What is it like to be sexually harassed as a man? In order to imagine this do we need to picture the female in the position of power a la Demi Moore in Disclosure or an effeminate male like the two examples we discussed in class? Surely there is no problem of the stereotypical manly-man being harassed by his demure female secretary on near the scope as he is harassing her! The data certainly doesn't suggest so, anyway.
Picture this: An older woman makes a loud remark about her young male boss' physique as he walks by. The other people in the office, male and female, all turn to look at him and laugh. Other females chime in, asking him to show them and make "mmm, mmm" noises. The men laugh louder. The young man simply continues walking to his desk.
Do we expect his reaction to be any different than what we'd expect from a female? Is a woman's body any more off limits from banter than a man's? Do we expect him to be flattered or laugh along with the others? Are we suprised that he would be offended? Humiliated? Wouldn't he feel that his credibility/authority at work had been undermined? He faces the same problem as a woman in the position: if he says anything, he's overly sensitive. If he reports this, then he risks that he will be seen as weak, incapable of garnering respect from his subordinates, and possibly being passed up for a promotion based on those perceptions. If he confronts the group, then they see him as overly sensitive or a spoil-sport, potentially compounding the problem.
If the sexes here were reversed, I suspect that no one would have laughed. If he had made a loud comment and instigated jokes about her breasts, he would be in big trouble and nobody would think twice about her right to report him.
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