Taking on the big boys, or, Why feminism is good for families, business, and the nation / Or Why Feminism Is Good for Families, Business, and the Nation

A manifesto for the workplace feminist that moved Oscar winner Jane Fonda to exclaim "Please, please, please. All working women must read this book!" Enough about "breaking the glass ceiling." Here are blueprints for a redesign of the entire building, ground up, to benefit women and men—as well as the bottom line. In Taking on the Big Boys, longtime labor activist Ellen Bravo explores workplace environments in both business and government. She recounts women's testimonies from offices, assembly lines, hospitals, and schools, unmasking the patronizing, trivializing, and minimizing tactics employed by "the big boys" and their surrogates, such as portraying feminism as women against men, and dismissing demands for pay equity, family leave, and flex time as outrageous. Also included are practical tips on everything from dealing with a sexual harasser to getting family members to share chores—and build equal relationships. In this "smart, kind, funny, and very effective" Gold Medal Winner of ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award for Women's Issues, Bravo argues for feminism as a system of beliefs, laws, and practices that value women and work associated with women, while detailing activist strategies to achieve a society where everybody—women and men—reach their potential (Gloria Steinem, feminist icon). Annotation Please, please, please. All working women must read this book! Ellen Bravo not only vividly exposes workplace inequities, she gives real-life solutions, picking up where my film 9 to 5 left off. Jane Fonda Enough about breaking the glass ceiling. Here are blueprints for a redesign of the entire building, ground up, to benefit women and menand even the bottom line. The feisty humor of Molly Ivins and the journalistic flair of Barbara Ehrenreich meet when longtime labor activist Ellen Bravo relates stories from business and government and womens testimonies from offices, assembly lines, hospitals, and schools. Bravo unmasks the patronizing, trivializing, and minimizing tactics employed by the big boys and their surrogates: They portray feminism as women against men, and they dismiss as outrageous demands for pay equity, family leave, and flex time. Practical tips on everything from dealing with a sexual harasser to getting family members to share chores (and build equal relationships) enliven many chapters. Bravo argues for feminism as a system of beliefs, laws, and practices that fully values women and work associated with women, while detailing activist strategies to achieve a society where everybodywomen and menreach their potential. A former director of 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women, and a recipient of a Women of Vision Award from the Ms. Foundation, Ellen Bravo lectures nationwide and teaches womens studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She wrote The Job/Family Challenge: A 9to5 Guide (Not for Women Only) and is the co-authored The 9to5 Guide To Combating Sexual Harassment Examines The Problem Of Inequality For Women In The Workplace And In Society, Exposes The Myths And Realities Regarding Women's Rights, Proposes Detailed Feminist Solutions To Help Create Real Social Change, And Offers Examples Of Collective Action Taken By Individuals And Organizations Like 9to5 To Fight Oppression And Domination In All Its Forms. Overview -- Why Social Workers Earn Less Than Accountants : Pay Equity -- Can You Have A Job And A Life? -- Can A Woman Do A Man's Job? -- You Want To See My What? : Sexual Harassment -- Nine To Five : Not Just A Movie--the Right To Organize -- Working Other Than Nine To Five : Part-time And Temporary Jobs -- What This Nation Really Thinks Of Motherhood : Welfare Reform -- Revaluing Women's Work Outside Of Work -- How You Can Help Get There. Ellen Bravo. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 241-266) And Index. Social-journalistic critique (like Barbara Ehrenreich) with solutions on how economic equity for women benefits everyone