11th December 2008, 11:52 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by Oxbeast
Well, this has become a more interesting thread. I do support British Women Archaeologists, and am entirely against sexism. As for anecdotes of discrimination, you could pull out examples all day, going one way and another. People are complex animals after all. However, having had a look at their website, I am intrigued as to how they are going to start with some of these problems which their members have brought to their attention. A lot of the problems on this page are serious, but some are somewhat puzzling..
Like this one:
âMy work involves a lot of travel, and staying away from my home. It has meant I have not had a serious relationship for the last four years.â
I know people who've stayed in the same place for four years and not had a serious relationship. This does send the message, along with all the laudable comittments to part time/home working that women should not have to do away jobs. You can't work from home and do a watching brief. You can't work flexi-time if the main contractor is on 12 hour days. Sexism is real, but some of the things on that page are just part of the job, and part of the reason why most people don't stay on the circuit forever.
Yeah, I thought so too when I first read that example, but then after I while I thought, "she's got a point." But it's not archaeology specific, it's a cultural thing.
Traditionally, blokes have away jobs and so women have developed a culture around the travelling partner. Some endure it, others relish it but it is accepted that some jobs are away.
It's not so straight forward for women. For one thing, in most relationships women still have the greater homemaking role and I know women who won't go on an away job before filling the freezer and ironing all the shirts. Their male partners get resentful when their mates' girlfriends are home every evening.
Guys who have not experienced away work tend to fantasise the worst case scenario as well, and although women are guilty of this too they have the support of their friends (see the culture thing above) whislt the male partner is thinking about how their girlfriends resemble Lara Croft and all the other men around her.
That only leaves the fellow digger option (and I believe there's an old Digger editorial about what the babies would look like).