Hoyt and Murphy’s paper was all too familiar. While I’m a Jepson major, I have two science minors and am on the pre-med track and have felt almost every single thing they described in their paper. I’ve had so many of my parents (male) doctor friends “encourage” me to explore options other than med school or disciplines they deem easier because they’ve internalized the stereotype that women are supposed to be the nurturing caretakers. One of the reasons I’ve maintained that I can go to med school is because of the role models I’ve been lucky enough to find along the way. In high school, I was lucky enough to shadow Mass General’s head of OB who was a woman with two daughters who attended my high school. She was extremely honest with me about having a family while working full time as a physician, but encouraged me nonetheless to do so myself. I’d probably still be on my same path without her, but I can only imagine how much more doubt in my abilities I’d have. Representation and role models matter.
I really liked the phrase they used of how women were less averse to tasks like initiating negotiations when they were “primed with power” (392). To me, this shows how powerful the simple act of telling women they are just as capable can have. It also reminded me a lot of imposter syndrome that I know a lot of women in STEM and other male-dominated fields face. They feel like they don’t deserve to be in their position because they’re a woman and that the people (men) around them are much smarter, more capable, etc. and causes them to withdraw and doubt themselves. If we made it a habit to prime women with power and remind them of their abilities through words, actions, and providing attainable role models, I imagine it might help close the disparity of women in leadership positions.
Charlotte! I loved reading your response to the paper and couldn’t agree more. That initial priming with power should start young! I think your example of being able to shadow Mass General’s head of OB serves as a really good starting place, I bet that had a really big impact on you in terms of seeing and being able to really talk with a woman in a position like that. I think this starts when girls are young, I remember being in 2nd grade and the day where all the parents came in to talk about their jobs, my mom was the only female there to talk about her work! It is insane that young girls are under the pretense that the important/cool/fulfilling jobs out there aren’t meant for them.
I completely agree with everything you said! I’ve lived in a town my whole life that centered around a male dominated society, where men had the careers and women were housewives and caretakers. I’m very lucky to have a family that pushed my sister and I to be whatever we want to be when we grow up, and I realize now how important it is to encourage kids from a young age to pursue what they’re passionate about, despite what the perceived social norms are.