Hi Jill and others,
I appreciate the commentary submitted to date, and expect there are
countless others who many contribute their thoughts on the issue. I
have seen these two themes repeated:
(1) Men are in higher-status positions; women are in lower-status
positions; and,
(2) Museums pay poorly, so single people and married women take these
jobs.
I, as a single guy, have chosen to pursue a career in museums. I am
perfectly satisfied to start - where I've started - almost at the
bottom. But, at some point, I'd like to shift into a more satisfying
entry-level job from where I might move upward in 'baby steps'.
> Dear Jay:
> A couple of observations:
> 1. Examine *where* the men are in the staff; the majority of
> museum directors are male. The vast majority. (I'm sure
> someone out there from AAM knows the figure - are we up
> to 10% female directors yet?) Males tend to be concentrated
> at the top end of the power/pay scale.
Yes, this is true based on my perceptions. However - and this is the
key, about which nobody has commented: How does a man make it NOT as a
director, but as Joe Average? LOL! I'm not aiming to go from zero to
director. I'm in an entry-level-ish kind of job . . . but not doing
what I want to be doing. So, how do I go about shifting into an
entry-level job I would find more satisfying when everyone in the museum
community seems infected with the notion that such jobs are for women?
I abhor gender- and sexually-based stereotyping, and I don't care if
someone thinks less of me for taking 'baby steps' in my professional
development. After all, an BA and MA means you've learned something -
but not everything!
> 2. Most low-paying, low-status professions are inhabited
> primarily by women, from nursing to teaching to museum
> work. Probably the only museum positions which carry
> social status are director and curator; I'd bet dollars to
> donuts that you'll find quite different gender ratios in
> those jobs than in all of museums.
And so, what about those men who don't give a rip about getting a cushy
high-status job?
Whatever "averages" and "norms" exist, exist because people perpetuate
them . . . and have an impact on individuals. I'm an individual who
feels trapped - and offended by - this seemingly traditional perception
that men go after high-paying, high-status museums jobs (such as
director and curator) as if blind to the reality of qualifications,
experience and seniority.
> In conclusion, it is my firm belief you are not at a
> disadvantage due to your gender.
As I've indicated above, I believe I am at a disadvantage because I'm
NOT aiming for instant promotion to "director" or "curator" status. I'm
aiming for one of those "low-paying, low-status" entry-level jobs from
which I might take a small step up . . . and a few years later another
small step up, etc.
[Obviously, I'm setting aside for the moment the main, nefarious factor
in hiring: "Who you know, not what you know." As I know nobody, it has
negative influence on my chances. Sad, but true. Can you tell I'm
experiencing a "blue funk" and increasingly disillusionment? For unlike
the recent graduate who write in "I need a job," I'm fast becoming a
seasoned veteran with no clue about how to get where I want to go.]
Sincerely,
Jay Heuman
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