Lecture Summary: Chapter 3

Being female, the lecture and discussions pertaining to Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity is of great interest to me. In an ideal world, there would be no need for affirmative action and everyone would be hired and promoted based on merit alone. Unfortunately, I don't believe our society is quite there yet. Working in the finance and investment arena, which traditionally has been dominated by men, I encountered resistance on many levels. Males tend to make slightly more money for the same work. Men tend to be promoted more quickly. The women were often overlooked for team projects because the men chose one another for their work teams. With a large population of males in the office, the women often felt isolated and lacked a strong social network in the office. Being the minority, women often felt the need to work twice as hard as their male counterparts to prove their worth to the organization.

I do believe old stereotypes regarding women in the workplace are evolving and will continue to do so. As with all other protected classes, society appears to be adopting a more tolerant attitude as time goes on. I see the greatest fluctuation in tolerance taking place when the Baby Boomers retire and subsequent generations fill those management positions. I believe evolution will one day eliminate the need for Affirmative Action.