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Dispelling the false beauty-intellect divide [St. Joseph News-Press (MO)](St. Joseph News-Press (MO) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The word "feminine" is unlikely to conjure images befitting a serious workplace - at least according to research released recently by British telecommunications firm O2. The research found that one in four women dress in a more masculine way - discarding high heels and dresses for pantsuits - in accordance with a belief they should look like their male colleagues to be treated seriously, The Telegraph reports. In addition, half hide their true emotions, a fifth believe they need to act ruthlessly to be respected at work and one in 20 actively mirror the behavior of male colleagues. Researchers suggest that a lack of female role models at the top of business is partly to blame for these statistics. They also reveal that one in 10 women say there are no females in senior positions at their company, and women who are in senior positions tend to "assume more traditionally 'male' characteristics in order to be successful." "While businesses today have come a long way from the offices of 'Mad Men,'" Ann Pickering, the human resources director at O2, says, "the reality is that many modern women are still feeling the pressure to conform to outdated stereotypes." A Her.meneutics piece published last month also makes mention of "Mad Men"-era ideas about femininity and how they linger to some extent today - specifically in a belief that beauty and brains are mutually exclusive. In the piece, Her.meneutics co-founder and Christianity Today managing editor Katelyn Beaty writes of catching herself thinking along these lines while at a conference that included many more female attendees than most conferences she attends in her predominantly male corner of the publishing industry. "I judged that because the women were more traditionally feminine than me, they were shallow and uninterested in the world of ideas," she says. "... If the false beauty-intellect divide is strong now, it must have been raging 60 years ago. Marilyn Monroe was frequently asked to pose in tight shorts or swimsuits while holding a tome such as James Joyce's 'Ulysses,' as if to wink at the viewer: 'Isn't it silly that a gorgeous woman is holding a book?'" She adds that even as a Christian women's website, Her.meneutics "has had to wrestle with the false dichotomy that separates the pretty from the smart" and has intentionally downplayed traditionally female cues in its visual design, opting not to use pastels or floral patterns. However, she concludes, the women she met at her conference shattered her perception that a preference for pastels, floral patterns or anything else traditionally considered feminine must mean the wearer doesn't have a mind for anything important. "They were articulate, curious about the world ... and passionate about much more than hair and facial products," Beaty says. "Physical beauty for them seemed important, but clearly (and rightly) not as important as global and eternal questions and concerns. They gave me a new model for what it means to lead as a woman - not as a woman trying to hide their femininity, like so many women in leadership, especially in male-oriented workplaces, feel they must do." Similarly, Pickering notes the importance of women being able to succeed as themselves - even if they tend toward female stereotypes - rather than by adopting an alpha-male persona. "Having a truly diverse work force - one in which all employees are encouraged to act and behave as themselves - is not just about what is proper and fair," she says. "It also makes complete business sense." (c) 2013 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |