In fleeting moment of insanity, I purchased an issue of the Harvard Business Review while in the airport. The magazine cost me $17. It didn't have free perfume samples or tell me the 100 things men are dying to try in bed.
Rest assured. It was worth every penny.
There was an article called "Hot or Not," which touched on a subject that my friends and I have been discussing for some time. Do prettier people get ahead in the workplace? Is it fair?
The author, Alison Beard, introduced a concept that she calls "erotic capital." As the article described, this entails "a mix of beauty, sex appeal, self-presentation, and people skills." Is it reasonable to use your charms in the office? Is it fair that, in America, a pretty face will earn (on average) 5% more?
Let's back up. I have a friend who works in a male-dominated industry. Being a woman who graduated from a technical college, this is no surprise. However, she feels/felt hostile about being a woman in a male-prominent place of employment. She believes that she is treated differently because she is a woman, is held to a different standard than men, and has to work that much harder to prove herself to her male counterparts.
Do I think her notions are accurate? Yes. Do I think women get treated differently from men in the workplace? Absolutely. Would I have it any other way? No.
Enter erotic capital.
What I think women should start doing is using their god-given womanly charms to get ahead, not just in the office, but in all aspects of life. No woman should go out of her way to be "one of the guys" just to fit in. Nor should they feel compelled to compete or outdo their male co-workers. You'd be surprised how far a genuine smile or a new perfume will go when it comes to asking your male co-workers for a favor or for some assistance.
Let me be clear. I'm not saying that you should put on your best push-up bra and highest pair of high heels everyday for work. Don't make yourself a sexual object. But quit going against the grain! Embrace your femininity.
Rest assured. It was worth every penny.
There was an article called "Hot or Not," which touched on a subject that my friends and I have been discussing for some time. Do prettier people get ahead in the workplace? Is it fair?
The author, Alison Beard, introduced a concept that she calls "erotic capital." As the article described, this entails "a mix of beauty, sex appeal, self-presentation, and people skills." Is it reasonable to use your charms in the office? Is it fair that, in America, a pretty face will earn (on average) 5% more?
Let's back up. I have a friend who works in a male-dominated industry. Being a woman who graduated from a technical college, this is no surprise. However, she feels/felt hostile about being a woman in a male-prominent place of employment. She believes that she is treated differently because she is a woman, is held to a different standard than men, and has to work that much harder to prove herself to her male counterparts.
Do I think her notions are accurate? Yes. Do I think women get treated differently from men in the workplace? Absolutely. Would I have it any other way? No.
Enter erotic capital.
What I think women should start doing is using their god-given womanly charms to get ahead, not just in the office, but in all aspects of life. No woman should go out of her way to be "one of the guys" just to fit in. Nor should they feel compelled to compete or outdo their male co-workers. You'd be surprised how far a genuine smile or a new perfume will go when it comes to asking your male co-workers for a favor or for some assistance.
Let me be clear. I'm not saying that you should put on your best push-up bra and highest pair of high heels everyday for work. Don't make yourself a sexual object. But quit going against the grain! Embrace your femininity.
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