Great article on power and gender dynamics – which go far beyond the US case studies the author examines.
This quote really succinctly summarizes some key pieces of the male-dominated status quo, in my opinion.
According to this script, power is meritocratic; those who earn it do so individually through their own hard work. Power has a particular look and a particular sound: tall and deep-voiced. Power is all-encompassing: a partner and children are the backdrop for a life centered on the pursuit of greatness; family indicates that the powerful person is grounded enough to be trusted, but the family is fundamentally a body that benefits from the powerful person, not a body that benefits him and fundamentally enables his success. (Bold mine).
And here is an alternate option:
From these women, the message is clear: Their strength comes from collaborative, generational efforts to move toward the good. The promise of America is not the possibility of individuals going at it alone and achieving in a high-profile way as a result, and the purpose of politics is not personal empowerment. The gift of power requires the responsibility of appreciating who came before you and how you might do your part to push forward. Powerful men have always considered their individual legacies. These powerful women seem more interested in their role in improving an evolving and complex ecosystem. (Bold mine).
Women shouldn’t adapt to the existing lie; men in the political realm should be more honest. (Bold mine).
Thoughts?
When Honest Women Replace ‘Self-Made’ Men https://nyti.ms/2H5HQLW
