How would you explain a man's reluctance to accept the strength, compassion, and knowledge of woman in the workplace?

How would you explain a man's reluctance to accept the strength, compassion, and knowledge of woman in the workplace?

This is an eternal question still being asked today. I think when a (weak)group or person has an entrenched position of power and status, they can resent (sometimes violently)any “lesser” person or group’s attempts at equality. The doctors at Bellevue were the absolute rulers and holders of The Truth’ without much justification, so they resented Lister and any expertise a mere nurse, that is a mere female, might have.

I can't -it seems to me more than just a power thing - but I haven't been able to come up with a reason other than it seems to be just innate.

Sadly, I can’t offer an explanation for this type of behavior from men-especially today! I think during the gilded ages, women were still very much second class citizens. They could join a nurse’s training program, but they had to hide their relationships, go to church, and constantly make sure their behavior wasn’t raising eyebrows. There were no such expectations for men. Edwin would not have suffered the same consequences Una would have had their relationship been discovered. I think it is hard to share power or status or even to have to give some up so another can have some. There is such a deep history of denying women in our country-women are still fighting for equal pay today. Women are still fighting for higher positions in the workplace. Women are still judged more barshly than men are (pregnancy, abortion, prostitution), even though men are as equally involved in the above. It often takes the group in power to make changes for the better of all. Many men in power are perfectly content believing and then acting as if they are most intelligent and better able to make the tough decisions and “handle” things. I think it takes a very secure person to admit shortcomings and ask for help. Therefore, I’m led to believe we have a country full of pretty insecure men!

People love power and the feeling of superiority. During the history of mankind, examples of a person or a group of people giving up power voluntarily are few and far between. Our great religious leaders are one example. George Washington leaving the Presidency voluntarily is another. Think of the childhood game "king of the mountain". Someone pushes you off the mountain from below. Seldom does the child at the summit say, " Please come on up, my turn has lasted long enough".

There is a theory that because women can create life, men will always feel inferior. So the way to overcome this is to subjugate women and reduce them to bearing children and serving the needs of men. Just a theory, however, there is some innate reason why almost every culture has women as second class, controlled.

Whatever the reason, it suits the agenda of men to control women, and it is only through protest, legal avenues and the alliance of some good men with the cause, that women have achieved the gains and rights that they have (in some countries). Yet, as we see in many countries, including Afghanistan and the USA, those rights can be taken away with the stroke of a pen.

I am just going to comment on compassion in particular. I just know that for myself, I am very emotional, sympathetic, and empathetic and at times it is tough for me to communicate with men. I believe women are more empathetic than men.

In the medical field, while men and women can possess all skills, wouldn't it be enlightening if we could recognize the strengths and weaknesses in each other and allowed each other to step forward and back as needed?!?!?! Regardless of gender.

In the medical field, there is certainly a time and place for both strength and compassion - sometimes together, sometimes separate. For those separate times, wait until the man is outside the room, and do your thing. :)

Today is International Women’s Day and sadly I have been reminded of the unequal standing of women versus men that still exists today - although maybe not so blatant.
Dr. Pingry and Dr. Allen were prime examples of the culture in 1880s New York. More subtle versions of them still exist today.

Prior to and during the Gilded Age and even later the woman’s place was considered to be at home and only much later as they got more education and society changed their roles broadened into other areas and they felt more comfortable asserting themselves to men and society especially in business contexts. While increasingly many men feel comfortable with the role of women and what they can contribute some men feel challenged and some women need to fight for their place

It was not surprising in the 1880s - it was the norm. The sad thing is that women had to fight very hard to move beyond this, but there are many nurses today that still must fight this battle. Nurses are the ones that spend the most time with the patient yet their opinions are often ignored.

How would you explain human history? Men in Western culture have been afraid of taking women at their strongest and most creative and while it morphs into different events and excuses...it has not gone away. There are as many well-thought out reasons and I for one thought these men and women were better than some.

I can't explain it, but The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science by Kate Zernike goes a long way to doing so. Published in February '23, it follows the career challenges of a number of exceptional female scientists who, in 1999, forced MIT to publicly admit it had been discriminating against its female faculty for years.

I'm finding it absolutely fascinating and extremely readable.
https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/17415

I think the idea of losing power and no longer being “picked” is terrifying to fragile males that can’t accept that they’ve exerted unearned dominance over a group for so long. It shakes up their entire worldview to the core and for any human that can be challenging. I think for men in particular, women can be terrifying because it isn’t a front that we are intimidating and powerful. We actually ARE.