In the UKCS Oil and Gas industry, the Maths of the 'Glass Ceiling' concept don't add up. Sorry, I consider the concept to be a myth.
For every woman that talks about an encounter with a 'Glass Ceiling' there are men that don't talk about their encounter.
For the minority, the outgroup, primary blockers to being valued and respected are the attitudes underpining stereotypying and predjudice within the majority, the ingroup.
While women are in the minority amongst the industry professionals they in the majority in the support staff. They too deserve to be valued and respected.
There can be as much diversity within the in and out groups as there is between their stereotypical characteristics (Deborah Cameron, 2007)
If you use stereotypical statements in a serious commentary on Diversity you've shot yourself in the foot.
Britain has a rich history of women who have dispelled the stereotypical role of women in their times. There are many diverse role models for the 21st Century Woman;
Leaders; Queen Elizabeth I Queen Victoria Queen Elizabeth II Margaret Thatcher |
Reformers; Elizabeth Fry (Prisons) Florence Nightingale (Hospitals) |
Suffragettes; Emily Davison The Pankhurst's and many more |
Land Girls; more than 200,000 women |
I have learnt every thing I know about engineering from men. Given what has been achieved in the North Sea in engineering terms I have been privelleged.
I have learnt everything I know about poor management from men. Hopefully it'll make me a better manager.
Women commonly experience having their ideas ignored in meetings yet later the idea when proposed by a man is adopted. This has been recognised in research as the 'Invisibility Syndrome'. (Gordon, DiThomas and Farris, 1991)
Diversity in the workplace is about CULTURE and CHANGE PROCESS its natural corollary is SAFETY. So everyone in the workplace should be aware of their own PERSONNAL RESPONSIBILITY for Diversity.
It is said that some career women in upper management are not as supportive of the next generation of career women as they could be. Its sad but I can understand why.
I agree totally with the observation of Timothy Leary (American Psychologist) "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition"
Apparently research is showing that women are less ambitious than men. I've found that Job Satisfaction is a better driver for success than Ambition.
Gender Diversity Research appears to be biased towards the fulfillment of stereotypical hypotheses.
Higher Education Statistics show that the subjects of choice for accademically gifted Girls are Medicine, Veterinary Science, Law and Biological Sciences (Table). I'm not convinced society would be right to aspire to influencing that choice to achieve professional demographics that reflect those of society.
If a person embraces diversity and manages their stereotyping and prejudical attitudes in their professional life then have they not achieved professionally androgyny?
Its a Man's world but can we blame Sons for the mistakes of their Fathers?
The Mother in me wants to say 'Son your Sister can talk sense. But, you've got to stop talking and listen or you won't hear it'
Its a myth that women can't understand the rules of Rugby. Why else would the IRB keep changing them? (I'm reliably informed their objective is to actually make the game more entertaining. In which case how come England are still allowed to play?)
I don't complain about the menfolk at home talking about sport.....Why would I in the workplace? (I just wish there were more people to have a serious discussion about rugby!)
I don't mind if someone leaves the toilet seat up if they've done their fair share of cleaning it.
Scientific Research has shown that Men listen to Women with the part of the brain with which they listen to music. This comes as a surprise in 30 years I've never had a male colleague say to me 'That's music to my ears!'
It is more probable than possible that mens ability to make conversation is proportional to the number of men listening. Women's ability to make conversation is sublime.
They can change the rules of Cricket as much as they like, but its entertainment value is beyond me. Which is ok. Life would be pretty boring if men held no mystery to women.