The authority gap Why women are still taken less seriously than men, and what we can do about it

Mary Ann Sieghart, 1961-

Book - 2022

"An incisive, intersectional look at the mother of all gender biases: a resistance to women's authority and power. Every woman has a story of being underestimated, ignored, challenged, or patronized in the workplace. Maybe she tried to speak up in a meeting, only to be talked over by male colleagues. Or a client addressed her male subordinate instead of her. Despite the progress we've made toward equality, we still fail, more often than we might realize, to take women as seriously as men. In The Authority Gap, journalist Mary Ann Sieghart examines the wide-ranging implications of this critical gender bias. She explores its intersections with race and class biases and the measures we can take to bridge the gap. With precision ...and insight, she marshals a wealth of data from a variety of disciplines-including psychology, sociology, politics, and business-and interviews pioneering women like Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo and Janet Yellen."--

Saved in:

2nd Floor Show me where

305.42/Sieghart
0 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 305.42/Sieghart Due Apr 13, 2024
Subjects
Published
New York, NY : W. W. Norton & Company, Inc 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Mary Ann Sieghart, 1961- (author)
Edition
First American edition
Physical Description
viii, 375 pages ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-359) and index.
ISBN
9780393867756
  • Introduction: Why Bart Simpson has more authority than Margaret Thatcher
  • You don't have to read this chapter (unless you're a sceptic about the authority gap)
  • The view from the other side: what we can learn about men and women from people who've lived as both
  • The authority gap in action: if you could just let me fini-
  • It's not a zero-sum game: we all gain from narrowing the authority gap
  • The confidence trick: confidence is not the same as competence
  • Conversational manspreading: how men hog the floor
  • Changing our minds: how hard it is for women to exert influence
  • Hello? Anyone there? Voices in the void
  • Women do it too: how our reptilian brains work against us
  • It's all around us: the world is framed by men
  • Lady Macbeth meets Medusa: why do we hate women in power?
  • Bias entangled: the busy intersection of prejudice
  • All things bright and beautiful: or maybe if you're beautiful, you can't be bright?
  • Shut your whore mouth! The dangers of having an opinion and a vagina
  • No need to despair: we can narrow the authority gap in one generation.
Review by Booklist Review

If a woman asserts herself, she is pushy; if she doesn't, she isn't heard. This conundrum is explored deeply here, using both scientific studies and interviews with powerful women like Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen and former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard. Sieghart specifically addresses those who don't believe such an authority gap exists. Research shows that both men and women have an unconscious bias against the expertise and authority of anyone who identifies as a woman, whether in politics, the workplace, religion, or the media. In fact, many men just don't engage with woman experts. An interview with trans men and women reveals the difference in treatment pre- and post-transition. Sieghart discusses impostor syndrome versus "conversational manspreading," which leads to men's voices being prioritized. Though she suggests that women lean in to likability, she acknowledges that the problem is so deeply seeded that only systemic change will close the gender authority gap. Fortunately, she ends with solutions that individuals, colleagues, teachers, and the media can implement. Thoroughly researched and compellingly written, The Authority Gap is a must-read for all genders.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Journalist Sieghart debuts with a cogent analysis of the ways in which women are denied the respect and authority given to men. Contending that society's assumptions about women stand in the way of their ability to reach their potential, Sieghart cites evidence that "women are much more likely to be interrupted than men," that teachers encourage and expect more from boys than girls, and that women are judged based on appearance rather than competence. Sieghart also notes that neuroscientist Ben Barres, a trans man, believed that his career path and scholarly standing improved after his transition ("I can even complete a whole sentence without being interrupted by a man," he wrote in an article Nature). Meanwhile, interviews with novelist Bernardine Evaristo, U.S. treasury secretary Janet Yellen, and other high achievers make clear that even women at the top of their fields have been underestimated, dismissed, and ignored. Sieghart's blueprint for closing the authority gap includes advice for individuals ("Become aware of our bias in everyday interactions") and employers ("Keep meticulous track of how women are doing in our organization compared with men"). Skillfully interweaving psychology, sociology, politics, and pop culture, this a persuasive introduction to the problem of gender bias. (Feb.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

In this debut, journalist Sieghart shows how professional-managerial women face gender bias today; even those who are highly qualified and skilled and excel in their careers are often talked over by male colleagues at meetings, overlooked, underestimated, or patronized. Sieghart contends that this results from an authority gap between men and women and examines how gender bias works in various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, and business. In addition to presenting research on gender bias, the author conducts interviews with women who work in fields like academia and politics, which work as case studies of experiences of gender bias. Sieghart's interview subjects include Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo; Anne Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox; Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy; Frances Morris, director of the Tate Modern museum; and Julia Gillard, former prime minister of Australia. Sieghart takes particular care to interview trans men and women about their experiences and how they were treated at work after transitioning. Sieghart argues that the first step in changing corporate culture is to admit that the authority gap exists. VERDICT A practical book about gender bias and how to alleviate it. Highly recommended.--Lucy Heckman

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

An examination of "the mother of all gender gaps." London-based journalist Sieghart recounts how, while attending a conference, she sat next to a banker who inquired about her occupation. After she answered, he exclaimed, "Wow, you're a busy little girl!" She was 50 at the time. This is just one of the many examples that the author offers as evidence that, despite some progress, women are still taken less seriously than men. Sieghart contends that women (and those who identify as women) are still routinely patronized by men, have their views ignored or their expertise challenged, are talked over by male colleagues, and have subordinates resist them as bosses. To further support her claims, the author provides details from research studies as well as interviews with numerous women who have held high-ranking positions. These include Madeleine Albright, Janet Yellen, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Bachelet, and Julia Gillard, who also provide firsthand accounts of their experiences. Sieghart examines the biases that many men (as well as women) have toward women, which are often "irrational and anachronistic product[s] of social conditioning and outdated stereotypes." From an early age, she writes, "we absorb the notion that girls and women are designed to be ornamental and boys and men to be instrumental." The author also contends that adults reinforce these stereotypes, often unwittingly, when they engage with children. To counteract this problem, she delivers meaningful and easily actionable suggestions for individuals and society. For example, Sieghart suggests that if fathers are more involved in raising their children, sons will "have a more egalitarian perspective" of women's roles. Regarding schooling, the author shows how teachers can help increase the confidence of girls by encouraging them to speak up in class. She also implores journalists to resist devoting so much time to women's appearances. An important and hopeful reminder that much work is still needed in order to bridge unjust gaps between women and men. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.