Privilege is such an insidious beast. In my office, there is a definite power hierarchy in place that puts menial task as the domain of the (female) assistant. Sadly it’s not just the older men that reinforce this hierarchy but also some women in the office who perhaps are threatened by the other’s youth and difference in educational background. I am not immune to the effects of the hierarchy, when I help out or even just do my part in some sense I feel proud of the fact that I am not contributing to the problem. This is not right.
I should not feel proud or as if I have accomplished something when I am performing a task that all people are implicitly expected to do. Feeling proud means that I am subconsciously reinforcing the bias that it is the duty of the young female assistant to take on menial, “household” tasks in the workplace. When the only I action I take to correct the situation is to take on the menial task myself, I am perpetuating the bias that it is a woman’s place to take care of others. That it is the “natural” course of events. I don’t know how to address the situation without creating a larger issue or additional friction in the office.
A friend worked in an office where the kitchen duties were rotated on a roster each week, including the überboss of the corporation. When she told me about this, I tried to imagine such a routine in my office. It would be balked for sure. My überboss would not take part and I can imagine that although the schedule might be grudgingly followed for one rotation it would soon be discarded. How do we escape from power imbalances that are justified because “that’s just the way it is”?
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