WGS.S10 | Spring 2014 | Undergraduate

Gender, Power, Leadership, and the Workplace

Readings

SES # TOPICS READINGS
1

Economic and political context

Experiential: Exploring work experience with a race / gender / class lens

No readings
2 and 3

Historical background: How did we get here?

Film: Field, Connie. The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter. Clarity Films, 1981.

Amott, Teresa, and Julie Matthei. “Whatever Your Fight, Don’t Be Ladylike: European Women” and “We Specialize in the Wholly Impossible: African American Woman.” Chapters 5 and 6 in Race, Gender and Work: A Multicultural History of Women in the United States. South End Press, 1999. ISBN: 9780896085374. [Preview with Google Books]

Collins, Patricia Hill. “Toward a New Vision: Race, Class and Gender.” In The Meaning of Difference: American Constructions of Race, Sex and Gender, Social Class, and Sexual Orientation. Edited by Karen Rosenblum and T. Travis. McGraw Hill College, 1996.

Connell, R. W. “Sex Role Theory.” In Gender and Power. Stanford University Press. 1987. ISBN: 9780804714303.

West, Candace, and Don Zimmerman. “[Doing Gender](http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1177/0891243287001002002).” Gender and Society 1, no. 2 (1987): 125–51.

4

Understanding gender theories

Experiential: Conceptualizing theory through visual art

No readings
5 Play reading: Daniel, Sarah. “Gut Girls.” In Daniels Plays: 2: Gut Girls, Beside Herself, Head-rot Holiday, Madness of Esme and Shaz. Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 1994. ISBN: 9780413690401. [Preview with Google Books] No additional readings
6 The squeeze at the bottom: Gender, race and poverty

Neely, Barbara. Blanche on the Lam. Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN: 9780140174397.
(Prize-winning mystery novel about ingenious African-American domestic worker-sleuth who uncovers murder in the home of a wealthy household that employs her.)

Or

Acker, Joan. “[Inequality Regimes: Gender, Class, and Race in Organizations](http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1177/0891243206289499).” Gender and Society 20, no. 4 (2006): 441–64.
(Examines foundations of structural inequality by race, gender and class.)

Who is Poor?” Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin.

Edelman, Peter. “Poverty in America: Why Can’t We End It?The New York Times, July 28, 2012.

7 and 8

Leadership from a multicultural perspective

Bordas’ principles

Bordas, Juana. Salsa, Soul and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age. Barrett-Koehler Publishers, 2012. ISBN: 9781609941178. [Preview with Google Books] (Select chapters)
9

Panel of community leaders: Gender, race / ethnicity and community organizing:

Jovanna Garcia-Soto, Grassroots International (formerly Chelsea Collaborative

Darlene Lombos, Executive Director, Community Labor United

Brian Corr, Cambridge Peace Commission

No readings
10 Understanding structural inequities in labor force

Students select articles from:

England, Paula. “Sex Gap in Pay.” In Workplace / Women’s Place: An Anthology. Edited by Dana Dunn. Roxbury Publishing Company, 1998. ISBN: 9780935732818.

Higgenbotham, Elizabeth. “Black Professional Women: Job Ceilings and Employment Sectors.” In Workplace / Women’s Place_: An Anthology_. Edited by Dana Dunn. Roxbury Publishing Company, 1998. ISBN: 9780935732818.

Hanson, Susan, and Geraldine Pratt. “Employer Practices, Local Labor Markets, and Occupational Segregation.” In Gender, Work, and Space. Edited by Susan Hanson and Geraldine Pratt. Routledge, 1995. ISBN: 9780415099417. [Preview with Google Books]

Occupational Segregation.” Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2013.

Reskin, Barbara, and Patricia Roos. Chapters 5, 7, 8, and 12 in Job Queues, Gender Queues. Temple University Press, 1990. ISBN:
9780877227434.

Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering.” National Science Foundation, 2013.

11 Film: Razasa, Maple, and Pacho Velez. Occupation: A Film About the Harvard Living Wage Sit-In. Filmakers Library, 2002. No readings
12 and 13

Women in corporate leadership

Film: Soderbergh, Steven. Erin Brockovich. Universal Pictures, 2000.

Sandberg, Sheryl. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Knopf Doubleday Publishers, 2013. ISBN: 9780385349949. [Preview with Google Books]

Kantor, Jodi, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg. “Wall Street Mothers, Stay-Home Fathers,” The New York Times, December 7, 2013.

“Missing Pieces: Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards.” (PDF - 1.4MB) 2010 Alliance for Board Diversity Census. July 21, 2011.

14 Gender strategies to balance work and family

Hochschild, Arlie. “The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home.” In The Second Shift. Penguin Books, 2003. ISBN: 9780142002926.

Chira, Susan. “Drum Beat.” In A Mother’s Place: Taking the Debate about Working Mothers Beyond Guilt and Blame. Edited by Susan Chira. Harper Collins Publishers, 1998. ISBN: 9780060173272.

15 Government policy

Students select articles from:

Nelson, B. “The Origins of the Two-Channel Welfare State: Workmen’s Compensation and Mother’s Aid.” In Women, the State and Welfare. Edited by Linda Gordon. University of Wisconsin Press, 1990. ISBN: 9780299126643. [Preview with Google Books]

Misra, Joya. “Mothers or Workers?: The Value of Women’s Labor: Women and the Emergence of Family Allowance Policy.” Gender and Society 12, no. 4 (1998): 376–99.

16 and 17 Women in politics: From Sarah Palin to Hillary Clinton

Jalalzai, Farida, and Mona Lena Krook. “Beyond Hillary and Benazir: Women’s Political Leadership Worldwide.” International Political Science Review 31, no. 1 (2010): 5–23.

DeBaise, Colleen. “5 Reasons Why 2013 Was Good For Women in Politics,” Huffington Post, December 30, 2013.

Carlin, Diana B., and Kelly L. Winfrey. “Have You Come a Long Way, Baby? Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and Sexism in 2008 Campaign Coverage.” Communication Studies 60, no. 4 (2009): 326–43.

“Fact Sheet: Women’s Political Leadership in Boston.” (PDF) UMass Boston Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy. November 2013.

18 and 19

Gender and race in the workplace

Sexual harassment in the workplace: From Anita Hill to the National Guard

Burnham, Margaret. “The Supreme Court Appointment Process and the Politics of Race and Sex.” In Race-ing Justice, En-gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas, and the Construction of Social Reality. Pantheon Books, 1992. ISBN: 9780679741459.

Quinn, Beth A. “Sexual Harassment and Masculinity: The Power and Meaning of ‘Girl Watching’.” Gender and Society 16, no. 3 (2002): 386–402.

Reilly, Sean. “Former National Guard Employee Gets $231K Payout for Sexual Harassment,” Federal Times, March 8, 2013.

20

Contested solution to gender inequities in the workplace: Comparable worth and affirmative action

Comparable worth

Students select articles from:

Amott, Teresa, and Julie Matthei. “Comparable Worth, Incomparable Pay: The Issue at Yale.” (PDF - 16.8MB) Radical America-Women and Labor Activism 18, no. 5 (1984): 21.

Blum, Linda M. “Possibilities and Limits of Comparable Worth.” In Workplace / Women’s Place: An Anthology. Edited by Dana Dunn. Roxbury Publishing Company, 1998. ISBN: 9780935732818.

———, ed. “Tough Politics: The Comparable Worth Movement.” In Between Feminism and Labor: The Significance of the Comparable Worth Movement. The University of California Press, 1991. ISBN: 9780520072596. [Preview with Google Books]

“How the Paycheck Fairness Act Will Strengthen the Equal Pay Act.” (PDF) Fact Sheet. National Women’s Law Center. May 2012.

21

Affirmative Action

Experiential: Debate on affirmative action

Farley, John. “What is Affirmative Action?” In The Future of Majority-Minority Relations in the United States. Edited by Farley, John. Institute for Contemporary Studies Press, 1987.

Yates, Steven. “Civil Wrongs.” In Civil Wrongs: What Went Wrong with Affirmative Action. Ics Press, 1994. ISBN: 9781558152922.

Berry, Mary Frances. “Affirmative Action: Why We Need It, Why It is Under Attack.” In The Affirmative Action Debate. Edited by George Curry and Cornel West. Basic Books, 1996. ISBN: 9780201479638.

Reskin, Barbara F. “The Effects of Affirmative Action on Other Stakeholders” and “Conclusion and Policy Implications.” In The Realities of Affirmative Action in Employment. American Sociological Association, 1998. ISBN: 9780912764368.

Espenshade, Thomas J., and Chang Y. Chung. “The Opportunity Cost of Admission Preferences at Elite Universties.” (PDF) Social Science Quarterly 86, no. 2 (2005): 293–305.

Espenshade, Thomas J. “Moving Beyond Affirmative Action,” The New York Times, October 4, 2012.

Articles about affirmative action in The New York Times. (Includes the case of Abigail Fisher, a white student who was rejected by the University of Texas and filed suit against the school, challenging its affirmative action policy.)

22 and 23

Domestic and European work / family policies: The responsibility of government, private sector or individuals?

Leave policies and policies that address overwork

Fried, Mindy. Taking Time: Parental Leave Policy and Corporate Culture. Temple University Press, 1998. ISBN: 9781566396462. [Preview with Google Books]

Jacobs, Jerry, and Kathleen Gerson. “Do Americans Feel Overworked?: Comparing Ideal and Actual Working Time.” In Work and Family: Research Informing Policy. Edited by Toby Parcel and Daniel Cornfield. SAGE Publications, 1999. ISBN: 9780761913085.

Gilson, Dave. “Overworked America: 12 Charts that Will Make Your Blood Boil.” Mother Jones, July / August 2011.

Golden, Lonnie. Flexible Schedules: Who Gets Them and What are Workers Giving Up to Get Them? The Pennsylvania State University, 2000. (Working Paper no. 00-04)

24 Child care policy

Casper, Lynne M. “Who’s Minding Our Preschoolers?” (PDF) Current Population Reports (1996): 70–53.

Hofferth, S., and D. Wissoker. “Price, Quality, and Income in Child Care Choice.” Journal of Human Resources 27, no. 1 (1992): 70–111.

Joffee, C. “Why the United States Has No Child Care Policy.” In Families, Politics and Public Policy: A Feminist Dialogue on Women and the State. Edited by Irene Diamond. Longman, 1983. ISBN: 9780582282681.

25 Experiential: Envisioning / exploring next steps No readings
26 Work in the 21st century: Pressure points for change No readings

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Spring 2014
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