Book contents
- Panes of the Glass Ceiling
- Panes of the Glass Ceiling
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Attribution
- Introduction
- 1 “We See You Differently Than We See Men” (But)
- 2 “We Expect You to Take Your (Verbal) Punches Like a Man” (And)
- 3 “Accept ‘Locker Room’ and Sexist Talk” (But)
- 4 “You Don’t Operate with Full Agency” (But)
- 5 “Women Are the Downfall of Men” (So)
- 6 “Just Be Grateful That You’re There” (And)
- 7 “Don’t Burden Us with Your (Impending) Motherhood” (Because)
- 8 “He Has a Family to Support” (And Besides …)
- 9 “Bad People Don’t Do Good Things, but Good People Frequently Say Bad Things” (and Employment Discrimination Plaintiffs Can’t Be Fully Trusted)
- Conclusion
- Index
3 - “Accept ‘Locker Room’ and Sexist Talk” (But)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 March 2022
- Panes of the Glass Ceiling
- Panes of the Glass Ceiling
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Attribution
- Introduction
- 1 “We See You Differently Than We See Men” (But)
- 2 “We Expect You to Take Your (Verbal) Punches Like a Man” (And)
- 3 “Accept ‘Locker Room’ and Sexist Talk” (But)
- 4 “You Don’t Operate with Full Agency” (But)
- 5 “Women Are the Downfall of Men” (So)
- 6 “Just Be Grateful That You’re There” (And)
- 7 “Don’t Burden Us with Your (Impending) Motherhood” (Because)
- 8 “He Has a Family to Support” (And Besides …)
- 9 “Bad People Don’t Do Good Things, but Good People Frequently Say Bad Things” (and Employment Discrimination Plaintiffs Can’t Be Fully Trusted)
- Conclusion
- Index
Summary
The (unspoken) belief that women in the workplace should “accept locker room talk” as something that not only goes on but may be perfectly fine in their working environments does not seem at first blush like one that the typical American workplace would want to be transmitting in modern times. After all, what is often termed “locker room talk,” while not necessarily that which rises to the level of unlawful sexual harassment targeted at a particular subject, is considered crass and demeaning to or objectifying of women generally. It can be incredibly noxious and inimical to the comfort and progress of women and men in a workplace. Further, the very terming of this speech as “locker room talk” conveys the notions that (1) it is natural, common, and understandable; (2) there is a natural physical space (the locker room) and an ideological space for it in the world where it is sanctioned/given sanctuary; and (3) to the extent that it is (over)heard, it is just harmless speech that has escaped from the locker room and should not be surprising. In other words, “boys will be boys.” Some may even hold the belief that letting employees let their hair down in this manner builds camaraderie.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Panes of the Glass CeilingThe Unspoken Beliefs Behind the Law's Failure to Help Women Achieve Professional Parity, pp. 79 - 104Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022