Interview with SR, History 150 Spring 2023, Conducted by Colby Rasmusson, March 20th, 2023.
Overview to Social Change Interview
The main topics discussed in my interview are the experiences the interviewee, SR, had in the workplace. We mainly talked about the different jobs she has had and how she was treated in each environment. She dealt with adversity as a woman in the workplace in the 1990s, and I wanted to see how this has changed since then. She was paid differently, treated differently, and felt like she was lower than her employees just for being female. The interview reveals a social change that has taken place for women in the workplace. It is overlooked how much women do for our society every day, and I’m glad people are starting to realize it. In my interview, you can get the sense that our world is on a better path for these women in their work areas.
Biography
In this interview, I interviewed my mother, SR. She was born in Jenkintown, PA, and attended York College of Pennsylvania. Once she graduated from college, she moved all around the country, where she eventually met my father. The first place she moved was the Grand Canyon, where she worked as a waitress at one of the local restaurants. During that time, she loved it as it was a good way to make money back then and she could enjoy her days off doing whatever she wanted around the canyon. A few years passed, her and my dad decided to move to Maine to open up a coffee shop. They loved working at the coffee shop, as it was a huge passion of theirs for years. Once I was born, they decided to move to Richmond, Virginia, as it is a more family friendly environment. My mom got a job at a local eye doctor, where she works as a receptionist. She has been doing this for years and enjoys what she does. Even though she has loved what she has done over the past 20 years, I wanted to interview her on her experiences in these different work environments.
Research
For my research, I wanted to see the differences between how women and men are treated in these work environments. I decided to look at the data collected by Business Insider. The data showed that men have been getting paid significantly more than women since 1979 for the same jobs being performed. Another graph showed the pay ratio in 25 major cities. In every single one of these cities, men’s annual pay rate is significantly higher than women. Another article I checked out that was collected by Harvard stated that women who apply for certain jobs are already being judged because society thinks men are more qualified for them. It showed me that men are stereotyped as true entrepreneurs and people assume that women are not qualified at all. I just don’t think this is fair, as we should give women the same chance as men for any job out there. I’ve always thought this was a big problem in our country, so I decided to interview my mother about it.
Transcription
Colby Rasmusson 0:01
All right, we are recording. Thank you again for joining me today.
Can we talk about what job interests you had as a child?
SR 0:09
Sure. Yeah. I always loved working with people and being around others in an upbeat atmosphere. So when I went to college, I realized that I could go to school during the day and then work at night waiting tables. And I loved just like I said, being with other people, and it was really upbeat with other people my age, and then the main thing that was awesome was I went home with cash.
Colby Rasmusson 0:36
Ok I like it. Could you describe what the workforce was like for you as a woman when you first joined?
SR 0:43
Yeah, I would say that it was a little bit of a struggle. I worked with a lot of people my age and a lot of males who definitely, you know, I would say I would make unwanted sexual advances. So that was that was a little bit challenging for me and stressful at times for sure.
Colby Rasmusson 1:05
Okay, and how did how did that? How did that make you feel? During those times?
SR 1:11
Yeah, it was hard. And I had to let them know that that was not okay. And just kind of work through that. And, yeah, it definitely took some time. But it made me feel uncomfortable at times.
Colby Rasmusson 1:26
Did it make you feel like you didn’t want to go back to that place of work?
SR 1:30
There were definitely people that I didn’t want to work with. So if I knew that they were going to be there that night, I would try to change shifts, and, you know, switch to not be working with those particular gentleman.
Colby Rasmusson 1:45
I don’t blame you. Would you say, were men treated better than you at any time? In the workforce?
SR 1:53
Yeah, I think that they were treated a little more like they were superior. I mean, they also, you know, we had a lot of heavy stuff to carry. So I feel like they would kind of be put on the jobs that were heavier. But I was very capable to do those jobs myself. I didn’t need, I didn’t need a man to carry my trays for me.
Colby Rasmusson 2:18
Okay. Can you describe any specific situations where you felt like you were treated unfairly?
SR 2:25
Yeah, I think a lot of times, they would ask me to bartend because mainly men would sit at the bar. So they would have, you know, particular shirts that you would wear that were a little more low cut. And, you know, because it just brought more people to the bar. Specifically, if you had a woman bartender, so I think that was not very fair.
Colby Rasmusson 2:47
Yeah, did that. Did that make you uncomfortable?
SR 2:50
Yeah, it definitely made me uncomfortable. But at the same time, I did like the money. So it’s kind of a catch 22.
Colby Rasmusson 2:59
Okay, thank you. Have you noticed this problem for women getting better in the workforce since getting new jobs from when you first started? Have you noticed improvement?
SR 3:11
Yeah, I think definitely the last 20 years because of everything that’s been going on the Me Too movement and women just, you know, finally coming forward and saying things that have been happening to them, that I think it has become a lot more recognized. And I think it has gotten a lot better.
Colby Rasmusson 3:29
Have you noticed the pay getting any better for you, compared to like men? Do you see it as the same now? Or do you notice that men are getting paid more than you for the same job?
SR 3:41
I mean, I think that’s gotten a little bit better. But I do feel that men for the same job are still getting paid a little bit more than women. But I think it’s come a long way in 20 years.
Colby Rasmusson 3:53
Okay. Do you have any suggestions on or any advice for women that deal with being treated unfairly as being a woman just in the workplace?
SR 4:06
I think just being honest, and always, you know, telling if something is happening, that is inappropriate, I think, you know, the sooner these things come out, the better, you know, things will become and we just need to kind of keep working towards equality. And yeah, just keep working at it and just keep it honest, and can’t be hiding these things any longer. Because it’s been, it’s been getting out of control. So let’s say that.
Colby Rasmusson 4:42
So, you talk about honesty. Has there ever been a time where you’ve been honest or stood up to a boss and told them what’s been going on?
SR 4:54
Yeah, there was a time that a mutual co worker, a guy friend of mine, we were talking about money and how much we were making. And he was making quite a bit more than myself. So I did go to my boss and I talked to them about it. And I just said that, you know if that didn’t change that I was going to be leaving the company. So I was, yeah, I agree with you. I was very happy about that choice.
Colby Rasmusson 5:20
Okay. Well, thank you for your time today. And you do understand that this will be published to a public website, correct?
SR 5:29
Yes, sir.
Colby Rasmusson 5:30
All right.
Thank you.
SR 5:31
Thank you.
Interview with SR, History 150 Spring 2023, Conducted by Colby Rasmusson, March 20th, 2023.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Technology Process
This interview was conducted in person on my computer.
Bibliography
Sonam Sheth, Madison Hoff. “These 8 Charts Show the Glaring Gap between Men’s and Women’s Salaries in the US.” Business Insider, Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/gender-wage-pay-gap-charts-2017-3#major-cities-show-an-even-bigger-discrepancy-3.
“What Research Tells Us about How Women Are Treated at Work.” Harvard Business Review, 27 Dec. 2017, https://hbr.org/2017/12/what-research-tells-us-about-how-women-are-treated-at-work.
Parker, Kim. “Women in Majority-Male Workplaces Report Higher Rates of Gender Discrimination.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 7 Aug. 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/07/women-in-majority-male-workplaces-report-higher-rates-of-gender-discrimination/.
Chatelaine Updated September 30, 2019. “Work-Life Balance: 7 Women Share How They Make It Work.” Chatelaine, 1 Oct. 2019, https://chatelaine.com/living/budgeting/work-life-balance/.