Ferguson, The Feminist Case Against Bureaucracy. "Femininity as Subordination"

Ferguson defines femininity as a learned act of subordination showing how femininity is socially constructed to be inferior to men. Because women are the "weaker" sex, and are in constant contact with the "stronger" sex, femininity becomes behaviors that we learn to display in order to get by, that are not tied to biology but politics. The support for her argument is very interesting in unique, in that she proves her theory by comparing the construction of femininity to the construction of people who are "feminized" by their position within bureaucracy, that is taking on feminine roles in order to cope. Ferguson depicts the struggle between men and women to not be tied to science or our actual "natural" sex and qualities, but to be a struggle that is simply about power and inequality within hierarchies. - K.B.

The excerpt would be an excellent catalyst to a discussion on the power dynamics in higher level business positions and administration. The authors bank their views on the theoretical framework that masculinity is equated to power, and that femininity is the result of the powerlessness of not being masculine. The article could also lead into a meaningful discussion of common obstacles to climbing the career ladder. The article gathers its data from an analysis of several studies regarding typical gender activities in the business world. The authors claim that the purpose of femininity is to "requires continued recognition from males as the sign of success" a claim that is sure to be hotly debated. - L.P.