I found Burey's piece to be especially interesting, because it deals with themes and ideas which I have been researching for my bibliography of late. The idea at the center of the article is the claim that women in spaces which have been built to favor people who are white and/or male, often get told that they have "Impostor Syndrome" when this is not the case. The idea is that although the claim is typically made in good faith, as Impostor Syndrome typically affects people who already have the skills to succeed in a given field, but doubt their own abilities or the appropriateness of whether they should be in a specific environment, Burey counters that women's hesitation in the workplace is often due to a constant stream of harassment, rather than a lack of self-confidence. Burey notes that "Impostor Syndrome" has become a kind of modern "Hysteria" diagnosis, used to write off the voices of women and other minorities. This is especially true because while a toxic, racist, or patriarchal workplace is the product of systemic issues and requires a shift in the entire culture of the environment, "Impostor Syndrome" is the mental problem of a single individual and therefore none outside of the victim are then expected to change in their behavior.
An especially interesting point is when Burey mentions that people are generally trained to view (masculine) confidence as a trait of a good worker or leader, despite it not being a genuine sign of competence, but rather a trait favored by traditional patriarchal culture. I think that this is a good discussion of how language can make people feel excluded, and how seemingly well-meaning comments can be used to shut down discussion and ignore systemic discrimination or interposition pain points. I think this argument may connect to how patriarchy also often has infantilized women, connecting to some of my research around patronization, Impostor syndrome is something typically felt by those entering a career or field for the first time, which creates the biased assumption that all workers of marginalized identity are inexperienced, or unaware of their own feelings. Burey is bringing up the profoundly disrespectful paternalism in the modern conception of impostor syndrome, as it is similar to the idea that "your concerns are just because there is something wrong with your head you didn't notice." Rather than treating those with valid concerns like adults.
Burey, Ann, "Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome." Diversity and Inclusion, Harvard Business Review, 2011
I found your discussion of the readings interesting because of the explanation of the new way people are using the phrase "imposter syndrome" to dismiss and marginalize women. I liked your point about how toxic workplace behavior is a systemic issue across large groups of people, but imposter syndrome is the mental problem of a single individual .
ReplyDeleteYour point about how masculine confidence is supposed to be a trait of a good worker or leader, despite it not being a genuine sign of competence. It reminds me of the phrase "fake it until you make it", which is a phrase I've never really understood because nobody is really benefitting from you not having the proper experience in a situation.