What if they told you that your tenure packet was going to be reviewed less rigorously than a male colleague's?
Would it matter as much if the person saying this was outside of your department? What about at a different school? Or a spouse of a colleague?
12 comments:
In any case I'd say awsome, ´cause everybody knows that since I have boobs and ovaries I cannot possibly be as competitive as if my reproductive bits pointed outwards.
I think I would have a really mixed reaction to this. On one hand, I'd be really angry and disappointed - I want to get tenure based on my own skills! But I suppose there might honestly be a little bit of relief that I was going to get tenure...
Aaah. When I started on my TT, a senior colleague said something like that -- that I shouldn't worry about tenure because it's been ages since a woman has been denied tenure in my college (very few women!), i.e. everyone wants to keep us womenz (he implied it would be regardless of performance).
Just say something direct like: "I am not worried. With my record, I would get tenure even if I was a white guy." Exposing the person's bias with a straightforward and confident response works well on any colleague; after all, that's what a guy would do! :) You may even get to enjoy watching the offender squirm a bit for being call on their bullshit.
I think the important thing here is not to change the person's mind about the abilities of women ('cause that's not happening), but not to let the comment get to you, not allow yourself to wonder "Maybe he has a point, maybe I am not as good as a guy." Unfortunately, if a dismissive comment comes from a spouse or a close friend, it has sharp teeth. What to do if a spouse thinks your work is not worth that much? Now that's a problem well beyond a quick comeback...
I like GMP's comeback!
"No, I'm getting tenure because I'm awesome, DESPITE the fact that I'm not a man."
Love GMP's comment - couldn't say it better myself!
I guess my reaction would depend on whether I thought there was any truth to the observation or not. Some people are A-OK with tokenism and quotas as a way of achieving diversity – you might have seen this exchange at drugmonkey’s not too long ago. Where I work, we have been on a big diversity kick since new management took over a few years ago. It’s brought some much-welcomed changes and overall has been great, but there are a couple of women whose promotions during the past 2-3 yrs have come as a big surprise to everyone, and I know most people are wondering – including me – if a major consideration there was their gender. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.
Then again, tenure is tenure. If it’s something that you really want and you think that you can do a good job at it, then forget about what anyone says. If they’re making the right choice for the wrong reason(s), that’s their problem, not yours.
Kill, kill kill! Ok I wouldn't kill the person, but I suspect this person would be able to see a murderous rage in my eyes.
Then I'd rustle up my copy of that 1997 study that showed how much harder female postdocs have to work to be considered for the same awards and positions as men.
We are pretty much always overqualified.
I agree with GMP on this one, and wish I could remember this to use in person (if it happens to me!)
I don't know people have been telling me the equivalent of this for years, "oh you'll have no problem getting a job as an engineer because they always have to hire a woman." I don't give those people the time of day. Not going to change them, and I know that's somebody I don't have to prove myself to. Anyone that thinks it's "easy" for women/men/fat people/skinny people/pretty people/hispanics/african americans/asians/aliens/crab people probably needs to take a hike.
I'd smack 'em.
In my department my adviser was the only female in our area and was scrutinized and held to a higher standard than her peers. She was judged more harshly, so her getting tenure wasn't because she was a female it was in spite of it! People that think it is easy because you are a female don't have a clue!
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