Reader Cassandra sent us a link to this article about “the end of sisterhood” amongst women lawyers. Among other things, it states that
Last year, in an American Bar Association survey, a majority of female lawyers under 40 expressed a preference for male bosses (the 1,400 respondents gave men higher marks for constructive criticism and keeping confidences). Moreover, in a University of Toronto study of U.S. workers released last fall, women who reported to a female boss claimed greater depression, anxiety, headaches, and other ailments than those who worked for a man.
I can’t help but think–and the author seems (I think?) to agree with me–that this sort of phenomenon isn’t so much proof of the ‘end of sisterhood’ as it is proof of the problem with the notion of sisterhood. Full disclosure: the term “sisterhood” makes me want to barf. I don’t need to have a love-in with random strangers in order to fight for what’s right. It’s not about bonding with my fellow women like family; it’s about justice. And this article illustrates the problem with thinking otherwise.
“As postfeminists, we are told that women are nurturers and that we are all in it together,” says California-based consultant Peggy Klaus, who conducts workshops for women in corporations and firms. “Women can accept hierarchy from men, they can tolerate their yelling and bad behavior.” But when women bosses cross the line, Klaus says, women take it very personally.
And of course we do…so long as we’re expecting our boss to act like our sister. It’s out-and-out sexism to expect a lawyer (for god’s sake!) to be a nurturer simply because she is a woman. “Sisterhood” should end. Down with it, I say.
Thanks, Cassandra!
Every time I read the word “postfeminist” I cringe. Typically, people seem to mean “GrrlPower”girls/women/3rd wavers. This would be the category I temporally and theoretically fit into. . . .
Yet it seems to me that people should stop using the word “postfeminist” until the goals of feminism are *actually* accomplished.
And if someone finds it odd that the goals still haven’t been decided upon, all the more reason not to add that “post” to “feminism.”
good point r_a. personally, my brain blocks out any term that begins with post-: ‘post-structural’, ‘post-modern’, whatever. i don’t even hear them. it just sounds like the teacher on peanuts cartoons. so i didn’t even notice the use in this quote :).
There’s this article which may be of interest/relevant to this:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=1719552
It’s about female jealousy and competition.