Intersectionality of women in their workplaces

The concept of gender equality in workplaces has been a trending topic over the years. Aside from gender equality, race also plays a role in equality in the workplace. Experts believe that race and gender are quite intersectional in different workspaces. Over the years, women's rights to have the same power or position at work similar to their male counterparts have been discussed, with laws nowadays requiring that most companies have a particular percentage of female employees despite the field of work. However, despite all these efforts and women having the right to hold the same positions as male employees, different expectations come with gender and how white and black women are perceived in different workspaces.

There are various social groups in our society. Various women from different racial backgrounds and social groups face different workplace challenges and experiences. The experiences of black, white, and Asian women, however similar they may be because of their gender, also vary greatly depending on their background. This helps to push forth the idea of intersectionality in the workplace by exploring different perspectives. Intersectionality is an idea behind the varying differences in social categories. It may range from exploring different social classes, religions, sexual orientations, physical ability, and the role they play in shaping an individual's identity and life experience. The idea of intersectionality stemmed from how different black and Asian women felt alienated from their social identities because of the issues arising from their gender and race. In cases of lawsuits, racial discrimination and gender discrimination were viewed as separate entities, so they felt underrepresented because they experienced both racial and gender discrimination (Rosette, Ponce de Leon, Koval, and Harrison, 2018). Therefore, intersectionality as a concept was brought forth due to these experiences being simultaneous.

When exploring intersectionality in the different organizational experiences at workplaces, gender stereotypes and backlash, gender bias and job roles and race and sexual harassment should be paid attention to.  There have been many stereotypes towards women that women are often ruled by their emotions, submissive, and not fit to be in leadership positions. Often black women are viewed as aggressive and dominant, while Asian women are viewed as subversive and competent. Compared to white women, who are expected to be warm and graceful black women are viewed as domineering, and when they do not conform to the expectations afforded to white women, they suffer backlash (Rosette, Ponce de Leon, Koval and Harrison, 2018). For Asian women, the stereotype surrounding them as docile or submissive may sometimes hinder them from getting dominant positions despite their competence. It applies to hiring and getting leadership roles, employers shy from hiring and promoting women with dominant characteristics. Due to these biases, many women fail to advance their careers and remain in the same roles.

Job roles, occupation types, salaries, and positions are considered when it comes to gender bias and job roles. As a result of traditional gender roles that expect women to be home keepers and men bread winners, over the years while white men occupied high status jobs while white women occupied low-status jobs like teachers or nurses. Black women are often given job roles that are manual because of the notion that they are not as competent as other white or Asian women. In contrast, Asian women get more professional jobs because of their assumed competency. When it comes to the motherhood penalty, white women are more likely to suffer from it than Asian women due to the family system in Asian cultures where the extended family chips in to take care of the kids (Rosette, Ponce de Leon, Koval, and Harrison, 2018). Meanwhile, black women are expected to continue working even after getting kids, but their competency and commitment to work are highly questioned.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is something that has plagued many women. With men in higher positions and women being subordinates, the men in higher positions believe they can use their authority and assert it on their subordinates. The frequency of sexual harassment, the difference in the occurrences and the consequences followed are important in the discussion about the sexual harassment of women in their workplaces. The frequency of sexual harassment in women of color is higher than that for white women, often because they are in more low-income jobs (Rosette, Ponce de Leon, Koval, and Harrison, 2018). Although these cases are reported, they often do not distinguish that the harassment was racially targeted. Often the cases of sexual harassment against women of color do not get as much traction as those of their white peers. Due to the various psychological and legal difficulties women experience due to sexual harassment, organizations should be more diligent in ensuring that all women, despite their racial backgrounds, are well protected.

Different relationships to intersectionality are also explored, the relation with Latinas, social class, and sexual orientation. There are few pieces of research on intersectionality within Latinas, they are often stereotyped as flirtatious and promiscuous and often get low-income jobs (Rosette, Ponce de Leon, Koval, and Harrison, 2018). Women who are not heterosexual are not given the same opportunities as those considered 'normal 'by society. Women not in the middle to upper strata in social classes do not get equal opportunities to those believed to have a high status in society. Therefore, other than their racial backgrounds, these other factors also play a role in how society perceives women.

The rosette article is an encapsulation of different articles that have been written and discussed. The Rivera article about Diversity within reach: Recruitment versus hiring in elite firms has been summarized in the Rosette article about how different it is for women from various racial backgrounds regarding hiring and recruitment in various firms (Rivera, 2011). The Rosette article explains how gender bias and stereotypes play a role in determining the recruitment and hiring process. Despite these two articles having different authors, the message behind them is clear: firms take gender and race into consideration when hiring.

Despite policies that give women the same right as men in workplaces, there is still some disparity in how women are treated in their workplaces that is directly related to their background, racially or socially. Gender stereotypes, biases, job roles, and instances of sexual harassment are different forms of intersectionality explored when it comes to women's experiences in workplaces. Organizations need to consider that however different women are, their positions and competence should be measured by their skills and not the color of their skin.

References

Rosette, A., Ponce de Leon, R., Koval, C., and Harrison, D., 2018. Intersectionality: Connecting experiences of gender with race at work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 38, pp.1-      22.

Rivera, L., 2011. Diversity within Reach. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political           and    Social Science, 639(1), pp.71-90.