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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Sexism

What do you think of when you think "Business Dress"?

This past week was the Career Fair. While that is an entirely different post yet to come, I wanted to rant for a bit.

The evening of the fair I stayed late--I started checking my e-mails, and found this gem in my inbox from a faculty member on campus:

"Dear McKenzie, I would like to encourage you to come up with a different poster design for BYU’s next career fair. While turning the Y in BYU into a men’s shirt and tie is a clever graphic idea, it’s also sends discriminatory gender messages to our students. I’ve had several students complain, and I while I don’t know that it violates Title IX, it certainly does not promote an environment in which our female students feel that that their career and educational choices are respected and encouraged in the same way as their male peers. It also does not help promote an environment in which students respect female faculty and staff in their careers. Please use care as you promote career opportunities and messages for our students. I’m sure you had no intention of being sexist with this, but the point is that you have to pay closer attention to what you’re doing—benign intentions aren’t enough."
 
To enlighten you, let me show you the offending graphic.
 


If it's not one thing, it's certainly enough.

And, while this faculty member does not know me, it is ironic that I am a working mom with a graduate degree that has a hypenated name that is not about to take sexism lightly.

Yet I don't find it offensive in the slightest.

And ironically, it was created by... you guessed it, a woman.

So, again I ask, "What do you think of when you think of Business Dress?"

Many of you think of suits. It's because women's business dress is ever-changing, subjective, and more open to interpretation. For men, it's a suit and tie.

So, thank you for the suggestion, but please get over your chip-off-the-shoulder and realize that feminism in it's most useful form is the realization (by both men and women) that men and women are equally capable.

5 comments:

Amanda Jeffs said...

I never would have seen that in the poster. I thought it was clever to turn the men's shirt and tie into a Y. Some people are just hyper-sensitive. I don't know how they make it in life when they get upset over the littlest things!

Thompson Family said...

Some people are just looking for a reason to be offended. The graphic was clever and cute!

Shan said...

It appears though that it wasn't just this woman who was addressing it. Apparently several women approached her, according to that email. I agree that it is a clever idea but in the world we have today, I can see why some women would be upset about it. (not me, I think it's cute, I can just see the other side)

Kathleen said...

I think it's a great, clever poster. You should write back and just say, "you're being too sensitive." I am so sick of having to be uber-sensitive to people's insecurities.

Chelsea said...

I consider myself an advocate for women's rights but don't see any problem with the poster. It seems a little silly for someone to complain.

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