My television series of choice at the present time is Mad Men (set in 1960’s New York, following the lives of advertisers working on Madison Avenue). It is a fascinating insight to the social and working mores of the time, as well as providing subtle messages and discussion about issues relevant today.
One of the themes of the show that interest me particularly is gender and sexism. Women in the show were primarily confined to the role of housewife or secretary. They rarely got promoted to any higher level positions, and those that were able to climb, got left out of the all-male after hours negotiations that seemed crucial to forging deals. Power was clearly in the hands of the men and any ambitious women had to not only work harder than their male counterparts for the same recognition, there was only so far they could rise on the ‘ladder’.
It is easy to dismiss the portrayals of women in the 1960s as ‘history’ and something that used to happen a long time ago. But social commentators have pointed out that this behaviour is not as far back in our past as we would like to think it is. And that in some workplaces or industries, is still evident, albeit more subtle.
We now have laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender that have given women far more career choices than in the 1960s. But statistics show that women still struggle to ‘rise to the top’. We have strict laws around sexual harassment in the workplace that have abolished the openly accepted ‘sexual banter’ depicted in Mad Men. Yet many women can attest to subtle (or hidden) situations in their workplaces today.
As a woman running my own business, I sometimes experience unequal treatment based on my gender. While I have far greater opportunities than women in the 1960s, it is too easy to dismiss the overt gender inequality they experienced as irrelevant now. Many women still feel they have to work harder to ‘prove’ themselves and that power is still meted out through powerful men. Television shows like Mad Men are a reminder that history should continue to teach us and help us to reflect on ways we can continue to change.
Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender
