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Subject:Workplace Discrimination From:Tim Altom <taltom -at- IQUEST -dot- NET> Date:Mon, 18 Mar 1996 07:30:00 EST
The recent discussion over masculine pronouns has brought a related issue to
mind. In the messages that have been exchanged with me, I've had few female
colleagues bring up workplace discrimination as a more exasperating problem
than linguistics. Yet I know it exists. I've seen it. And in a field where
most practitioners are professionals, and yet most are also female, the
usual American workplace problems have to be irritating the bejabbers out of
many of you.
I'm not talking about in-your-face overt problems, mind, nothing like sexual
harassment. Just the usual tiny signs that you're not respected within the
company. And I'm also not talking about the typical lack of respect we get
as tech doc'ers, either.
I'd think that female techwhirlers could bring an unusual perspective to
this question, because so many have been professionals in other areas and
can therefore filter out the effets of the double whammy you now have as
tech doc'ers. Care to share? Are you listened to? Do you sense body language
statements of superiority, callousness, or condescension? Just interested in
knowing if I'm seeing things or not.
