Did You Bring Your Dick to the Table?
One way women can negotiate raises and career paths, according to this strategical New York Times piece: “take a more calibrated approach” and “[adjust] behavior to conform to stereotypes.” Try role-playing, for example, and use “specific language” that helps “legitimize” requests. ALTERNATIVELY: Take a tiny bronze dick sculpture into the meeting with you.
Over at Slate, Amanda Hess talks to Holly Wilson, a sculptor and creator of the “Bring Your Dick To The Table” Kickstarter. Hear her out over here. From the interview:
To be clear, I’m not slapping it on the table or threatening people with my tiny dick. It’s more about reminding ourselves that the only reason we’re being devalued is because of this ridiculous appendage we don’t have. That day, the only thing in my pocket was a stick of ChapStick, and I put my hand in my pocket and held on to that ChapStick while I stuck up for myself through the negotiation. I made a joke about it to my husband: I told him I should have a little bronze dick that I could put in my pocket, so I could hold on to the little dick whenever I had trouble. Though there’s humor there, there’s also real statement — wow, here’s what’s been keeping me from this job, this thing right here in my hand. Bringing your dick to the table has more to do with yourself. It’s not going to change a gallery owner’s opinion of me, but it could remind me that I am good enough and deserve to be sitting at that table.
Oh well hm! Discuss. [NYT, Slate, Kickstarter]