Men in the Workplace: Power and Privilege

I am a man. Therefore, I am privileged in the workplace.

There are benefits I receive that I did not earn. They are mine because I am a man.

Unawareness of privilege is at the heart of many issues of discrimination. Because I am unaware of privilege I may see women’s absence from leadership positions as the result of lack of ability, lack of preparation or even a personal choice on the part of women. I fail to see how historic and traditional practices have caused these disparities.

Privilege can be created and sustained without intent and without overt, conscious sexism. Having privilege doesn’t mean you are a bad person.

Privilege is pervasive in subtle, small ways that gradually add up over a lifetime. For example, being the only women in the team meeting adds pressure to represent women in addition to representing your position. The accumulated stress has negative secondary consequences in areas like health, relationships, motivation, etc.

So long as we tolerate male privilege we dismiss the opportunity for equal opportunity.

What are these benefits? In On Atlas, a Blog, Barry Deutsch, writes an article that he is constantly updating titled “The Male Privilege Checklist.” Many are general but you can see many examples related to the workplace on his list, including:
1. My odds of being hired for a job, when competing against female applicants, are probably skewed in my favor. The more prestigious the job, the larger the odds are skewed.
2. I can be confident that my co-workers won’t think I got my job because of my sex – even though that might be true.
3. If I am never promoted, it’s not because of my sex.
4. If I fail in my job or career, I can feel sure this won’t be seen as a black mark against my entire sex’s capabilities.
5. I am far less likely to face sexual harassment at work than my female co-workers are.
6. If I do the same task as a woman, and if the measurement is at all subjective, chances are people will think I did a better job.
7. My elected representatives are mostly people of my own sex. The more prestigious and powerful the elected position, the more this is true.
8. The decision to hire me will not be based on assumptions about whether or not I might choose to have a family sometime soon.
9. If I am in a leadership position, my immediate supervisor and the company executive are most likely to share my gender.

Stereotyping also has implications for gender power and privilege. In “Catalyst Study Exposes How Gender-Based Stereotyping Sabotages Women in the Workplace” it was found that stereotyping undermines women’s capacity to lead and seriously challenges women’s advancement.

According to the study, men consider women to be less adept at problem solving – a significant trait expected of leaders and CEOs. Since men currently outnumber women in top management positions this male held stereotype dominates current corporate thinking and may explain why, although women account for half of all management and professional positions, they only account for 2% of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 CEOs.

The study recommends companies institute more rigorous and transparent performance evaluation processes; implement checks and balances to safeguard against stereotyping; educate managers and executives about the often latent influence of stereotyping and about ways to override automatic tendencies to use stereotyping; and showcase the achievements of women leaders, particularly those in traditionally male-dominated fields.

Why does it matter? Because having the best talent is key to surviving in the global economy. We simply cannot afford to dismiss the vital talent pool of women.

Male power and privilege can only be overcome through transparency. Shining the light of truth will demonstrate women’s comparable problem-solving skills with men. Beyond that however it will take conscientious men purposefully taking steps to eliminate inequalities to rebalance this situation. Be real. Real men compete fairly.