Money, Power, Respect and Glass Walls - plus more

I just realized that August 26th is Women’s Equality Day which commemorates the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Given that and the recent controversy resulting in suspension of the Spanish soccer coach, it seemed worth sharing a number of new books which deal with women’s sports or gender bias:

MONEY, POWER, RESPECT is a debut work by Macaela MacKenzie, a journalist most recently at Glamour. Here, she explores “How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism.” Looking first at Money, Mackenzie devotes a chapter each to the pay gap, to underinvestment in women’s sports and to the motherhood penalty. She argues forcefully that these issues occur across industries, but that the public nature of sports means that “the differences in resources are as obvious as the stadiums women play in and the uniforms on their backs, offer[ing] those trying to shortchange women fewer places to hide.” The section on Power has chapters dealing with a collective voice, changemakers, barriers, and recognizing your worth. Again, MacKenzie draws on a variety of instances including prejudiced comments by a former Japanese Prime Minister which resulted in his resignation. The final section, on Respect, contains chapters which deal with sexist images and language, how men feel threatened (e.g., citing data from Accenture and Girls Who Code regarding women in the tech industry), and the importance of visibility and media coverage for women. MacKenzie is adept at illustrating her points with real life cases and at drawing on academic research (like studies of media bias) to support her points. In an author’s note, MacKenzie indicates that she “interviewed dozens of athletes, academics, and activists;” she also lists additional sources in a formal Notes section that comprises roughly twenty percent of the text. MONEY, POWER, RESPECT appeared on several “must read” lists including ones from Time Magazine and the Next Big Idea Book Club.   

GLASS WALLS by Amy Diehl and Leanne M. Dzubinski discusses “Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work.” Before reading further take a moment and write down your thoughts on what those could be. Diehl, an information technology leader and gender equity researcher, and Dzubinski, an associate Biola University in California, label the barriers as male privilege, disproportionate constraints, insufficient support, devaluation, hostility, and acquiescence. How many did you name? The authors encourage readers to “reflect on how intensely you have been socialized into gender stereotypes that permeate society. And think about how that socialization may be affecting you, even unconsciously.” Diehl and Dzubinski give numerous examples (such as gatekeeping, tokenism, using derogatory language, or interrupting) and often provide specific details by quoting business women or faith leaders (an area where Dzubinski has done previous research). Pointing out that “identifying and exposing bias is the first step to eliminating it,” they also provide helpful, actionable strategies for leaders, allies, and self at the end of each section. Roughly a fourth of the text is devoted to Notes, Bibliography and Index. GLASS WALLS received a starred review from Booklist (“practicality and clarity make this a valuable contribution”). 

Looking for more reading ideas? McKinsey just posted “Ten Books by Women Authors in Honor of Women’s Equality Day.” Related titles we have reviewed include Invisible Women; Pay Up; When Women Lead; Up to Speed; Controlling Women; The No Club; and so many more.

The No Club

THE NO CLUB by Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund and Laurie Weingart is subtitled “Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work.” The authors, experienced professionals and professors at Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh, have done an excellent job of identifying and researching a barrier to women’s advancement. Basically, they chose to focus on those tasks (e.g., arranging a holiday party or onboarding interns) which help the company, but not the individual doing the work and which women are often asked to do because of their gender. This book could promote a shift in thinking, not only for women as they reflect upon their careers, but also for organizations, as the authors advocate. THE NO CLUB received positive reviews from numerous business publications and includes a Glossary of Terms, an extremely helpful list of references and many, many notes. Intrigued? Babcock, Peyser, Vesterlund, and Weingart even include an appendix on “How to Start a No Club,” describing purpose, members, meetings, norms and suggesting best practices. Containing numerous recommendations for action, THE NO CLUB is a valuable resource for women at all stages, particularly young professionals. 

Last Best Hope by George Packer

LAST BEST HOPE by George Packer at first appears almost as deceptively simple as its cover, but there is much to contemplate in Packer’s analysis of America. Consider his opening lines: “I am an American. No, I don’t want pity.” He does, however, want to explain how America became two countries, summarizing his argument as follows: “Inequality undermined the common faith that Americans need to create a successful multi-everything democracy.”  From there, he spends a good portion of the text describing four Americas:  Free America – based on libertarian ideas and consumer capitalism, religious conservatives, hostile to government, anti-communist; Smart America – meritocracy is a core belief, that talent and effort should determine reward in a world where “the transnational flow of human beings, information, goods, and capital ultimately benefits most, if not all;” Real America – white, Christian nationalism exhibited in anti-intellectual bias and isolationist thinking, and “has always needed to feel that both a shiftless underclass and a parasitic elite depend on its labor;” Just America – grounded in social justice, battling the complacency of others; immersed in identity politics and race relations and looking for equity for groups as opposed to opportunity for individuals. 

Packer notes the overlaps, the tensions, and the vast gaps between these versions of America as he traces their evolution over the past fifty years or more, reviewing options for increasing equality and examining differing views about the working class. He also makes some perceptive comments about the changes in media: “the first step to renewing a democratic press is for its owners, practitioners, and readers to find the moral courage to think for themselves…” If you, too, have concerns about America’s lack of shared vision for the future, or that “our citizenry seems to be suffering through early stage National Cognitive Decline,” have a look at LAST BEST HOPE and its exploration of “America in Crisis and Renewal.” Starred review from Kirkus.