"The Feminine Critique"

The article "The Feminine Critique" ran in Thursday's Times last week discussing the perceptions and expectations of women in the corporate workplace. The article focused on comparative research done in regards to the public's ideas about behavioral standards of women and men as well as expectations and perceptions associated with outward appearance. Also discussed were the differing views of what characteristics are important in a person with a leadership role in various countries. This research exposed negative perceptions about women in power, as the hierarchy of skills differed in each country, but universally women were perceived as deficient in whatever skill was viewed as most important. One of the most clear aspects of this topic seems to be the differences in how emotional responses from people in positions of leadership are viewed by others, it was shown through the research done that anger in specific was viewed as a strength when displayed by a man, and a weakness or a sign of instability when shown by a woman. Old perceptions about gender roles are still perpetuated through this type of thinking and response which probably stems in part from how a person is raised to relate to other people and how they view their own place in the world.