See, I think raising awareness ought to go a long way just by itself. I say "ought to" because I like to believe that most people aren't assholes and aren't purposely trying to discriminate against women. By raising awareness about the unconscious ways that biases act against women, one hopes that people become more conscious of their actions and work harder to be more egalitarian.
However, I do realize that this is a pretty rosy-eyed view of the world. It's one thing to be aware of unconscious bias, and another thing to actively work against it. There are many who will deny that unconscious bias even exists or think that they aren't part of the problem. Also, there are some real assholes out there who do actively discriminate.
Me, I'd like to thwack people over the head. But that's a lot of people to thwack. And, as it turns out, thwacking is a poor negotiating tool, however fun it might be.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-08-01 01:48 am (UTC)However, I do realize that this is a pretty rosy-eyed view of the world. It's one thing to be aware of unconscious bias, and another thing to actively work against it. There are many who will deny that unconscious bias even exists or think that they aren't part of the problem. Also, there are some real assholes out there who do actively discriminate.
Me, I'd like to thwack people over the head. But that's a lot of people to thwack. And, as it turns out, thwacking is a poor negotiating tool, however fun it might be.