Purdue News

March 5, 2004

Women's History Month experts

Purdue University experts can talk about a variety of issues related to Women's History Month, including gender issues in the workplace, sexism, American women in history and black women in Hollywood.

Professor: Attitude on the job best way to 'look good'

Women taking notes from reality TV shows or pop culture that condone feminine wiles as a tool for success in the workplace need to think again, says a Purdue University expert in careers and success.

"Yes, the attractiveness card does play a role in the work force, but what really is attractive is when employees are excited about their fields, interested in meeting people and willing to share their ideas," says Patrice Buzzanell, an associate professor of communication who studies gender issues in the workplace. "We need to tell these women entering the work force to think about the image they want to promote beyond what they wear.

"We need to hear more about the importance of attitude and work ethic when it comes to success. Be yourself. Employers aren't looking for someone who is trying to look or be like someone else. Plus, long-lasting career success is defined by happiness in the things that you do on a daily basis. Working in the wrong career or not being yourself is not going to make anyone happy."

Buzzanell, who studies organizational communication, also can talk about gender identity in the workplace and the effect of "glass ceilings."

CONTACT: Buzzanell, (765) 494-3317, pbuzzanell@sla.purdue.edu

Fight against sexism in workplace a long way from over

Social policies to promote women in the workplace are a must if people hope to eliminate sexism, says a Purdue expert who studies discrimination.

"Many people believe that sexism in the workplace is a thing of the past, but evidence suggests that is alive and well," says Michael Schmitt, assistant professor of psychological sciences. "Women get paid less than men, are less likely to be hired or promoted, do more unpaid domestic labor and are highly underrepresented in positions of power.

"A number of psychological investigations suggest that both women and men underestimate the degree of sexism against women. People want to think they live in a fair world in which men and women can do anything they want, regardless of gender."

Often when a person is faced with gender inequality they psychologically legitimize it, says Schmitt, who studies how people respond to social inequality and discrimination.

For example, if the question is asked, "Why don't we see more women in government or running large companies?" The justification might be, "Maybe women don't want to be leaders." Schmitt says research shows that this and other common justifications for sexism are not well supported by evidence.

"If we believe that women and men are equally valuable, then we should endorse social policies that ensure equal treatment and compensation and encourage the promotion of qualified women to positions of power and status," he says.

While affirmative action works toward that goal, it is not enough, Schmitt says.

"Major reductions in gender inequality are unlikely without other changes related to child care and men's willingness to take on a greater share of the unpaid domestic work currently done by women," he says.

CONTACT: Schmitt, (765) 496-2467, Schmitt@psych.purdue.edu

Despite efforts to include women, many missing from history

A women's history expert says it's troubling that some American students can still read a history book or take a history class and not learn about the role women played in major events or the way that ideas about gender shaped those events.

"We are talking about half of the nation's population not having a presence in our history books," says Nancy Gabin, associate professor of history and a member of the women's studies program at Purdue. "There have been some changes to identify women's role in American history, but attention to gender is still weak or incomplete."

Gabin says that because women often did not receive recognition for their activities, they seem invisible in the historical record. For example, she says women's participation was crucial in the civil rights and labor movements.

Gabin, who is author of "Feminism and the Labor Movement: Women and the United Auto Workers, 1935-1975," can talk about women's involvement in political and social movements.

CONTACT: Gabin, (765) 494-9344, ngabin@sla.purdue.edu

Purdue professor: The arts create reality for black women

More writers and artists need to portray black women as human beings rather than overt sexual beings, says a Purdue African-American studies expert.

"How black women are depicted in books and movies has had a profound effect on society's impressions of them," says Venetria K. Patton, professor of English and director of the African American Studies and Research Center. "Too often, they are depicted as being overly sexual, a throwback to slavery.

"Slave owners, who raped or forced these women to serve as their concubines, tried to rationalize their behavior by depicting them as promiscuous and immoral. That has carried over even into today's literature and Hollywood portrayals."

Historically, African-American women authors, such as Frances Harper and Pauline Hopkins, have a history of trying to rescue the image of black women through their literature, she says. Today, some artists, such as songwriter Indie Arie and poet Lucille Clifton, have positively celebrated the black woman's character, as well as her body.

"Still, in fashion magazines and music videos, when black models are used, you often see animalistic sexuality associated with black women," Patton says.

CONTACT: Patton, (765) 494-2151, vpatton@sla.purdue.edu