RE: The Steem Sister Show - Episode 60 // Feminism (Extended Episode)
You should fear cops.
Their job is to impose the opinions of others on you until you're either compliant or dead.
That's how I draw distinctions. It's not between genders, it's between those who want to run the lives of other people and those who don't.
Should men and women be treated equally in job interviews? Absolutely.
Should we write a law mandating this? No.
Things like mandatory paid maternity leave have made employers more reluctant to hire or promote women.
The law that was meant to help has actually hurt, which is a story we hear over and over.
#metoo is doing damage too. Fear of career destroying accusations is keeping men from inviting female colleagues out to functions and Friday drinks, leaving all those networking opportunities to men.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful reply @mattclarke! I actually tend to be on "less is more" team when it comes to regulations as well. But then I can see both sides that if there aren't laws to protect certain classes - then they would get walked over even more.
I tend to think that the people hold the true power to change anyway. So, even if there is no law saying that people should be treated equally in an interview - that would naturally start to happen as more and more people evolve their way of thinking. If a certain company was prejudcied towards women - then hopefully that would eventually get out and people would stop patronizing that establishment. Hence their business would suffer, not based on laws, but based on what consumers are demanding (equal rights).
I think we are a long ways from that being the case - but I think we are getting there. Social change takes time and I guess that's part of the empathy thing. Understanding that not everyone who is "anti-feminist" is a bad person, but that they have their opinions based on their own life experiences.
I totally see the same thing happening with the #meetoo movement as well. Men are nervous about what they say and do around women. I almost feel like it is more of a "growing pain" kind of thing though. They were confronted with new information and are trying to figure out how to act with that new information.
Intentions aren't outcomes, though.
Unfair dismissal law, for example, has been devastating to disabled people. I once suggested to an employer, that since our entire role was text based, with no talking required, we could go out and hire a team of deaf people.
Made a great case, and even pointed to a couple of government subsidy programs that would mean substantial savings.
I didn't get an official reply, but I came to understand what wasn't spoken outright.
You can't fire a disabled person, even if they're terrible at their job; as their lawyer can claim the disability played a part in your decision and you get eaten alive in court.
If that's the kind of help vulnerable people can expect from regulation; maybe it's time to scrap the idea.
God that is so true. Once when I was in a management position, I wanted to fire this lady that was terrible - but it took me months of building a case because the company was worried we would get sued because she was a female over 40 that had been injured on the job before.
I definitely think that true change happens in the mindsets and hearts of people - not the legislation that is written by politicians.
I guess all I was saying is there are case studies as well that point to where certain legislation has helped groups - but in the larger scheme of things - I think it is a slippery slope of expecting the government to enact social change - which is not ever going to really work anyway.
Now who are you going to hire? The guy you can fire or the disabled lady you can't?
Doesn't make you sexist or ableist, just means you're responding to incentives.
I know everything you're saying here is true... but it honestly feels like a form of punishment..... 'some of you dobbed on my mates, so now we're not playing with any of you'.
I'm really torn about the regulation side of all of this... I guess the only way to get companies to do the right thing, without laws, is for some trailblazers to show the way... like Henry Ford and his 5 day work week. I think Finland has pretty strong parental leave for both genders that seems pretty fair and is working for them.
The waters are very much muddied by the public sector passtime of finding developing trends, then writing laws to take credit for them. Employers start prioritising safety, fatalities and injuries start dropping, the state writes OHS laws and publicises their results.
If they only show you the right hand side, you'll assume the law is helping
Likewise, as society shifted, making it more acceptable for women to be employed in various roles, the state started rolling out anti-discrimination legislation, etc.
Remember, there are literally millions of unproductive people who have only two goals; Taking credit for anything good that happens, and avoiding blame for anything bad.
Let the market punish bad actors. If you hire and promote based on anything but merit, then you better hope all your competitors, suppliers and customers are doing the same, or you're going to have a bad time.
Matt, this is awesome! I honestly had no idea!
I've worked in the public sector a couple of times on big IT projects, and I can tell you that your bolded comment is spot on... it's also very true of the finance sector... which is all super frustrating when you're trying to enact change.
I do think you're right about merit... as long as merit doesn't get confused with 'qualifications' or opportunities... but again, the market has numerous stories of large companies making terrible, terrible decisions because their management is completely out of touch with their customers.
This is both true, and fantastic, as long as they're not too big to fail and get bailed out.
There's also a long history of these monolithic companies strategically using regulation to keep scrappy, 'unqualified' entrepreneurs from offering their customers a new, exciting, innovative option, keeping those boys clubs from being crushed under the shifting tide of social progress.
I expanded on this in one of my first posts, two years ago.
True Matt. Look at France now. A few cops started to show empathy toward their countrymen in weeks 2-3. Now they have gone full brutal military on them. You would think they understand they work for the people - not the government. But they never do. SK.
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I'm not scared of cops because I obey the law.
I'm not worried about domestic violence, because I always have his dinner warm when he gets home.
At least you get to choose your husband.
I am not worried about anti-encryption legislation because the government wouldn't bother spying on me.
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