The Ban Bossy campaign, a national campaign that works to bring awareness and diminish the social double standards for the sexes, has garnered a lot of buzz – including a March 24 column in The Badger Herald. Many have asserted that the campaign is counterproductive and instead of “banning bossy,” we should be teaching girls and boys alike not to care about others’ perceptions of them. As a woman, I don’t care what negative perceptions people have of me, but I sure as hell care if those perceptions are different from my male counterparts because of my sex.
Quoting from the Ban Bossy website, “When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a ‘leader.’ Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded ‘bossy.’ Words like ‘bossy’ send a message: don’t raise your hand or speak up. By middle school, girls are less interested in leading than boys — a trend that continues into adulthood. Together we can encourage girls to lead.” Opponents of the campaign have fixated on the actual word ‘bossy,’ when in reality, the campaign goes much deeper than the slogan. While everyone can agree that boys and girls alike can and should be evaluated fairly, there is no denying that there is a double standard in perception for the actions of boys and girls. Equal performances and actions by women and men are met with different perceptions and reactions, especially in the workplace. I am not okay with that. No one should be.
A 1992 psychological study confirmed that the leadership double standard is anything but a fantasy. The study found, “Gender inequality in interaction takes many forms and is maintained by various processes. For example, men and women frequently differ in the amount of competence that is assigned to them and in the emotional reactions they receive when they attempt to occupy leadership positions . . . [Women] tend to be perceived as aggressive whereas men exhibiting the same behavior are seen as decisive.”A 2002 study reaffirmed these results stating, “Gender status beliefs also create legitimacy reactions that penalize assertive women leaders for violating the expected status order and reduce their ability to gain compliance with directives.”
The Ban Bossy campaign attempts to address the root of the problem: the assignment of conflicting labels to boys and girls at the earliest stages of education. Ban Bossy finds fault with the fact that the same behavior by a boy will earn him a positive title and a girl a negative one. It fights the persistent gender expectations that assert women should be seen and not heard. It is much more than simply banning the use of a word. It is about equality.
One of the most shocking allegations made by opponents, including the submission from my fellow Herald columnist, is that these girls that are being labeled “bossy” are actually bullies, called bossy because of their negative behavior. Little do they know that this is just another example of the double standards the campaign is trying to bring attention to. While there are certainly boys and girls that exhibit negative behavior such as bullying, leadership is not one of them. Per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “bully” can be defined as a “blustering browbeating person; especially: one habitually cruel to others who are weaker.” I don’t consider speaking my mind or taking charge in an effective manner to meet this definition. This campaign does not encourage malicious action on the part of females. It encourages the public to examine the double standards so intertwined in our society that leadership qualities in girls are equated with bullying.
The slogan of “equal pay for equal work” has become a feminist staple. The Ban Bossy campaign adds to the feminist movement by asserting “Equal Perceptions for Equal Actions.” Women are more than their gender expectations or even their gender. They are people. People who should be evaluated equally based on their actions and not whether they have a penis. So don’t dare call me bossy – you can call me a leader.
Pledge to stop using the word “bossy” and encouraging double standards at BanBossy.com.
Madeline Sweitzer ([email protected]) is a freshman majoring in political science and intending to major in journalism.
