Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In is a controversial text to say the least. Sandberg suggests that the gender gap in employment is due to women “leaning out” of leadership roles and the only way to rectify this is to “lean in”, challenging society’s expectations of a woman’s place. While the denotations of this text are simply to assist women in achieving success, there is concern that the connotations of the text suggest that women must do extra in order to succeed.
Lean In is certainly merited in its points that women are unequal in the workplace. Using the media as an example, a study done by the University of the Sunshine Coast found that of the 605 Journalists surveyed:
- 69.9% of senior managers were male and 30.1% female
- 53.1% of males earn more than $72,000 a year, compared to 35.6% of females
- Females represent 55.5% of Journalists, though typically have less powerful positions.
These figures highlight the unequal male-female distribution in powerful positions.
The concept of “leaning in” is all about accepting opportunities and doing the best possible job, going above and beyond in order to succeed.
Many women have supported this idea, including celebrity Reese Witherspoon, who says the concept of leaning in has helped her achieve more than she could have ever hoped, despite earlier concerns and anxieties.
However, many women argue that leaning in is in fact a step back for feminism. They ask: ‘Why should women have to lean in? Why do women have to do more in order to succeed?’ An article by Rosa Brooks titled highlights these arguments as well as the exhaustion “leaning in” creates. She suggests that these assumptions must be challenged and that “We [women] need to fight for our right to lean out … Women of the world, recline!”
As a controversial text, there is no right or wrong answer; however, it is my suggestion that perhaps an approach that encompasses both ideas is needed; one foot in and one foot out.
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