So we have had a rainy, relaxing Saturday so far. This includes our common trek to Barnes and Noble for a coffee and reading. Today I read the new People but was also drawn to Newsweek. It's cover read " The New Generation: Twenty Top Women Leaders."
You can read the cover article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14870541/site/newsweek/
I am thinking at first, " Great, good role models, interesting women" and I decide to read the magazine. It highlights some great people with Danica Patrick, a good race-car driver who is very present down here do to all the racing. There is a woman who works for google, a woman broadcaster, Queen Latifiah, and so on. It's well written and somewhat inspiring....
Or is it? Sometimes I want to believe that we are past the time in our society where we have to do special interest stories on women to make sure they are covered in the media or make sure our daughters have someone to look up to. I want to believe that we don't need to go searching for twenty woman to highlight. Instead, I want to believe that women are just there and make up a significant ( maybe equal is still pushing it still unfortunately) part of our economy and are very present in all occupations. I want to believe that we are at a point where in an article about "Twenty Strong Leaders" in our country, that woman are just naturally there alongside men (and not picked just so the article isn't bias.) I guess I don't want to be a woman of "The New Generation", I already want to be in "The Generation" and not be looked at as making it "despite".
And in Newsweek's defense, they are probably working under very noble intentions of getting women leaders noticed, And, they added a very interesting article by a female scientist. She was addressing the fact that for a while all people wanted was to talk to her about was how it felt to be in a field that was dominated by men or how it felt to jump the gender gap by going into sciences. She finally came to the point where she told people who asked that she wasn't interested in talking about that subject. What she was interested in was the nature of our universe and black holes. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14868474/site/newsweek/) Perhaps likewise, I do not want to feel any embarrassment or second class feeling to being in a field (education) where there is a dominated of females.
So I am left with a pulled feeling after an article like this. Maybe I should just be glad their is strong women leaders that are making a difference, being recgonized, and leading the way for others. That is more then was happening before in thie century. Or, is a maginze article like this just show how behind we still are?
4 comments:
hmmm smart opinion page Amber. I like it and it makes me think. You have addressed both sides of the issue and I don't know what the intentions of newsweek is but I too hope that women are being considered equal alongside men. I find it interesting in nursing, that in a group of 6 student nurses there is 5 females and one male. Our nurses on the floor and many otheres refer to us as "ladies" and off we go including the male who often resents this statement. So it is interesting talking to my male colleagues who usually will say it dosen't matter being refered to as a lady but definitley roll thier eyes when they are not identified for their gender. So I don;t really have much of a point anymore so I will just post this. love ya
Thanks for coming clean. :) I guess I need to as well, since I always check yours too. I liked what you had to say on this post...and I will join your club to be part of "The Generation" not the "New Generation."
I see what you mean, it seems backwards to be focusing on influential women as the "new" generation. But to equalize things out, aren't there articles about the most influential men and so on too? I think we will always separate the genders somewhat whether it is acceptable or not.
Well all you teachers and nurses out there... contrary to your predicament I am in a field which is predominantly male.
It's been an interesting road but I have felt very respected by my church. I just started working towards my masters at ACTS (Trinity Western) and it just so happens that I'm the only woman in it! Perhaps it's because I am taking a class called "Preaching in the Emerging church". It's been really interesting... but I can't get past the cover of the text book we have called "The younger evangelicals". There are only pictures of men on it... and I think if you're trying to look at the church as it moves away from modernism into post-modernism you're going to have to do a little better and recognize that women also are younger evangelicals who think!
Thanks Amber for giving me a place to get that off of my chest!
Post a Comment