feminism in the stacks
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Feminism in the Stacks
Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters2010 Conference March 26, 2010
Sharon Ladenson Michigan State University Libraries
Gloriane Peck Library of Michigan
Issues to Consider
• Do Generation X librarians consider themselves to be feminists?
• What impact does feminism have on the work of Generation X librarians and others?
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Flickr Commons/natashalcd
Issues to Consider
• Do differences among the generations shape gendered communication in libraries?
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Life images/Google
Issues to Consider
• What are the differences between second and third wave feminism, and how have the changes in feminist philosophy and activism influenced Gen-X librarians and others?
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Flickr Commons/Linden Tea
Data Collection
• Survey Monkey• Distributed to electronic discussion
lists• 560 responses between December
11, 2009 and January 31, 2010
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
About the Respondents
• 87.9 percent were female• 42.9 percent were Generation Xers
– Ages 29 to 43• 38.2 percent were Baby Boomers
– Ages 44 to 63• 17.9 percent were Millennials
– Ages 20 to 28• 1.1 percent were Traditionalists
– Ages 64 and older
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Feminist Identity
• More than three-quarters (78.6 percent) identified as feminist.
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Flickr Commons/Jay Morrison
Second Wave Feminism
• Resurgence of feminism during the 1960s and 1970s– Viewed the personal
as political• Beauty standards• Sexuality and
gender roles• Violence against
women
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Third Wave Feminism
• “The defining characteristic of the third wave is coming of age in the 1980s and 1990s.” (Gilley)
• Women of color• Celebrate individual
freedom of choice• Sexuality and gender
bending
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Defining Feminism
• Individual choice• Equality• Diversity of gender
identities• Awareness of gender
bias
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Influencing Library Work
• Treating patrons and colleagues equally
• Balanced viewpoints in collection development and in reference service
• The library as a place for all people
• Promoting self-esteem of users
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Life images/Google
Gender and Promotion
• Studies focused on women in management positions– Increasing number of
women in top jobs
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
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Gender and Promotion
• Nearly three-quarters (72.7 percent) said it is their opinion that gender does not have an impact on hiring or promotion
• But the qualitative findings present a very different picture.– Men more quickly promoted– Men sought out to promote diversity
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Gender in the Workplace• Family-friendly scheduling
practices and policies for both women and men
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Workplace Communication• Literature documents gender
differences in communication– Women use more words, both written
and verbal– Men are more likely to interrupt– Women ask more questions, while
men emphasize achievements more.
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Workplace Communication• Some examples from survey respondents
of the impact of gender on communication:– My “identity as a feminist makes me more
liable to label something as sexist, inappropriate or systematic.”
– Some men interrupt and dismiss contributions from women
– “Women in our library tend to discuss, examine and thrash out problems and ideas. It is very hard to engage our male colleagues to do the same.”
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Workplace Communication• Many respondents said age has a
greater impact than gender on communication in the workplace.– Most notably Generation X and
Millennial respondents– Some younger and newer librarians
feel less valued and heard by older colleagues.
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Workplace Communication• Impact of technology noted by
literature, some survey respondents– Some younger librarians addressed
difficulty introducing new technologies
– Some older librarians disputed the notion of a technology gap
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
Conclusions
• Quantitative data support existing research showing the increase of women in library management positions
• Qualitative data illustrate that gender bias and discrimination remain problematic in libraries
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010
For Future Study
• Investigate the impact of sexuality and race on hiring, promotion and management in libraries.
• Explore connections between feminist identity and involvement in library public service, as survey respondents noted that feminism shapes their approach to treating all patrons equally.
• Investigate how attitudes about feminism change over time.
Feminism in the Stacks Michigan Academy 2010