User:Eburkhard

How is sexuality managed in the American workplace, especially in regards to women?	In today’s day in age, women are just now really making a stand for themselves in the American workplace. It was once a woman’s duty to stay home and raise a family, yet now it is a different story. More and more women are still working while simultaneously raising their families as well. Some do not even have families and they just purely concentrate on their work. So, in a world where women were once completely subservient and stayed at home, how do we explain the change in the present times? Of course a great deal of credit is due to the women’s rights movements during the 20th century. But maybe there is another explanation of how women have gotten ahead in the workplace. Is it possible that there is a deeper explanation that is just now being explored and becoming known to the general public? In this research proposal the notion of sexuality in the workplace, especially in regards to women, will be examined. Three major questions will be answered: Are women using their sexuality to get ahead in the workplace? Why are they using their sexuality? And, thirdly, if women are using their sexuality as a means to move up on the corporate ladder, what is the result?

Are women using their sexuality to advance themselves in the workplace?

To start, it must be determined if women use their sexuality as a tool in order to advance in the workplace. It is interesting to look at this question from a male’s perspective and then a female’s perspective. The answer of whether or not women do use their sexuality in the workplace is very different for each gender. The male’s perspective stands a general contrast to the female perspective. Men typically interpret women’s behavior as flirty and sexual. According to Henningsen, a study found that men tended to view women’s behavior as more sexual than women themselves in cross-sex interactions. The men in the study believed certain behaviors as sexually motivated. Whereas the women in the study considered themselves to only be acting nice. The conclusion of this study determined that men and women view flirtation, etc. differently and this could be a reason as to why women appear to use their sexuality. In another study conducted in 2005, it was revealed that women leaders tend to share the view that they strengthen themselves by strengthening others by exhibiting certain qualities including being open, consensus building, collaboration, etc. It was pointed out that women could use their sexuality to portray these qualities, yet according to the women, they are using their own work skills and leadership abilities. Yet, in similar situations when men were asked how the women were behaving it was answered with sexual behaviors. Women, by using their talents and abilities, such as persuasiveness, flexibility, assertiveness, they are in turn viewed as using their sexuality;  when in fact, the female population believes themselves to be utilizing their people skills to create an unproblematic, successful work environment. One interesting study pointed out that some women use sexual banter as a means of achieving power over their customers. Thus this topic does not purely concern women and their bosses, but can encompass their subordinates, customers, and others as well. Yet generally, to answer the question if women are or are not using sex as a tool in the workplace, it appears to be a very gender biased result. The abilities needed to be a great leader, flexibility, persuasiveness, assertiveness, and others, are helping women to earn high leadership positions. Yet sexually comes into play because these skills are associated with sexuality. Although to a man a woman may appear as flirting, really she is just portraying her leadership skills. It is a common misconception. Whether or not women are using their sexuality, or if they are just using their talents and abilities, the fact of the matter is that their actions are interpreted by men as being sexual.

Why are women using their sexuality to get ahead?

To many women using their sexuality may be a means of gaining power and influence over the men in their work environment. Discrimination is still very evident in the work world, and especially between males and females. Women are not paid equally for their talents and abilities, nor are they promoted as much as men in their fields. Women still feel like they have to work harder and better than men to achieve the adequate respect. Many women take any opportunity to move ahead. Portraying one’s femininity could potentially open doors and give opportunities to prove their talents and professional skills by attracting attention (Gomez). Again, femininity and sexuality, is interpreted in different ways according to your gender. Yet, women take advantage of the situation. Due to the fact that men perceive their actions as sexual, women use it as a short term power source. Another interesting way to view this topic is through the appearance of a woman, and not just her behavior. A recent study demonstrated the importance that the workplace places on personal appearance, especially in the expectation that women wear make-up. In depth interviews of 20 women were conducted. The author concludes, “Appropriate make-up is strongly linked to assumptions of health, heterosexuality and credibility in the workplace… in turn these qualities are associated with professional success.” According to this study, physical appearance and attractiveness allow for greater potential in the workplace.

If women are using their sexuality as a means to move up on the corporate ladder, what is the result?

In most studies conducted, it was found that the result of women using their sexuality as a means of getting ahead in the workplace proved to be very unsuccessful. Tulane University researchers found that those who acknowledged sexy behavior at work received lower pay and fewer promotions. Other studies have been conducted that result in the same findings. Sexuality in the workplace is tied to low self esteem and many women lose respect in the workplace when trying to use sexuality to their advantage. The fact of the matter still remains that men dominate generally all the higher up positions. Men need to feel dominance over women. Thus, the attempt of women to gain higher access to power through their sexuality is not and will not work. Men tend to be jealous of women moving up in the workplace so in any way possible they try to discredit their behavior. As a word of advice to all women in the workplace, using your sexuality to attempt to get ahead in your profession is not a good idea. It will get you nowhere in your professional life and you will just lose respect in turn.

References

Dellinger. (1997). Makeup at Work: Negotiating Appearance Rules in the Workplace. Gender and Society, 11 (2), 151 Gidvin, Tara. (2005 Aug 8). “Study: Using Sexuality in the workplace hurts women;s careers?”. The Associated Press State and Local Wire. Gomez, Armando. “Women in the Workplace?”. Career Advice. Henningsen, David Dryden. (2004). Flirting with Meaning: An Excitement of Miscommunication in the Flirting Interaction. Sex Roles: A Sound of Research, 50 (7-8), 481-489. Lerum. (2004). Sexuality, Power, and Camararderie in Service Work. Gender and Society, 18 (6), 756 Newswire. (2005 Apr 21). “Women Business Leaders More Persuasive Than Men?”. Newswire Europe.