Forbes.com reports a new and very interesting study by Catalyst looking at men’s perspective of the equality debate…why some men support it and some don’t. Basically, the more aware a man is of gender bias, and the greater his sense of fair play, the more likely he is to support women’s progress. Reasons for not getting behind women’s issues range from apathy because it would hurt their emplyment chances or not benefit them, to fear from backlash by other men.

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And a more well-rounded one at that, from a survey by Simmons School of Management. Women are risk-takers if you include a more realistic, practical list of what constitutes risk. Read article

Jane Merriman writes for Reuters abut the impact of, in my words, the feminine management style on business risk. It’s worth a read! Article

Jenny Evans of Suite101.com writes a nice article about the ongoing debate addressing the source of gender differences - biology or socialization. If you’ve been following my work, you know that I believe nature is the primary motivator for gender communication and behavorial differences. And I believe socialization reinforces those differences and adds to them. Apparently Ms. Evans holds similar beliefs. Read article

Monica Lim writes about gender stereotypes on her blog, a perspective I am in partial agreement with. I agree completely with her definition of feminism, but I disagree with her downplaying of the impact of biology on gender differences. After studying gender issues and communication for 16 years, I believe most differences stem from biological or physiological sources. Yes, society’s expectations and programming adds to these differences and exaggerates them, but they had to be there in the first place! The secret is to accept our differences and not judge them as right or wrong, good or bad…and that’s where our challenges as a species lie.

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Leon Fontaine writes in the Winnepeg Sun about enjoying differences and learning to work with them for successful marriages. His advice is effective for the workplace as well! He describes three tactics each for men and women, it’s worth a read…

Article

Sharon Schmickle of MinnPost.com writes a compelling post:

““The challenge for women competing in politics or business is less misogyny than unconscious sexism: Americans don’t hate women, but they do frequently stereotype them as warm and friendly, creating a mismatch with the stereotype we hold of leaders as tough and strong,” Kirstof said.

In other words, voters may not be aware of the true reasons they feel that a woman is not the right person for an elected office.”

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Dan Carpenter of IndyStar.com writes a very engaging article about diversity in the 2008 election. An excerpt:

“The frustration is understandable. She’s eminently qualified to be president. No primary election candidate has ever before done this well without winning. Furthermore, none has been asked to walk a tightrope between too-soft and too-manly. None, certainly, has managed to mobilize a feminist-liberal force while touting her appeal to blue-collar whites and her willingness to bomb ‘em like the boys.”

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HRZone.co.uk writes about the changing face of HR and how the job is much more “masculine” than perceived. In previous generations, HR was all about personnel - now it incorporates negotiation, conflict resolution, data management, etc. - decidedly masculine skills whether performed by a woman or a man.

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