Coddle Prod: The Notion That Women Must Be "Represented" In A Profession
I think we need to question the notion that people of a certain sex need to be "represented" in a profession.
In order to recruit talented women (still grossly underrepresented) into Cardiology, we need to become more female friendly- aligning culture/perception with our trainees expectations. A look at this via resident survey data courtesy of @JAMACardiology https://t.co/Tq2ruWWCQU
— Frank Silvestry MD (@FSilvestryMD) May 30, 2018
Cardiology's demanding. Research finds that women tend to favor a work/life balance. So what if women seeking it favor other areas of medicine?
I wrote about some of the realities of female job choices in my science-based column recently:
There's a great deal of research that reflects this. In a 2015 study, economists Ghazala Azmat and Rosa Ferrer surveyed young lawyers on their level of ambition: "When asked to rate, on a scale from 1 to 10, their aspirations to become an equity partner in their firm, 60 percent of male lawyers answered with 8 or more, compared to only 32 percent of female lawyers."However, there's an assumption that women should want to join the cutthroat race to the corner office. Psychologist Susan Pinker criticizes this as the "male standard" being forced on women. In her 2008 book, "The Sexual Paradox," Pinker points to countless studies that find that women tend to be more motivated by "intrinsic rewards" -- wanting to be happy more than they want to be on top. As an example, she profiles "Donna," who quit her prestigious job as a tenured professor in a computer science department for a lower-status job (tutoring faculty at another university) that allowed her more one-on-one engagement with people. Pinker explains, "Donna decided to opt for what was meaningful for her over status and money."
Like you, I don't want kids. (I describe them as "loud, sticky, and expensive.") However, Pinker notes that there's "plenty of evidence that many more women than men" -- including women at the top of their game -- put family before career advancement. She tracked down "Elaine," the author of an op-ed titled "My glass ceiling is self-imposed," about why she'd declined a promotion that would have put her third from the top in a company with 12,000-plus employees in more than 60 countries.
The president of the company was dumbfounded. But Elaine wrote that she was happily married, with children (and grandparents nearby). The promotion would have required relocating, and that would have destabilized her family. She concluded her piece with the observation that "many companies ... would like nothing more than to have more senior female executives, but not all females are willing to give up what it might take to get there."
And @maostrap asked a good question in a tweet: "Who is going to change/correct the balance of genders in the professions? Government grants, scholarships, regulations? Universities? Hospitals & Insurance companies? Institutions."
My reply:
And how will they do it? Force women at gunpoint to become cardiologists, oil rig workers, and garbagepersons? Force men at gunpoint to become veterinarians and kindergarten teachers?
— Amy Alkon (@amyalkon) June 1, 2018
This is horrible, not just a benign waste of time.
People who are truly great at something are because of their personal interest, not because they were pushed in that direction or the door was opened farther so they can get in.
Look at fighter pilots. Nothing matters but that the pilot can fly.
No matter the field of play, putting less capable people out there means you have lowered standards, NOT elevated the profession.
Radwaste at June 1, 2018 12:37 AM
My older sister and my nephew both had brain tumors. They are both fine after having very delicate operations. The neurosurgeon who removed my sister's tumor was male, my nephew's female.
I really couldn't care less about the surgeon's gender, political views, sexual orientation, or bedside manner. What I wanted, in both cases, was successful surgeries. Which we got.
I'm a big believer in work-life balance. But some things are just really hard and require really intensive training. We should never, ever reduce that training to attract more of any group.
Suzanne Lucas at June 1, 2018 1:47 AM
“Look at fighter pilots.”
Actually, Radwaste, what’s between the legs became a determative criteria long ago. Under Clinton, the first female carrier fighter pilot, fortunately, only killed herself. Unfortunately, the ethos of selections considering gender continues. That undermines the confidence of peers and superiors. A woman may be a perfectly well qualified selection. But, are you willing to trust your life on it. Pilots are only one example of a MOS in which PC considerations for selections for military assignments has eroded effectiveness.
Wfjag at June 1, 2018 4:29 AM
Force men to become kindergarten teachers? What, when all men by definition are rapists and child molesters? Do you want toxic masculinity to splatter all over the helpless tots? What about the children? Won't somebody think about the children?
Jim Armstrong at June 1, 2018 5:41 AM
Hah!
I want the doctor who is obsessive about what they do. When I go to a store, if the clerk is somebody who leaves her job when she goes out the door, well, bully for him or her.
Amy Alkon at June 1, 2018 6:51 AM
From a tweet by @jane_fitch: " I don't want a part-time job- share Cardiologist."
https://twitter.com/amyalkon/status/1002551216470044672
Amy Alkon at June 1, 2018 7:09 AM
The data can be useful to find out if women are being discriminated against, or if there is something in the workplace culture that is unnecessarily costing it good workers.
Otherwise, though, people are going to go into fields they want to go into.
NicoleK at June 1, 2018 7:52 AM
"Actually, Radwaste, what’s between the legs became a determative (sic) criteria (sic) long ago. Under Clinton, the first female carrier fighter pilot, fortunately, only killed herself."
I followed that. Intervention by Sen. Pat Schroeder put that woman back in the plane.
When I said, "Look at fighter pilots" I wasn't clear enough; it is to look at the demands of the profession.
The issue here is not whether Jacqueline Cochran, Mary Gaffney or Patty Wagstaff can fly - it is whether others who cannot should be allowed breaks, of course.
Fantasies about "equality" poison all services.
Radwaste at June 1, 2018 3:36 PM
"Equality" isn't really about equal opportunities; it is really just another way for those with less talent, less skill, less willing to do the hard work, a way to knock down those who are in their way.
In other words, someone wants it all but isn't willing to work to get it - unless you call knocking others down work.
charles at June 1, 2018 7:51 PM
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