Earlier quoted context omitted.
You need to get over this infantile faith that tech is a meritocracy. It’s not, and it never has been. That’s a comforting and self-serving myth we keep telling ourselves.
I'm curious. Which professional sector is a meritocracy? From what I've seen, and I may not have seen enough, nothing is a true meritocracy, or really even approaches it. P.S. I'm not trying to be snarky. I really do want some examples (outside of certain sports, I guess) of actual meritocracies. I can't think of one =[
Push for Gender Equality in Tech? Some Men Say It’s Gone Too Far
121–122 of 122 posts
Re: Push for Gender Equality in Tech? Some Men Say It’s Gone Too Far
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes but is the issue here solved by diversity hiring i.e. doing whatever it takes to hire more women or is the issue here solved by redefining how the workplace operates and making it something that enables women to succeed and enjoy the work without being highly aggressive? Actually it isn't just about women in software development, men should be included too. Plenty of men in software development are atypical compa…
A couple of different reactions from my POV: 1) "Now, I do strongly believe that encouraging women to consider STEM in school is a very good idea and that it opens a lot of doors that otherwise may of not been open. I believe this, in the long-term, is a giant step in the right direction because of cultural pressures and norms for people at a very young age." 100% agree! I was lucky enough to be blissfully oblivious…
I'll have to read the first two links later - super busy right now - but I have heard before (and seen a few times) that assertiveness is often termed as aggressiveness in women which is horribly unfortunate. I also do think that I really simplified the issue a lot in my previous post, partly because I don't have all of these experiences or talk with much people who do (at least in tech). I can see how having more women speak about their experiences openly can help other people understand although it's such a hard issue because what if they get identified at their workplace..
Ugh surprise dates sound like the absolute worst. I know quite a few women who have stories about this in and out of tech. I strongly agree with you that having more women in the workplace and as leaders will combat a lot of these issues. I also agree that we don't need to lower the bar to do this. It has been my own personal experience that social norms and expectations from peers can really destroy people who otherwise would be at the top of their field.
I should've been more specific and was strictly referring to nurses. The only reason I brought it up is because during school I met some nurses and heard some horror stories about men becoming nurses. Particularly in social situations men aren't 'respected' if they are a nurse which is a silly norm since they are working on the floor in a high impact job saving people's lives. I do recognize that there is another issue with women not holding influential positions where they can have a large affect on culture.