Women in the Workplace Essay -- Female Workforce Job Essays

In many cultures throughout the world women are patronized and viewed as the weaker sex. Women are commonly perceived as being unfit for any forms of higher education and because of societal pressure and expectations retreat to a life of raising children and cooking meals for their husbands. Our society’s stereotypical views about women’s suffrage, educational expectations and athletic abilities have all advanced over the years. In many aspects of our society, women are now expected to compete with their male counterparts. Currently, it is not uncommon to hear of a women CEO or Vice President in businesses or even a women politician. Women have now emerged from laundry rooms and kitchens across the country and changed the demographics of the American workforce. However women are yet to take the medical workplace by storm and redefine the preconceived notions society upholds about leaders in medical professions. To illustrate this idea I conducted an ethnographic study of a local dental office that I am employed at. I believe that the medical field has hardly been affected by the advances in women’s rights and is a common ground for the influences of gender stereotypes that have been outdated for many years in American culture. Going to the doctor can be a frightening experience for many people. Choosing a doctor is a difficult process that can result in a poor experience at the appointment or worse in some cases. First impressions play a large role in a patients response to the practice overall. â€Å"Great Smiles† focuses on this concept and shapes their office procedures to make all first visits a positive experience. This office is located on a busy main road in an upper class suburban area of Michigan. The buildin... ...orld and are no longer seen as the â€Å"weaker sex†. The inclining percent of women becoming doctors could be a large movement to a completely blended population of doctors to chose from. Women are learning that to avoid the control men can enforce on women in the medical workplace they need to strive for success in their profession. Many women may be happy assisting a male doctor but the growing number of female doctors illustrates the point that women want the power and control that their male counterparts currently maintain. Works Cited Jennifer. â€Å"Gender Relations and Alcohol: An Examination of The Cocktail Waitress: Women’s work in a Man’s World.†. December 9th, 2001. www.geocities.com/wellesley/6265/papers/gender/cocktailwaitress.html