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English for Specific Purposes – Hughes – Text N°1

Women still face barriers in the workplace

Many arguments about female progress are a convenient fiction for
men
The Economist - Mar 5th 2020

Read the text below and then answer the questions which follow. If possible, try not
to consult dictionaries or other reference materials… test yourself!

1) Women have made great strides in the employment market over the past 50 years. But
many still feel that their progress is being obstructed and, to coincide with International
Women’s Day on March 8th, two new books by feminist writers tackle the issues.

2) In “The Fix” Michelle King, director of inclusion at Netflix, a video-streaming giant,

observes that women are constantly told they need to change themselves—be more
assertive, work longer hours and so on. Instead, she argues, working practices should
change to accommodate the needs of half the adult population. In “The Home Stretch”
Sally Howard, a journalist, suggests that a big reason why women are held back is that
even those who work full-time are still expected to do the bulk of the housework. To cite
the book’s lengthy but apposite subtitle, she makes a strong case “why it’s time to come
clean about who does the dishes”.

3) Male managers may find these books an uncomfortable read, peppered with talk of the
patriarchy and gender privilege. Sometimes, the authors go too far. Ms Howard links the
patriarchy with capitalism so often that one wonders whether she has ever seen a picture of
the Soviet Union’s all-male politburo or considered the harm done to women and baby girls
by the Chinese Communist Party’s one-child policy.

4) But men do not need to forsake the capitalist system to appreciate the plight of female
workers. They just need empathy. Are women in the workplace judged by the same
standards as their male colleagues? Are they described with adjectives (strident or
emotional, for example) that would not be applied to men with the same characteristics?

5) Despite recent progress, women still face a glass ceiling . A couple of stories in Ms King’s
book illustrate the point. Sarah was an executive at a multinational who worked late,
underwent management training and enthusiastically received and acted on feedback.
After many years of rejection, it seemed she was due for promotion to the next tier, which
was 100% male. But at the key meeting a male executive said: “I don’t know; she just
doesn’t fit. She has those glasses and she wears that clip in her hair.” Not exactly
“scientific management”.

6) In the other tale Ms King, on her first day in a new job, walked into a kitchen full of men.
Her boss said “Hey, Michelle, there are dishes in the sink and you are a woman, so, you
know, wash them.” His colleagues laughed. When she protested, she was told to learn to
take a joke.
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7) Bullying disguised as humour is still bullying. And women are expected to put up with it.
They must also tolerate different dress standards. Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister,
often messes up his hair before public appearances to maintain his “lovable buffoon”
image. Dominic Cummings, his adviser, dresses scruffily, which suits his persona as the
“eccentric genius”. It is hard to imagine any woman reaching a position of political power
while adopting a similar style.
8) Sometimes the excuse for the lack of female progress in certain professions is that women
and men naturally choose to pursue different career paths. Yet those outcomes may simply
be the result of formal or informal barriers against female success. At the end of the
19th century, when only 4-5% of American doctors were women, some men no doubt put
this down to a lack of aptitude. Many medical schools, perhaps sharing that preconception,
did not admit female candidates; Harvard’s began accepting women only after the second
world war. In Britain women were not allowed to become practising lawyers until they
were admitted to the Law Society in 1922.

9) In both professions the playing field was eventually levelled. The result? In 2017 more
women were admitted to American medical schools than men for the first time. By 2018
half of British solicitors were female.

10) Another common argument is that it makes sense for married people to specialise, with
the man taking on higher-paid employment and the woman doing more of the chores. It is
equally dubious. One study, for instance, found that husbands who earn less than their
wives do even less housework than those who earn more.

11) Many of the arguments that women’s lack of progress is down to aptitude or choice look
like a convenient fiction for men, who do rather well out of the bargain. Women, who end
up doing most of the chores as well as working long hours, get a raw deal. It is not them
who need to change — it is the attitudes of men.

I) Vocabulary Questions: the synonyms do not have to be only one word, sometimes
you will need to paraphrase.

1) In paragraph 1, please provide a synonym for ‘strides’, ‘obstructed’ and ‘tackle’

2) In paragraph 2, please provide a synonym for ‘assertive’, ‘to accommodate’, ‘held
back’, ‘the bulk’
3) In paragraph 3, please provide a synonym for ‘peppered with’
4) In paragraph 4, please provide a synonym for ‘to forsake’, ‘the plight’
5) In paragraph 7, please provide a synonym for ‘to put up with’
6) In paragraph 10, please provide a synonym for ‘chores’
7) In paragraph 11, please provide a synonym for ‘a raw deal’.

II) Comprehension/Opinion Questions: answer the questions in your own words in

a ‘relatively concise’ manner

1) Why did the two books come out on International Women’s Day (8th of March)?
2) The books are respectively entitled ‘The Fix’ and ‘The Home Stretch’, both titles
are used in a metaphorical manner, could you explain what they mean? In which
lexical domain do we talk about a ‘Home Stretch’?
3) The author of the article (para 3) states ‘sometimes the authors go too far’, what does
he mean by this?
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4) In para 5 we find the expression ‘a glass ceiling’, what does this expression mean?
5) In para 5, we are told: ‘Sarah enthusiastically received and acted on feedback’, this is
clearly a way of complimenting Sarah, but what exactly does it mean?
6) In para 5, what was ‘unscientific’ about the male executive’s comment? What
exactly is ‘scientific management’?
7) In what way do Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings ‘manipulate’ their dress
style? Why would this not be possible for a woman?
8) Could you give some examples (including those mentioned in this passage) of the
‘formal and informal barriers against female success’?
9) How could you paraphrase the expression ‘the playing field was eventually
levelled’? Can you think of another metaphorical expression which comes from the
world of sport and is used in everyday language?
10) Do you agree with the idea that married people (or people living together) should
specialize?
11) Do you believe men need to change their attitudes towards women (both in the
professional and personal sphere)? Why do you think such ‘sexist’ attitudes tend to
be more prevalent in the southern part of the globe?