Oh, this has made me FUME! How little changed since 100 years previously the first women dared to put themselves forward for higher education in the UK and Ireland. And the injustice in depriving women and girls of education continues, as you say. Your posts are always so entertaining and informative, Sarah, well done on all the archive visits and look forward to your book.
As background to her new book Wives of Power, Sarah Harkness outlines some of the challenges which women faced as they sought to find dignity in paid employment.
While it wasn’t my objective, when writing about the development of economics in How to Think like an Economist, I found myself confronting a similar problem. Men did not afford women the dignity of thinking seriously about the economy.
Much here about the barriers which women faced more generally as they sought opportunities to use their talents to the full.
Beautifully written, and made my blood boil. Clearly none of these men could imagine themselves relegated to the kitchen: what an astounding lacl of imagination and empathy.
Thank you! There are moments reading the Newsom book when one can almost fall for his argument ..but then suddenly ‘hey, wait a minute, why does it have to be the women??,’
I read some very charming fantasy novels lately in which the writer is careful to make sure that some of the characters in jobs that were traditionally held by men (royal armorer, that kind of thing) are women. But he (I’m guessing the author is a he) doesn’t have any men in the traditionally female jobs, or not that I’ve noticed. It’s fascinating.
Brilliant and infuriating. If blooming John Newson thought so highly of the domestic arts, perhaps he should have restricted his limited brain power to them himself.
Thanks Sarah - in short I'm appalled just how recent this all is! How could we, as men, just ignore the skills and experience of half of the population!
By the time I was training as an ACA in the late 80s and early 90s I'm pleased to recall that we had a lot more women at manager level (even if the partners were some 90% men), so it was starting to change. Still a long way to go though, even now.
Like Ann I could feel my blood boiling listening to this excellent article Sarah. The mysoginistic tone across the years is astounding but not surprising. Mr. Bowlby, who I studied at university level, had a lot to answer for. And don't get me started on Mr. Newsom! I hope our public broadcasters, in UK and Ireland, have changed their sexist attitudes by now.
A very interesting, and deeply depressing article.
I'm very interested in your forthcoming book, Wives of Power. Although women have often been discouraged from working outside the home, they have always played an essential role in supporting men's work. This has extended far beyond providing a comfortable home, preparing meals, and managing the laundry.
History offers many clear examples. During the medieval period, men who went to war frequently left their estates in the capable hands of their wives, who oversaw the running of the household, ensured crops were planted and harvested, and kept everything functioning so there was an estate to return to.
A more recent example is the traditional role of a vicar's wife. Until relatively recently, when a vicar was appointed, it was widely assumed that his wife would make a substantial unpaid contribution to parish life. She was expected to take on responsibilities that were considered an integral part of her husband's ministry.
Thank you, Sarah, I love this. I am hugely looking forward to Wives of Power emerging into the light.
What a 'wonderful' world our mothers and grandmothers were raised in. My own mother thought I went to work to buy my own scent. I thought I was building a career to support my three daughters and to model another way of being to them. And my father once told me that I was taking a job from a man....
The CF client comment at the end beggars belief. Did no-one take him to task? In the late 80s and early 90s I lost count of how many times institutional clients asked me who was looking after my three children, and older male colleagues who asked the same.
No-one dared argue with Mr P…I remember asking what they would have done if he for instance hadn’t wanted anyone Jewish on his account, but apparently that was neither here nor there…
Great article, informative & infuriating at the same time! I also worked in the financial sector & up to my retirement some 4 years ago I watched as young male employees, even the ones who couldn’t write a decent email, were constantly being promoted ahead of the female ones. Nothing was explicit enough for anyone to challenge but the underlying message was very clear & heaven help anyone who went on maternity leave- their card was well & truly marked! So not much has changed- it’s just managed by stealth now !!!
Oh, this has made me FUME! How little changed since 100 years previously the first women dared to put themselves forward for higher education in the UK and Ireland. And the injustice in depriving women and girls of education continues, as you say. Your posts are always so entertaining and informative, Sarah, well done on all the archive visits and look forward to your book.
As background to her new book Wives of Power, Sarah Harkness outlines some of the challenges which women faced as they sought to find dignity in paid employment.
While it wasn’t my objective, when writing about the development of economics in How to Think like an Economist, I found myself confronting a similar problem. Men did not afford women the dignity of thinking seriously about the economy.
Much here about the barriers which women faced more generally as they sought opportunities to use their talents to the full.
Beautifully written, and made my blood boil. Clearly none of these men could imagine themselves relegated to the kitchen: what an astounding lacl of imagination and empathy.
Thank you! There are moments reading the Newsom book when one can almost fall for his argument ..but then suddenly ‘hey, wait a minute, why does it have to be the women??,’
I read some very charming fantasy novels lately in which the writer is careful to make sure that some of the characters in jobs that were traditionally held by men (royal armorer, that kind of thing) are women. But he (I’m guessing the author is a he) doesn’t have any men in the traditionally female jobs, or not that I’ve noticed. It’s fascinating.
Brilliant and infuriating. If blooming John Newson thought so highly of the domestic arts, perhaps he should have restricted his limited brain power to them himself.
Thanks Sarah - in short I'm appalled just how recent this all is! How could we, as men, just ignore the skills and experience of half of the population!
By the time I was training as an ACA in the late 80s and early 90s I'm pleased to recall that we had a lot more women at manager level (even if the partners were some 90% men), so it was starting to change. Still a long way to go though, even now.
Bowlby still holds sway this side of the pond with his "attachment" theory so popularized it's mainstream psychobabble.
Like Ann I could feel my blood boiling listening to this excellent article Sarah. The mysoginistic tone across the years is astounding but not surprising. Mr. Bowlby, who I studied at university level, had a lot to answer for. And don't get me started on Mr. Newsom! I hope our public broadcasters, in UK and Ireland, have changed their sexist attitudes by now.
The BBC stands in contrast to Canada's CBC, which has been dominated by female executive leadership for much of the 21st century.
A very interesting, and deeply depressing article.
I'm very interested in your forthcoming book, Wives of Power. Although women have often been discouraged from working outside the home, they have always played an essential role in supporting men's work. This has extended far beyond providing a comfortable home, preparing meals, and managing the laundry.
History offers many clear examples. During the medieval period, men who went to war frequently left their estates in the capable hands of their wives, who oversaw the running of the household, ensured crops were planted and harvested, and kept everything functioning so there was an estate to return to.
A more recent example is the traditional role of a vicar's wife. Until relatively recently, when a vicar was appointed, it was widely assumed that his wife would make a substantial unpaid contribution to parish life. She was expected to take on responsibilities that were considered an integral part of her husband's ministry.
Thank you, Sarah, I love this. I am hugely looking forward to Wives of Power emerging into the light.
What a 'wonderful' world our mothers and grandmothers were raised in. My own mother thought I went to work to buy my own scent. I thought I was building a career to support my three daughters and to model another way of being to them. And my father once told me that I was taking a job from a man....
The CF client comment at the end beggars belief. Did no-one take him to task? In the late 80s and early 90s I lost count of how many times institutional clients asked me who was looking after my three children, and older male colleagues who asked the same.
I wonder how things are going in the 2020s???
No-one dared argue with Mr P…I remember asking what they would have done if he for instance hadn’t wanted anyone Jewish on his account, but apparently that was neither here nor there…
Amazing, yet not surprising.
I would have loved us to have been colleagues.
we so nearly were!!!
Had it been in our City days I like to think we would have been a force to reckon with…. It was hard to be a lone example of an alien creature.
Great article, informative & infuriating at the same time! I also worked in the financial sector & up to my retirement some 4 years ago I watched as young male employees, even the ones who couldn’t write a decent email, were constantly being promoted ahead of the female ones. Nothing was explicit enough for anyone to challenge but the underlying message was very clear & heaven help anyone who went on maternity leave- their card was well & truly marked! So not much has changed- it’s just managed by stealth now !!!
I hear similar from elsewhere.
Dispiriting.
God forbid a woman has a brain