Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1992 - 46

rabularion wirh rhe responses in rhe orher
secnons.

PART 8: OPEN ANSWER
QUBSTIONS
The essay secrions of rhe survey, in which
we soughr inpur as ro how individuals had
successfully dealr wirh sex discriminarion as
well as suggesrions for rhe way rhar USITT
could posirively impacr rhis problem,
broughr forrh deep-felr emorions. Anguish
and even despai r were apparen r in rhe
answers of numerous respondenrs. One
woman, in answer ro rhe quesrion "\Xlhar
merhods have vou successfully employed ro
overcome gender bias and sex discriminarion?" wrore:
I find rhar wirhin rechnical rhearre
rhere are gender-specific expecrarions.
Ir is nor necessarily because of
rraining programs; ir is more likely a
pervasive socieral bias rhar cosrume
people "should" be women and scenic
and lighring people "should" be men.
Cosruming presenrs problems of
associarion wirh old norions of "a
woman's place is in rhe home, sewing
for her family." The adminisrrarors of
rhe universiries where I raughr seemed
ro rhink rhere was norhing parri-

cularly sophisricared abour my job--arrer all, "Johnny's morher can do rhe
same for rhe rhird grade pageanr."
Issues of ren ure-crack, salary, and
advancemenr are verv difflculr ro
negoriare when your adminiscrarion
feels rhis way. Yer, I srill cried ro
change rheir minds by working
harder ro "prove" my worrh-so I
worked 80-hour weeks when my
male colleagues had long gone home.
Is ir any wonder mar I've decided ro
leave me profe sion'
Frusrrarion was evidenr in orher responses
ro rhe same quesrion. Recurring were such
answers as: "Pur up and shur up or lose
your job," "\XIork rwice as hard for 40% less
pay," and, 'Tm ar a loss here. I confronr
gender bias nearly every day bur I don'r do
anyrhing abour ir excepr grir my reerh."
There were, however, many posirive
suggesrions as well. In addirion ro rhe
frequenr acknowledgemenr rhar designers
and rechnicians of borh sexes musr flrsr of
all be comperenr, rhe following anions
were advocared:

RESPONDENTS
RECOMMENDATIONS
POSITIVE ACTIONS

SUPERVISORS CAN TAKE
*
*
*
*

Assign duries free of sex bias.
Trear persons as individuals, nor genders.
Have borh sexes work on all projecrs.
Acrively encourage developmenr of skill
arypical of gender roles.
* Do nor ler srudenrs use gender as an
excuse, e.g., "Yes, Caroline, you will have
ro do rruck loading before we rrain you
on rhe lighr board."
* Eliminare sexisr language, e.g., "Hi, guys"
when enrering rhe scene shop, and using
rhe rerm "rirs" ro indicare good work.

POSITIVE ACTIONS
INDmDUALS CAN T4BE
* Consciously nerwork wirh barh sexes.
* Aggressively recruir females for rraining
programs and professorial posirions.
* Supporr female workers in rhe face of
unfair criricism from males.
* Learn rhe legal obligarions of insrirurions
and be willing ro exercise rhese righrs.

POSITIVE aCTIONS
INSTITUTIONS CAN TAKE
The answers ro rhe quesrion "\XIhar could
US ITT do ro posirively impacr gender bias
in rechnical rhearre?" were overwhelmingly

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44

1992 SUMMER

TD&T
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1992
