tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302245627574027504.post3637149420776765192..comments2019-05-15T23:59:20.159-07:00Comments on Feminist Legal Theory: Gender, power, and the subconsciousLisa R. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16469550950363542801noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302245627574027504.post-44602761982220488942011-09-02T09:38:13.621-07:002011-09-02T09:38:13.621-07:00As a man, I was especially intrigued by your sugge...As a man, I was especially intrigued by your suggestion of increasing cooperation in the workplace. I have two quick thoughts on this. The first is that I believe there already is a shift in the work environment to increase cooperation within companies. Second, I would suggest that men's cooperation go beyond the workplace and into all areas (though I understand that the workplace is likely the first place this may displayed).<br /><br />1. Based on my experience, I believe work places have begun to emphasize cooperative behavior. As a disclaimer, I only have anecdotal evidence of this. I worked in finance for five years. During this time, my managers emphasized team building activities, e.g. social events or group lunches. Also, when assigning tasks, they would often do so in small groups of two or three. Throughout the industry, companies emphasized their respective cooperative cultures, and were always measuring me as to how I would fit in to that culture. Essentially, they wanted to know whether they could work with me, regardless of my actual performance. I gathered that the ability to cooperate and get along trumped anything else.<br /><br />Yet, the industry is still slow to shift. Competition (and probably rightfully so) still strongly exists. Companies provide incentives for performance, whether it be individual or group, in the form of bonuses. Certain departments have been slower to shift to a more cooperative model. Sales and trading are the traditional areas where competition is used to drive performance. Other departments like asset management and investment banking have been better in recognizing that cooperative groups are advantageous.<br /><br />I'm greatly curious to see how many women work in the respective departments. There are an increasing number of women who are entering the finance industry, but I wonder if that distribution is uniform.<br /><br />Also, perhaps the shift from a competitive model to a cooperative one is partly fueling the increased hiring of women in finance. Either subconsciously or knowingly, hiring managers are recognizing that aggressiveness isn't the asset it used to be and are more willing to hire women. (That this thought process is even going on is the tragedy that hopefully feminism will abolish).<br /><br />2. I couldn't help but notice that your example of increasing male cooperation involved the workplace. Again, I recognize that that's one area where great strides need to be made. Especially since the workplace is where the door is most often closed to women.<br /><br />But, I believe men should use Cuddy's research beyond just the work place. Hopefully, men will start to see how cooperation is necessary and beneficial in all areas. This may further breakdown the binary gender roles that exist at work and at home. Hopefully, men would start to see that raising children or upkeep of the house is a cooperative effort. With that increased cooperation in the home, men could increasingly take on traditionally female roles, as Deborah Rhode suggests is needed.hanestaglesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07965742169073946895noreply@blogger.com