Reply to Do people really view certain jobs as beneath them?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I actually think this is one of the roots of subtle sexism and discrimination at work. Women are raised to think that "no job is beneath me", it's part of having empathy for everyone around us, and we tend to be willing to chip in with whatever needs to be done.  Men are raised to think that they are above certain types of work, and they only aim for or do those jobs that are worthy of them.

At my office, most of the technical and management staff are men.  All of the administrative staff are women.  I'm among the technical/management, but am female.  It's amazing how often we have a situation such as: we're all in a conference room, and the coffee pot is empty.  The men keep getting up, trying it, realizing it is (still) empty, and going back to their chair.  I, wanting a cup a coffee, pick it up to take to kitchen for a refill.  My boss, also in the room, says "oh Larla, you don't need to do that, I'll get Larletta (his admin)".  I'm like, why would you call Larletta?  She's on the other side of the building, we are right here!  But in his mind, getting coffee is an admin's job.  In my mind, it's the job of whoever wants coffee.

But guess what - next time the coffee needed refilling, everyone in the room assumed I would do it.  That's fine, except I realized it meant they had mentally moved me "down" a level from peer/manager to admin.  [/quote]

It's not fine! Nice of you to get coffee for others, and I get your larger point, but don't do it next time. When I was the only woman manager in a room of male managers at my last job, they tried just one time to ask me to be the note-taker during a meeting. I flatly said no. They never asked again for me to do "female" work. I might volunteer, but I won't have them assume I'll do it. [/quote]

Pp here. I agree with you, and I don't do it anyone. But it was a hard habit to break after a lifetime of thinking that "team players" will chip in on whatever needs doing and that "no job is beneath me". And I will admit to still feeling guilty asking others to do tasks that are more convenient for me, simply because my role is "above" that.

And it's not just the "female" jobs either. The other day my team was unloading some new equipment that arrived for our project. I, as the team lead, jumped in and started carrying boxes. A few guys came up to me and said I didn't need to carry that, they'd get the techs to take care of it for me. [/quote]

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