Something Positive to Say?
Although the majority of feedback surrounding the “Ban Bossy” campaign is negative, some articles have expressed their opinion on how this campaign is actually beneficial. An article on Business Insider (http://www.businessinsider.com/what-bossy-words-says-about-gender-at-work-2014-3) brings up the fact that children tend to play with other children of the same sex. In these groups of friends, boys are usually more competitive. It is questionable as to whether or not this is in boys’ nature or if it is taught by either their parents or society. Girls, on the other hand, tend to be a lot less competitive with each other in childhood. If a girl breaks this mold and decides to be competitive, she is looked at as being ‘bossy.’ Boys tend to be able to have more of an attitude towards other boys without being disliked by their peers. Since it is out of the ordinary for girls to be this assertive, they are often times |
disliked when acting out of character. The author of this article mentions that “playground barrier caries over to the workplace.” This is why it is important to teach girls early on that being called ‘bossy’ isn’t a bad thing so that we can change how this term is perceived in generations to come.
Although this campaign is certainly not the ‘end all be all’ solution to this problem, it is indeed a step in the right direction. Other positive feedback includes the fact that this campaign, at the very least, spreads awareness about the issue and teaches women to speak up. The article on Business Insider states, “If we get a better read on how our language reflects gender assumptions, then we can make progress.” It is important to acknowledge how words like ‘bossy’ affect the general population. |