Blog #25

Using sexualized behavior as “a weapon in the arsenal” can have negative and positive effects on women lawyers. Women have more room to express their sexuality positively without automatically being labeled as incompetent. A con is that sexual harassment keeps negative sexual stereotypes about women alive and it remains an issue for younger women who have to constantly fend off advances. Men are more prone to leave women out for this reason; they do not want to be accused of harassment. Some women flirt to advance their careers. Many women do this instead of using their academic and professional credibility to get a job advance, which negatively affects the whole of women attorneys. Some women even dress in “riskier” clothing in order to get what they want from a judge or boss. However, at the same time, some women dress attractively to simply project confidence and professionalism. This strategy is presented in the media through law films. In most law films that star females as attorneys, they are typically always romantically or strictly sexually involved with a make colleague. Even when the women are credible, they often are second to the male attorney. In “Erin Brockovich”, Julia Roberts plays a strong, independent paralegal who uses her sexuality to get what she wants. She is able to obtain records that she would not have been able to access had she been male. She also does not let male colleagues push her around. In “Sex and the City”, one episode shows how Miranda, the attorney, has to pretend that she is a lesbian in order to fit in with the partners of her firm in hopes for a promotion because the firm wants to add a female couple to their group. Instead of earning the promotion on her own merit, Miranda is convinced this fake relationship will help her, until she decides it is not worth it and she does not care. For the most part, women are not necessarily viewed as incompetent attorneys in media, but they do often come second to male actors or end up being devious in some way, which ultimately negatively contributes to stereotypes of women lawyers.

Blog #24

For my interview assignment, I interviewed a female attorney who practices probate and estate planning. During my interview with her, I asked her many questions that were gender related. Generally, she felt that she did not feel discriminated against as a female lawyer, but she did have some instances where she felt disrespected by others in her work environment because of her gender. When the lawyer I interviewed practiced in a mid-sized law firm, she was the only female attorney in her office. While she felt that she was part of the group and never left out or discriminated within the office because of her gender, she was denied an opportunity for partner based on her sex. A male attorney was given the partner position even though he had worked there for less time than she and was no better at his job than she. This frustrated her because from the beginning of being employed at the firm, she enthusiastically expressed in interest in becoming partner someday and strived toward that goal. This ultimately led her to leave the firm and start her own practice. The lawyer I interviewed also said that some male attorneys did not have as much respect for her because she was a female, and would make cracks about her sex. She said that you have to put them in their place before they start take advantage. She also said that once a female attorney becomes demanding or confrontational, people might stereotype that she is depressed, going through menopause, etc. The lawyer I interviewed said that one of the best things for a female attorney to do is never cry because that automatically gives the other attorneys the upper hand and makes you look weak. She also said to always put the client first and to never let personal issues or preferences prevent you from properly representing your client. She stressed the importance of remaining balanced in the professional workplace, and not being too emotional or to confrontational. The interview with this respectable female attorney was extremely beneficial because of the insights she provided on what it is like to be a female lawyer.

Blog #23

In Chapter two of “Gender on Trial”, Britton outlines the history, issue, and overall politics of gender and fashion. She reports that fashion is still an issue among professionals because most of them have a sense of what to where when meeting with certain clients or going to certain meetings. One of the most commonly asked questions of a trial attorney named Randi McGinn is the question about what should be worn inside the courtroom. When women first entered the legal profession, they felt out of place among their male coworkers and in order to “blend in” they took on a more masculine look through short haircuts, minimal makeup, navy blue or gray suits, and low-heeled shoes. This was an attempt to make women attorneys as unnoticed as possible and was even called the “power look” to some, according to English. This approach, however, did not keep women and fashion from critics. If a woman did accept certain fashion types, such as revealing the shape of her body, she was seen as nonserious but if she kept her breasts, hips, and legs hidden, she was accused of not being feminine enough. When the late 1980s and 1990s emerged, women started to be more comfortable in expressing themselves through their fashion and wore bright suits, silk dresses, softer hairstyles, and distinctive jewelry and accessories. (English p. 21). This came about as women wanted to increase their self-confidence because they were uncomfortable dressing like men. More and more women wore what made them comfortable when they noticed that other women in the field were “coming out”. How a woman presents herself through her fashion may have a strong, negative impact on her position in the firm, sometimes even being denied partnerships for not having the “right” appearance. Women can use their fashion to their advantage, by showing that they are strong, intelligent, confident, and respectable people no matter how they choose to dress. With advancements like casual dress and the increase in women attorneys, the stereotypes against women have eroded. However, they do still exist and women still are judged more often for their fashion over men.

Blog #22

Sonia Sotomayor, the newly elected Supreme Court Judge, was under much scrutiny when President Obama appointed her to the bench. She is the first Hispanic justice and the third woman justice. Sotomayor’s made a comment, commonly referred to as the “wise Latina” comment, in which she said, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.” Because of this comment, many people, the majority right-wingers, criticized her for being racist. While I agree that her comment is probably true, (most white men have not had the same enlightening life experiences as any minority or woman), I still have to say that it was unwise of her to say it out loud. I think it is best for people not to give the impression or generalize that they are better than anyone because of their race or gender, and in a way, she does this. A controversial case in which she was involved in was one involving promotions for a certain group of firefighters who were required to study for and take an exam that would measure whether or not they would qualify for the promotion. The fire department then denied everyone the raise and when the other fire fighters who passed the test brought a lawsuit, Justice Sotomayor ruled that because no black people passed the exam, no one could get the raise. Sotomayor faced criticisms for this decision because she was accused of being a racist. The video for this blog shows that other Supreme Court Justices have made controversial statements but because they are white males, they have not been attacked as extremely as Justice Sotomayor was.

Blog #21

The National Association for Female Corrections Officers is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to eliminate sexual harassment of female officers and to eliminate sexual assault. They also work to improve work conditions and to promote the development of new, cutting edge, technology. The NAFCO proposal includes many legislative reform proposals. The main issue that seems significant to this group is rape and sexual assault of female officers on duty. In their Federal Legislative Proposal, one of the goals is “Develop and implement national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment of female correctional officers and employees” while many of the other points also deal with rape issues. Another feature of the NAFCO website is the “Memorial” section, which remembers female officers who have been killed on duty. The most recent woman to die on duty was Darla Kay Lethram in 2003, who was supervising a group of inmates who beat her to death with a sledge hammer in an escape attempt. I thought the stories listed in the memorial were shocking tales of violence on the job and personally I think they go against what Britton says are the realities of prison life. However, if you look at the dates of these female officer who have died, there are not very many considering the span of years that it covers, from the early 20th century to today.

Compared with Britton’s suggestions, NAFCO’s suggestions are fairly similar and ideological for the prison system. Britton writes, “Racism and sexual harassment remain obstacles and should be more aggressively addressed.” NAFCO is an organization that addresses issues of sexual harassment aggressively. Also, both Britton and NAFCO are advocates for better and more realistic training programs. “Women have proven that they can perform the previously unimaginable task of working in men’s prisons. Many of them…are quietly and gradually transforming what it means to be an officer within the confines of the prison’s iron cage.” (Britton p. 226). This statement that Britton makes at the end of her book is significant because it proves that women are capable of holding and succeeding in the same jobs as men. Women need to be acknowledged more in this type of career so that society will not view the prison system as such a gendered organization. With help from organizations like NAFCO and continued awareness in the media through books such as “At Work in the Iron Cage” or newspaper articles that feature women guards, slowly the prison career will become one for all people and not just white males.

Blog #20

The hostage situation that took place at Lewis Prison in Arizona involved prison guard Lois Fraley and two inmates, who held her hostage for 15 days, beating and raping her repeatedly. The other guard who was in the tower with Fraley was immediately knocked out and beaten by the prisoners. Fraley’s account of the hostage situation is very frightening and I feel that it proves that because she was a woman she could better survive this situation. For instance, she claims that she was a “good hostage” by talking about her daughter and fabricating stories of abuse she received by her stepfather as a child, so that the men would not beat her as often. She said that she tried to get the prisoners to think of her as a real person so that they could relate to her and hopefully spare her life. They quickly took down the male officer and only spared Fraley for the fact that she was a woman. Neither of the guards were able to take control of the inmates since the inmates stormed in with weapons and automatically the guards were at a disadvantage. Schriro, the prison chief of Arizona, successfully handled this situation. However, during the time that the men were holding Fraley hostage, there were many discrepancies of the tower of the prison that were noticed. For instance, there was no way for the investigators to get a look inside the tower and there was “a disconnect between the physical plant, the staffing and the equipment”.

Schriro has faced many criticisms because she is the first woman in Arizona to be the prison chief. Since prison systems have for a long-time been gendered, masculine, structures, Shriro has had to work harder to prove herself and to earn her job title. The Phoenix Magazine wrote about how one Arizona newspaper criticized Shriro by showing the various hairstyles she has had over time. I do not feel that this type of treatment would happen in a non-gendered organization. Shriro is a highly educated woman with radical and liberal beliefs on how to better the prison system. The Phoenix Magazine also feminizes Shriro in their article when they talk about her love life and hobbies of planting flowers. I think this article itself is an example of the media sexualizing people, even if it is obviously talking about Shriro in good light. The “doing gender” is constantly around us, like when read about a tough and productive prison chief and then how she hopes to get married and likes to plant flowers. Britton writes, “men officers were to be officers in a paramilitary mold, and to serve primarily as enforcers, ready and able to use violence. Women, on the other hand, were to be mentors and surrogate mothers, guiding their wayward charges to rehabilitation”. This seems true in modern times as I read these articles. Shriro is a woman who focuses on rehabilitation and Fraley used her role as a mother to gain sympathy from her captors.

I do not really feel that the hostage situation at Lewis Prison reflect the conditions faced by guards described in the “From Turnkey to Officer” chapter. In that chapter, prison guards often lived at the prisons in not so good conditions, working many hours and only seeing their families a few times a week. Today, guards do not have to do that. However, the hostage situation is reflective of that because technically the condition of the tower was unsafe for the guards. It was too easy for the inmates to successfully break into the prison and take over. In addition, training for guards seems to lack the handling of this situation, and Fraley was basically left to figure it out on her own as she was forced to experience it.

A prison is a total institution because prisoners are subordinate to officers. There are clear hierarchies in this type of organization and it is one where people go and live out every moment of their lives. The prison system is a hegemonic system that puts white, male guards at the top and inmates at the bottom.

Britton’s recommendations to encourage more realistic portrayals of prison life would have been beneficial in this hostage situation. Training for guards needs to be catered to a more specific need. Men and women need to be prepared realistically with the different environments that exist between men’s and women’s prisons. Britton suggests practices that encourage defusing violence instead of reacting with further physical violence. Fraley proves this is true in her actions that led her safely out of the 15 day hostage situation. In addition, if more media stories covered the real-life stories of women prison guards, it would help to eliminate the negative stigma of women in this job. Britton also suggests that policies that lessen sex segregation should be implemented in the prison system.

Ultimately, I agree with what Britton suggests would improve the overall work experience and conditions of prison guards and hopefully with progressive changes, these improvements will continue to take place. A woman like Shriro as a prison chief is a large step, especially for Arizona, in reforming the prison system.

Blog #19

The video of Geena Davis speaking about her foundation “See Jane” was truly shocking. Geena Davis starts by talking a little bit about the movies she has been in that have encouraged women’s independency and women’s rights, films such as “A League of Their Own” and “Thelma and Louise”. She says that young girls find these films inspirational. For example, after “A League of Their Own” was released, young girls told her that the film encouraged them to do sports. Then Geena Davis talks about the media and the message that it is sending to young children. She compares cartoons from now to back when she was a child, and points out that there has been little change. She talks about the classic cartoon female characters such as, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Granny from Looney Tunes, and Smurfette. She tells the story of Smurfette and how it was not until she had Smurfette plastic surgery that the rest of the smurfs accepted her. These characters set a standard for how society believes women behave and how they should look. From a young age, female children become aware of their self image and that it should transform to what is accepted in the media. Cartoons are highly sexualized and stereotyped and the goal of See Jane is to reduce this gender stereotyping and increase the amount of female characters in film and television. In the study conducted by See Jane, it was found that 3 of 4 characters in G-rated films are male characters. The message that the media sends out is that women are worth less than men and that the self-worth is different. When Geena Davis brought the results of her study to media heads, they were unaware and shocked at the results.

This video is relative to what we have been reading in “At Work in the Iron Cage” because of the various ways that men and women view their roles as a corrections officer. Male colleagues in this field have a masculine attitude toward the ability to deal with violence and their dignity in the workplace. Male corrections officers are more prone to taking action and violence. Women officers use their communications skills and sensitivity to coping with obstacles at work. Women are more likely to listen and talk with the inmate while a man is more likely to be aggressive and forceful. This is an example of how people “do gender” in a prison system, as “doing gender” is something we are clearly taught from a young age, as pointed out by Geena Davis.