan.

In most offices women are never offered a chance at technical positions or 
careers of any kind, unless you consider clipping articles from newspapers
for male researchers, typing male writers articles into computers, emptying
ash trays and making coffee for the "boys" a career.

The women are openly referred to as "our office flowers" and "praised" for 
the "beauty" they bring to the "drab office".  They wear corporate uniforms,
but are expected to add colorful items to their dress to contrast with the
dark male corporate suits.

One woman of 25, a graduate of a Canadian university and fluent in four 
languages, told how she worked for a foriegn investment firm because all of
the few Japanese firms that would bother to hire her paid less than half
of her foriegn corporation's salary.

Another married Japanese career woman talked about how nearly impossible it
was for a Japanese woman to expect to find a Japanese male who would consider
marriage to a career woman.  Her salary, committment to her vocation, and her
drive would all combine to scare the Japanese male, I guess.

The piece concluded that there was little hope for change in this situation
because gender roles are so rigidly type cast in Japan and that the over-
whelming majority of Japanese women say that they do not care to suffer the
grief of working towards a career.  (On a "positive" note, a Japanese career
woman said that Japanese culture gives great sincere respect to women who 
mananage their traditional domestic affairs with diligence.  This brings great
joy to most Japanese women, she implied.)

In the obvious cultural, economic rivalry that now exists between American
and Japanese society, I think it would be amusing and satisfying to see
millions of educated, agressive American career women show the Japanese
that there are still a few things that their ancient culture can learn.



Steve Price
pacbell!pbhyf!rsp
(415) 823-1951