Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.83 (629 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1578512778 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 340 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 0000-00-00 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.. Bell and Nkomo have provided a well-researched and thought-provoking look at some important aspects of race and gender in corporate America. From Publishers Weekly Drawing on an eight-year survey of 825 black and white female managers, and juxtaposing the stories of seven black and seven white women executives at some of the most prestigious companies in America, this book illustrates the profound impact of "early life lessons" on women's professional identities and "reveals the power of geography and social location when combined with race." Foregrounding "the first generation of black women to hold managerial or executive positions" (many took their first jobs in the 1970s), the authors show that "the combined effects of race and gender create not only very different organizational identities and care
J. B. Potter said At the Sharp End. Bell and Nkomo dive straight to the heart of the matter. They base their findings on comprehensive personal interviews of African-American and white women working as managers or executives. Ultimately, the authors hit the reader over the head with the obvious: People from strikingly different backgrounds bring profound personal differences to the workplace. Too often, organizations stupidly attempt homogenizing everyone into minor variations on the existing (typically---older, white, and male) leadership theme. Unusually (Bell and Nkomo cited no such cases), organizations may wisely embrace the diff. Imagining and working with the Other A Customer If you are wondering why the Black woman in your section of your company doesn't seem to want to socialize with you or seems guarded around her White co-workers or why the White women in your organization get all riled up about sexism but are silent when it comes to racism this is the book for you. I recommend this book along with Divided Sisters for those who really want Black and White women to unite in the workplace. These two tomes will give you more than a clue. They'll give you guidelines as how to build a truly "diverse" workplace where everyone is welcomed AS THEY ARE and not as stereotypes . Insight into the Other A Customer If you are wondering why the Black woman in your section of your company doesn't seem to want to socialize with you or seems guarded around her White co-workers or why the White women in your organization get all riled up about sexism but are silent when it comes to racism this is the book for you. I recommend this book along with Divided Sisters for those who really want Black and White women to unite in the workplace. These two tomes will give you more than a clue. They'll give you guidelines as how to build a truly "diverse" workplace where everyone is welcomed AS THEY ARE and not as stereotypes
By using a "life history" approach which includes interviews with 120 women senior managers, the text presents women's reflections on success as well as demonstrating the often complicated and difficult stories of women coming to terms with racially divided population, trying to succeed in the male-dominated business world and displaying their personal and cultural expectations.. It examines the connection between corporate culture and the advancement of people of colour as well as examining the formative experiences - from childhood through early career development - behind today's female executives. This is a study of the roles that gender, race and class play in corporate culture, revealing the trials and triumphs that have brought minority women executives where they are today