Female agency is expected but punished in leadership roles

Evidence

From this perspective, to undermine gender hegemony, women need only present themselves as independent, competitive, and forceful creatures (i.e., “act like men”). Although this solution sounds simple, it has turned out to be untenable for women because agency is not only more expected of men, it is more accepted in men. For example, women who selfpromote, argue assertively, or defend themselves aggressively are viewed less favorably than identical male counterparts (see Rudman, 1998; Rudman & Fairchild, 2004, for reviews). Likewise, agentic women (but not men) are discriminated against when vying for leadership positions, even though agency is necessary for being viewed as competent and qualified (Rudman & Glick, 1999). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 756 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

From this perspective, to undermine gender hegemony, women need only present themselves as independent, competitive, and forceful creatures (i.e., “act like men”). Although this solution sounds simple, it has turned out to be untenable for women because agency is not only more expected of men, it is more accepted in men. For example, women who selfpromote, argue assertively, or defend themselves aggressively are viewed less favorably than identical male counterparts (see Rudman, 1998; Rudman & Fairchild, 2004, for reviews). Likewise, agentic women (but not men) are discriminated against when vying for leadership positions, even though agency is necessary for being viewed as competent and qualified (Rudman & Glick, 1999). When women do obtain leadership positions, they have a difficult time balancing the requisites of the work role with their gender role (Gutek, 1985). For example, female supervisors who lead in a taskoriented (versus a people-oriented) style are evaluated more negatively than male counterparts (Eagly, Makhijani, & Klonsky, 1992). These findings have led gender researchers to posit that sex stereotypes are not only descriptive (delineating what men and women are), but also prescriptive (delineating how men and women should be; Eagly, 1987). Thus, gendered beliefs overlap with attitudes, resulting in more prejudice directed toward women in masculine than feminine roles (Eagly & Diekman, ch. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 756 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Less obvious, but equally important, are the ways in which these effects may be intertwined. For example, women who have experienced backlash may curb agentic behaviors in the presence of both prospective and actual employers, resulting in misperceptions of incompetence. To the extent that women are not able to disconfirm negative stereotypes by adopting agency, they may remain under the glass ceiling. As a result, they may be forced to depend on men in order to gain status and prestige. If so, romanticizing men may be a more palatable option for women than bitterness about sexism. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 775 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Female power only earns honor once it is explicitly abdicated. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 368; Audience misogyny targeted a female character who resisted rather than enabled the male lead — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk: The Collected and Unpublished…, 698; Perceived role-mismatch lowers performance expectations for women leaders. (+15 more)

Broader Connections

• Agentic women face backlash penalties that identical male counterparts do not #corroborates (0.96) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 756
• Agentic women face backlash because agency is accepted only in men #corroborates (0.95) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 756
• Backlash effects make women curb agency and depend on men for status #expands (0.92) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 775
• Women’s agency can operate through subordination, not against it #complicates (0.82) — Saba Mahmood, Politics of Piety, 1200
• Women self-select away from the highest-reward positions, sustaining gender hegemony #complicates (0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 767
• Woman’s cultural role is to soften the harsh edges of male-created law and necessity #complicates (0.78) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 396
• Female attempts to dominate men are defensive responses to imposed oppression #complicates (0.76) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1966