In the previous few weeks, I learned about and
observed some examples of microaggressions. After that, I was able to explore
personal biases as well as institutional prejudices as sources of inequities
and oppression, and that bias and prejudice themselves are learned. Thus, the
memories that I have of an incident when I experienced bias, prejudice, and/or
oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and or
oppression was, three years ago, at my old job that I had been working at for
seven years at the time, denied me a promotion because I was too young and had
a small child that my boss felt would occupy my time. Thus, my boss assumed, I would not be able to
stay focused or would be needing to take time off from work because of child
illnesses or etc… It was at this very
moment that I understood how people felt when they thought they had been
discriminated against, annihilated, stereotyped, taken advantage of, and
stabbed in the back…
This incident and actions expressed by my boss
diminished equity by expressing that because I was young and a new mom,
although very qualified for the job and having been employed with the company
for seven years prior to applying for the position, that when it comes to a
company’s bottom line(economic status) equity is only a notion because, although,
I would never do my job any less that I had done prior to having a child, I was
still discriminated against as a women and mother by my boss (who happened to
me a mother and women) who often indicated that she regretted at times that she
spent more time at work than with her two sons as they were growing up.
In order to turn the incident around that I
experienced, there would have to be a push for better equal rights for women;
men have children and get promoted all the time and are never questioned about their
ability to complete the guidelines of the job because they are a parent yet,
women are Oster sized if they are a woman that wants to provide for her family,
have a career, and a family. The world must truly understand that women are
structured to multi takes and strong enough to withstand the necessary stress
and guidelines to have a family and run a company at the same time.
Neketha,
ReplyDeleteI really think that is definitely a form of discrimination and I also think that is and was illegal. When interviewing potential employees for a position, there are certain questions you are not allowed to ask and this seems to be one of them. I think your employer would have to know this and to outright state this to be a reason for not promoting you is wrong. I was laid off from a job and was not called back but men with less time on the job was called back. When i found this out, I did not sit well with me. As I begin to ask questions, I was told that I could not do the work in the department they were called back to. However, that was the department I was hired into and worked there three years I think before being laid off. I filed with the EEOC on the basis of discrimination and although I was not called back, I was compensated for the time I should have been working. I can't remember the legal term the company used as to not admit right or wrong doings in this case. I had to step up and change things in order for this to turn into an opportunity for greater equity.
Neketha,
ReplyDeleteWow, it's unfortunate you had to go through that experience, even though you had qualified for the job and that your boss is in the same position as you are. I think she could've given you a chance to see how you cold handle the tasks of the new job.
Karla
Neketha,
ReplyDeleteI wonder at this also, I have never heard of a man being asked how many children he plans to have. A man is never asked to give up a day if a child is sick it is becoming seen sometimes because some men care enough about raising their children. Careers for men and women usually mean a nanny is involved or long day care hours and then are the parents really raising the children? Jill