Teen Girls on Business - Simmons College

<strong>Teen</strong> <strong>Girls</strong> on Business: Are They Being Empowered?How a Job in Business Would Make Me Feel% Two Highest Response Categories<strong>Girls</strong>Boys605053%48%4043%37%3029%2017%100Excited Satisfied Relaxed“I feel like that there’s more discontent anddissatisfaction, and inner conflict andturmoil with business men and women.”-High School Girl“All these business people that are just sortof wearing black suits and sort of have nofaces, they just sort of blend in.”-Middle School Girl“It feels like there’s no destination in sightwith business . . . . It’s just constant likethe gerbil riding on the treadmill.”-High School <strong>Girls</strong>tand that their abilities are valued in business. <strong>Girls</strong> are alsosignificantly more likely than boys to feel “in the dark”about business. When asked how much they felt they knewabout different types of business careers, almost one-third ofgirls in the study said “not much.” Conversely, more thanone-third of boys believe they know “a lot” or “everything”about business careers.Our findings are consistent with previous research on thedevelopment of girls’ self-confidence. A 1992 report, HowSchools Shortchange <strong>Girls</strong>, 20 identifies the transition frommiddle school to high school as a particularly “silencing”period for young female voices. The authors describe how,coupled with overwhelming social pressures, this loss ofvoice seems to diminish self-esteem, creating young womenwho are discouraged by their muddied perceptions of futurecareer and academic options. Addressing the underlying issueof confidence, as well as giving girls a richer understanding ofwhat business is all about, are critical levers for change.<strong>Girls</strong> are ambivalent about businessWhile their general feelings about business are neutral-topositive,girls perceive business careers as less satisfying, lessexciting, and less relaxing than boys. Well under half thegirls in our study believe a job in business would make themfeel excited. <strong>Girls</strong> in focus groups frequently used words andimages associated with what they see as the fast-pacednature of business. They talked about people always “beingon the go,” “stressed,” and “in a hurry.” This may be especiallyimportant as girls think about their top career objectives,which include having enough time for their family andfriends. These negative perceptions tended to increase whenwe asked girls to move from abstract feelings about businessto envisioning themselves in business careers.Business perceived as constraining, drab, and faceless<strong>Girls</strong> tend to see business as constraining and inflexible. Infocus groups, a large number of girls talked about their negativeperceptions of business. This included the “cubicle-culture,”which was also described as an uncreative environmentwhere people are invisible and faceless. It was clearthat many saw a homogenizing effect on those working inbusiness. It is interesting to note that only a small handful ofgirls talked about excitement, innovation, or creativity inbusiness. These findings were consistent with other research2020How Schools Shortchange <strong>Girls</strong>. AAUW and Wellesley College Center for Research onWomen. New York, NY: Marlowe & Company; 1995.