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Gender issues in the workplace
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Pam is a lesbian firefighter working in Pittsburgh; she is very good at her job yet has failed to get promoted. She has also been the victim of harassment from the male firefighters at her station who often joke and prank her, such as jumping in on her while she’s in the shower. She’s afraid that her gender and sexuality may be holding her back from achieving success in her career. Sadly many women and homosexuals face these kinds of situations in their workplace and in the article “Sexuality in Organizations” authors Patricia Yancey Martin and David L. Collision discuss how are gender and sexuality may impact our work environment, why many women and homosexuals face discrimination in the workplace, and how we can create a positive environment for all employees. In this paper I will summarize their findings as well as add my thoughts and opinions.
The authors begins the article by stating that sexuality has not business in the workplace, yet many employees ignore this notion (Martin1) The authors go on to say that your gender and sexual preference play a large part in your workplace and that there is much pressure for men and women to display themselves as heterosexuals in order to prevent questions and gossip from fellow employees (Martin1). Many men and women tend to display pictures of their family in their work environment, which the author believes is that persons way of displaying their heterosexuality, whereas many homosexual employees do not display photos of loved ones in fear of revealing themselves as homosexuals or making other employees uncomfortable ( Martin 2). They then state that if an employee is suspected of being a homosexual they may face discrimination by both employer and employees (Martin 1). The author’s...
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In conclusion, I found that I agreed allot with a lot of what Martin and Collinson .
I was shocked to see that there is still this kind of discrimination in organizations. I think it’s appalling that in today’s age, people who work there asses off still have to face such discrimination simply because of their sexuality and gender. There is no reason why a woman or homosexual should be treated any differently from that of a man. If I found out that my mom, who is a single mother, was getting less pay because she was a woman I would be enraged. I really hope that these companies begin to take this topic seriously and take a strong look at how they treat their employees, and begin cracking down on harassment in the workplace, and if not they should face severe consequences. America is known as the land of opportunity and freedom, and maybe it’s time we show it.
A major factor in the recruitment of people from the homosexual community is the change in perception over time. Historically, police personnel have viewed these people as “deviants”. However, this attitude slowly changed in the 1980’s to the point that homosexuals were permitted within the police services, provided that they didn’t openly disclose their sexual orientation. Today, most police managers acknowle...
(1993) The 'Secondary' of the 'Secon Homosexual issues in the workplace. Washington, D.C.: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Johnson, D. K. & Johnson, D. K. a.
Sex Discrimination in the American Workplace: Still a Fact of Life. (2000, July 01). Retrieved from National Women's Law Center : www.nwlc.org
Sexual discrimination is prevalent in the United States today, and is evident in the business world. Most businesses have always been dominated by men, and have simply been tradition in America that men run Corporate America and not women. Not until the late twentieth century, have women even been a part of big business.
Legally, the topic of LGBT discrimination in the workplace is interesting because of the varying levels of protection afforded to the LGBT community across various states, and at the federal level, as well as in comparing the United States to other Western democracies (Tilcsik, 2011, 601-602) Tangibly, while the United States Constitution and ...
Men and women comprise two very different and distinct cultures. In an organizational setting, misunderstandings between these two cultures can cause major problems and disrupt the process of working to achieve organizational goals. This problem is compounded when men and women of different cultural backgrounds come together in an organizational setting. One such problem that may occur is the issue of sexual harassment in the organization. The following study will explore the possible definitions of sexual harassment from a cultural perspective. Do different cultures perceive and define sexual harassment differently?
“In 2011, there were 11,364 complaints of sexual harassment made to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: 84 percent filed by women and 16 percent filed by men” (aauw.org). Sexual harassment in the workplace is very serious and is unacceptable at all places of employment throughout the US. Individuals should be able to show up to work without the fear of an individual sexually harassing them. “Sexual harassment of men does occur, though there is less information about the problem because men are less likely to report the behavior.” (workharassment.net). Aside from sexual harassment are workplace relationships. There are good workplace relationships, and there are bad workplace relationships. How can victims of sexual harassment in their workplace put a stop to the inappropriate behavior? What is classified as a good workplace relationship, and a bad one? In my paper I will discuss sexual harassment in the workplace, and what one can do when they feel they are being harassed. Also, I will discuss the good and the bad of workplace relationships.
Women experienced a great deal of conflict to be seen as equals to men in the workplace. Homosexuals have stepped out of society’s gender expectations, producing their own controversies and disagreements. The traditional gender roles of “Shiloh” and “Boys and Girls” are from the past, and many steps have been made past them, but society still holds on tight to portions of those established ways. Still, conflict will always occur where ideas diverge.
The act of "coming out" is a complex political tool. Its use is open to ambiguous possibilities, ranging from subverting social order to reinforcing those power structures. Of course, it is undoubtedly an empowering act for many non-heterosexual persons to identify themselves as such. Even if the categories of "heterosexual" and "homosexual" are entirely socially constructed (as Michel Foucault argues), that does not mean that they are not real categories of thought that shape the way we live our lives. Indeed, my computer is entirely constructed, but is still undeniably real. Since many non-heterosexual people do live their lives identifying differently from heterosexual people, they may find "homosexual" (or a similar label) an accurate description of their identities and daily lives, however socially contingent that description is. That said, I do not wish to make a judgement call on whether or not someone should or should not come out. Rather, I wish to examine the complicated space represented by "the closet" and the multifarious effects that "coming out" has on the larger social structure.
Discrimination at work is a touchy issue. Most people, if not all, have experienced some sort or form of it and they ignored it, quit, or got fired from their job. Women tend to be more emotional than men and when women are judged and discriminated they are offended by it immediately. Also, the fact of women getting a lower income than men for the same job is almost unbelievable. It is very important to be concerned on the issue because it is constantly increasing throughout the United States. It upsets me that women are paid less than men because women have the same ability and work ethic as men do, but they are looked at differently. According to AAUW, women are making 77 percent of what men make. This rate hasn’t changed since 2002 (Hill, 2013). Statistics show that women will never make as much as men due to the thought of never being comparable to men (Williams, 2013).
An issue that has, in recent years, begun to increase in arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seems that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the closet has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception.
According to a recent study, the causes of sexual harassment in the workforce can be exceedingly difficult due to the fact that employee’s are dependent on each other for team work and support, and are reliant on their supervisor’s approval for time off and career advancement. Supervisors and employers take advantage of their supremacy they have over their employees. Such closeness and intensity can distort the professional boundaries which lead people to cross over the line. The report also reported that Politics can be a catalyst, and problems caused by poor management, workplace bullying, frustration, and job/financial insecurity which creates a hostile environments. Furthermore, personal problems can also play a factor, and sexual harassment can be a symptom of the effects of life traumas, such as divorce, or death of a spouse or child (Sexual Harassment in the Workplace).
A sexual harassment survey was conducted in 1995 with 551 women firelighters responded. The survey revealed that 88% of the women had experienced sexual harassment. 73% of the women stated they had been treated differently in negative ways, from their male co-workers. (Sexual Harassment) In 1999, a longer survey was given and the percentages increased when women were asked if they had experienced any sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment in the workplace has been a huge problem in recent history. It can happen to anyone, and it can happen everywhere. It can affect all types of races, genders and ages. Statistics today show that more and more sexual harassment has become an issue due to the large number of cases presented. Mainstream media becomes consumed covering sexual harassment because of the high-profile cases.
In today’s workplace, sexual harassment is a growing problem. The legal definition of sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct on the job that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. Another definition is the making of unwanted and offensive sexual advances or of sexually offensive remarks or acts, especially by one in a superior or supervisory position. Women and men of all ages, backgrounds, races and experience are harassed on the job. Sexual harassment encountered in workplaces is a hazard across the world that reduces the quality of working life, jeopardizes the well-being of women and men, undermines gender equality and imposes costs on firms and organizations.