Sexual Harassment @ Work

[xoxoxoBruce]

Psychology Today has an article entitled, "Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature". Truth #10 is....

Men sexually harass women because they are not sexist
An unfortunate consequence of the ever-growing number of women joining the labor force and working side by side with men is the increasing number of sexual harassment cases. Why must sexual harassment be a necessary consequence of the sexual integration of the workplace?

Psychologist Kingsley R. Browne identifies two types of sexual harassment cases: the quid pro quo ("You must sleep with me if you want to keep your job or be promoted") and the "hostile environment" (the workplace is deemed too sexualized for workers to feel safe and comfortable). While feminists and social scientists tend to explain sexual harassment in terms of "patriarchy" and other ideologies, Browne locates the ultimate cause of both types of sexual harassment in sex differences in mating strategies.

Studies demonstrate unequivocally that men are far more interested in short-term casual sex than women. In one now-classic study, 75 percent of undergraduate men approached by an attractive female stranger agreed to have sex with her; none of the women approached by an attractive male stranger did. Many men who would not date the stranger nonetheless agreed to have sex with her.

The quid pro quo types of harassment are manifestations of men's greater desire for short-term casual sex and their willingness to use any available means to achieve that goal. Feminists often claim that sexual harassment is "not about sex but about power;" Browne contends it is both—men using power to get sex. "To say that it is only about power makes no more sense than saying that bank robbery is only about guns, not about money."

Sexual harassment cases of the hostile-environment variety result from sex differences in what men and women perceive as "overly sexual" or "hostile" behavior. Many women legitimately complain that they have been subjected to abusive, intimidating, and degrading treatment by their male coworkers. Browne points out that long before women entered the labor force, men subjected each other to such abusive, intimidating, and degrading treatment.

Abuse, intimidation, and degradation are all part of men's repertoire of tactics employed in competitive situations. In other words, men are not treating women differently from men—the definition of discrimination, under which sexual harassment legally falls—but the opposite: Men harass women precisely because they are not discriminating between men and women.

So you see, equality isn't all it's cracked to be. What you really want, ladies, is preferential treatment.

[Cloud]

so, men harass women because they're just sluts and can't help themselves? Don't believe that, nor do I believe that motive makes the behavior innoccuous.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Did it ever occur to you that you're not being harassed? The fact that you feel offended does not mean anyone actually did anything wrong, other than in your mind.

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

What you really want, ladies, is preferential treatment.

Damn straight.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Did it ever occur to you that you're not being harassed? The fact that you feel offended does not mean anyone actually did anything wrong, other than in your mind.

I would agree, that is until the woman tells the man that they feel like they are being sexually harassed. The problem is that most woman do not speak up until they become increasingly agitated and then drop the bomb saying that they had to endure XXXX-months-years of this "hostile work environment". When all along all they had to do was to speak up on the first and few subsequent incidents and maybe no one would have been hurt or fired. Certainly the argument can be easily made that the man should not have done it in the first place, given. That is not the issue, IMHO. Most work environments have strong rules about sexual harassement and how it is dealt with. People just need to follow the rules or pay the price of their actions, or in my example, inactions.

[xoxoxoBruce]

If I say to a man, "nice tie", that's certainly acceptable.... unless I'm openly queer. Then it could be deemed sexual harassment by a homophobe and his complaint would be considered serious by management desperately trying to be politically correct.

With women, it becomes infinitely more complicated. If I say nice blouse, I have to worry about her feeling I said it in a salacious manner. Or she felt I was leering at the time. Then I stand accused of creating a hostile workplace when the hostility is hers.


Oh, and I can't say her hair smells nice... if I'm a midget.

[Cloud]

how about drilling a hole through the wall of the women's restroom so they can watch the ladies go to the bathroom? or staring at your secretary's boobs, snapping her bra strap, and finally groping her boobs, after being repeatedly asked to stop the behavior? Or the guy who gave his coworker a rufie, coaxed her to the storeroom, and raped her after she wouldn't go out with him?

These are actions from actual cases I've been involved in. But--women are entirely taking these actions from the poor misunderstood guys out of context--right?

Now, I've also been involved in cases where the "sexual harassment" has been misinterpreted, blown out of proportion, or just plain fabricated for a variety of reasons, mostly money, so I agree that sometimes it can happen.

But guys, don't pat yourselves on the back too much thinking that it's all a case of Venus/Mars misunderstanding--it's not. Sexual harassment is real, and a real problem in the workplace.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Cloud

But guys, don't pat yourselves on the back too much thinking that it's all a case of Venus/Mars misunderstanding--it's not. Sexual harassment is real, and a real problem in the workplace.

I agree, and anyone who has worked in the government in the last 20 years knows just how serious it is, and just how overblown it has become, and just how manipulative individuals can be if they think they are getting back at you for something if you are a supervisior. That sword has two edges.

[Cloud]

it's like any problem--before you can control it, you have to drag it out in the open, make it register on people's consciousness, make it a big deal for a while. Otherwise, the problem gets ignored, obfuscated, and not dealt with, leaving those people who are truly victims with no recourse.

[DanaC]

It is real. Every case is not the same, however. I think the point Merc made about it not being harrassment until the woman says she feels she is being harrassed actually has a lot of merit. There are I think may instances where women have perceived men to be harrassing them and the man has intended no such thing. If the woman comments on feeling uncomfortable and the man persists then he is wilfully engaging in behaviour that makes a woman feel harrassed.

That said there are plenty of cases of men using greater rank or seniority as a lever with female coworkers and subordinates. I remember working at a clothes shop when I was in my early twenties and the guy who ran the clothes shop was a complete twat. He particularly picked on the younger, saturday workers and new school leavers. He used to encourage 'his girls' to wear new lines of clothing in store to show them off. I caught him once, stood on the stairs, using a mirror to spy on this 16 year old whilst she was changing in the staff area. Another girl, 17, he frightened the shit out of having had her work late stocktaking, by giving her a lift home and stopping on a country lane to try his luck.

That's a fairly extreme case, but I know of plenty of genuine cases of women being subjected to highly intimidating behaviour, or alternatively being subjected to a complete and devastating character assassination, or constructive dismissal for the heinous crime of not fancying/sleeping with/accepting unpleasant advances from their boss.

I think the idea that this is just men continuing their age old strategies of contest within work relationships has some resonance. I also think that men (like women) are more in control of their baser instincts than the article credits them with being.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Cloud

it's like any problem--before you can control it, you have to drag it out in the open, make it register on people's consciousness, make it a big deal for a while. Otherwise, the problem gets ignored, obfuscated, and not dealt with, leaving those people who are truly victims with no recourse.

Agree, 100%.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Cloud

it's like any problem--before you can control it, you have to drag it out in the open, make it register on people's consciousness, make it a big deal for a while. Otherwise, the problem gets ignored, obfuscated, and not dealt with, leaving those people who are truly victims with no recourse.

That's what I'm doing.

I find the women that work in a blue collar environment are as disgusted/amused with the corporate PC bullshit as the men. Probably because they have men cow orkers, that are friends, and will step in if things get out of hand. There are occasional cases of genuine harassment, just as there are occasional cases of women using the rules for revenge/profit.

However, the white collar women are quick to complain about what they perceive as "inappropriate behavior", real or imagined.

Of course I'm speaking of a work environment with thousands of people... and a union, which always offers recourse.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Probably because they have men cow orkers, that are friends, and will step in if things get out of hand.

Cow workers:

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

What you really want, ladies, is preferential treatment.

Originally Posted by Brianna

Damn straight.

I thought the same. "So what's wrong with preferentail treatment?"
Hot tea served by the cute male assistant....no wait...that's sexual harrasment huh?


ok..all kidding aside I think the word 'hostile enviroment' is misused.

I can't imagine anyone gasping if a man said their blouse was nice unless he was peering down into the cleavage with his specticles.

Infact I didn't like that entire article. Maybe I'm dumb and didn't catch on that these are really 10 myths?

I am not accepting the trial offer at the end of the page. Psychology today is becomming tabloid I guess.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Cow workers:

It's not cow workers, it's cow orkers.