The Authority Gap by Mary Ann Sieghart

THE AUTHORITY GAP by Mary Ann Sieghart explains “Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It.” Sieghart, who spent 20 years as Assistant Editor and columnist at The Times [of London], talked to roughly one hundred women, “half of them extremely notable, the other help from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.” Although, her examples (and the book is filled with anecdotes) do tend to be European-centric, she does include comments from current and former US officials such as Elaine Chao.  Sieghart explains that she wants the book “to examine our biases in detail and map out the measures we can take, as individuals and as a society, to spot them, counteract them and see them for what they are: an irrational and anachronistic product of social conditioning and outdated stereotypes.” The concluding section offers numerous potential actions in separate lists that respond to questions about what we can do as individuals, as partners, as parents, as colleagues, as employers, as teachers in places of learning, as members of the media, and as government representatives. I know that student researchers will have interest in this text and will eagerly build upon some of her assertions (e.g., “having more women in positions of decision-making power, with people listening to them, would help to reduce global warming”).

Sieghart defines authority with two definitions: “the first is the influence people have as a result of their knowledge and expertise – in other words, being considered authoritative on the subject.  The second is the exertion of power and leadership – in other words, having authority as a result of being in charge.”  Her work is highly relevant and timely -- it was fascinating to read about the experiences and career impacts of two transgender professors who were transitioning at the same time. Another one of the Sieghart’s references is to work done by Kim Parker for Pew Research Center; here is an updated report that a student just shared with me that highlights how “Americans say society places a higher premium on masculinity than on femininity.” Sieghart includes a long bibliography, extensive notes, and a helpful index. THE AUTHORITY GAP received a starred review from Library Journal.