Blog One

Kelly Williams
September 12, 2007
Prof. Bernard, Prof. Scott

BLOG ONE

I have become excited about the topic of women and their importance in leadership roles. The readings from Marie C. Wilson is giving me the opportunity to look deeper into what has become an issue that even today, women face both at home and especially in the workplace from a society who’s authority has been predominately male for centuries. Reading the statistics that has been provided astounded me at first; to have that realization that women, in general, had to wait many years to hold the leadership positions they do, but still not equal to their male counterparts. Wilson’s book, “Closing the Leadership Gap” has brought to my attention those statistics as well as bringing to light an argument based on historical fact but also for once sharing it with the public in a logical way.
One particular section that interested me as I was reading was the part in chapter four is called, “Appropriate Ambitions.” The quote that began this section of the chapter stood out to me, for I have heard this saying before, “Show me a woman without guilt and I will show you a man.” (Wilson, 56). Immediately after I read those thirteen words I felt a little offended. Why? I felt offended because, in my opinion, the sentence itself places an image onto a woman when being compared to a man, it saying that any woman who didn’t feel guilt was referenced to a man, who are believed to share that quality. However my understanding of this sentence in the context that Wilson used it, became clear after reading the chapter. It fueled my idea that just because women, who are married and raise their children, who are educated, etc, lets not forget they are also capable of having an opinion. What I dislike the most is seeing society place the same hindering stereotypes on women, especially in high positions. The example that Wilson uses is Hilary Rodham Clinton. She was studying law during her husband’s run for the presidential office and already was well educated. People viewed her more political herself than what a politicians wife should be. That stereotype of being a wife obviously didn’t fit to her mold with the public.
For the end of this week, I thoroughly enjoyed the readings from Wilson. She gave me insight to the real life struggle that women have gone through in the past, but continue to go through even today. For the first time in our country’s history we have a woman running for president. Hasn’t it been too long? That’s question I have found myself asking each week. I hope that next week my understanding of this issue with become more concrete as we get to explore deeper into women and their leadership roles.