Stele initiates the idea of stereotype threat, which is the idea that as members of society we have a pretty good idea of what other members of our society think about lots of things, including the major groups and identities in societies. (540) On a daily basis our surrounding environment affects stereotype on both ends: the believer of the stereotype, and the affected by it. Take a moment to think of all the working women in your life. Out of all the women involved, can you think of one, maybe two who are in executive positions in their current jobs? What holds this minority back from managerial positions? Assimilating leadership can be challenging when you must establish in an environment that continuously debates when and how it is for …show more content…
When selecting a career it is still important to keep in mind the other aspects that will have to be juggled in life, family. The result of stereotype threat is that most women already know that they will more than likely be the primary caregivers in their family and this leads to electing an easier more manageable career path. Why is this so? Part of being a care giver for the family does not only entitle taking care of children, it is the easy tedious everyday tasks that can be stressful and harder to handle. Although times are now different, for the most part it will be women in charge of doing the housework, cooking, in between juggling their children necessities, all while still attempting to advance professionally! Everybody has the same twenty-four hours in a day, but when placed with repetitive time-consuming tasks such as the one mentioned above it is hard to not be discouraged into just going into an easier non-thinking job or career that does not require as much effort out of …show more content…
Overcoming the social identity that comes from being a specific gender and a minority in a professional environment is difficult to surpass. Women are underrepresented in the number of high status fields, including the sciences, business, and politics acknowledged Saunders. (567) How do we beat the numbers and become more than just a statistic of a double standard society? There are two simple factors that could be incorporated into work environments that may help positively reinforce advancement for women. First and foremost, affirmative action. Huebsh introduces affirmative action refers to the idea that society should increase the presence of minorities and women in the workplace and education because of a history of prejudice that leaves minorities and women at a competitive disadvantage to whites, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (par. 1) If there was at the minimum a certain quota of women who were given the certain opportunity of advancement in the workplace it would certainly eliminate the negative effect that stereotype threat subconsciously bring to women. Women will feel less threatened by their identity and more confident that their work ability and capacity will be rewarded into a managerial position if worked