Quote:
Originally Posted by engendertruth  I have often wondered if we could change our perceptions of the issues that face men and women at the moment whether these issues of gender bias would go away?  |
Hard to say, really. I know that in my personal experience - being passed over for job opportunities because of some "employment equity" standard that essentially barred middle-aged white men from having their background, experience and education considered - it's hard not to fall into the victim role. In the case of jobs, the spectre of the zero-sum game raises its ugly head. More people than jobs, so if one person is offered a position that means another person has to do without. (It's not exactly like that, but I think you get the general drift.)
The role of victim is basically perpetrated and enforced by the system which categorically denies a certain segment of the population access to particular jobs. If the employment equity programs were dismantled, then selections would truly be based on qualifications rather than gender/colour/whatever (in a perfect world, anyway).
So the perception of gender bias, at least in this case, is the wellspring of victimization resulting from employment equity programs. Not everyone is so evolved that they can see that, for better or worse, employment equity is essentially here to stay. I know I'm not. When I get rejected for a position that I'm suited for, and someone with less experience, education and background gets the role because they happen to be (insert employment equity standard here), it
hurts, dammit.