Saturday, May 16, 2009

Women, just act more like men and your problems will disappear

I found this piece in the BBC Magazine about how there are significant pay gaps in Britain, and how they can be attributed to differences in how women and men approach asking for raises, and even differences in pay expectations.

The author discussed the huge differences in the amount of money men and women expect and think they deserve to earn five years into their careers. Men believe that they deserve 25% more than women feel they deserve.

Emphasis mine:

I think this illustrates not only the fact that there is a disparity in what we pay men and women, but also that your expectations affect your behaviour and help sustain the status quo.

Actually, I think that expecting women to change their behavior/expectations without looking for ways to change the system is what helps sustain the status quo. "The system" - the way women are not only taught to be quiet and pleasant, but the way that when they do speak up for themselves (like men), they are portrayed as bitches - this is what keeps the status quo intact. Women are taught from a young age that standing up for themselves can have negative consequences, yet that is exactly what this piece seems to think will solve the problem of unequal wages in Britain.

I disagree. This is not a problem of individual women as much as it is a problem about societies that still do not see women as being equal to men.

3 comments:

Amelia said...

Are you female-identifying, Anonny? Were you raised female? If not, you can kindly shut up about how women are taught things when they are growing up because your non-female upbringing has no place to speak so definitively on the experiences you cannot relate to.

Also...haha. Thanks. Your lack of understanding of feminism is kind of amusing. It's so easy to brush off people who have no understanding of feminism. haha. Woo, thanks.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Amelia said...

Oops, I accidentally posted Anonymous's comment when I meant to reject it. It was accusing another commenter of something without offering any constructive criticism, and was generally not said in a good faith effort to promote conversation.