SBS 301 Cultural
Diversity/Prof.
Koptiuch
Fall 2014 Personal Memory
Ethnographies
J.C.
Living In a Man's World
In
September of 2011 I was hired on at Costco
Wholesale. I was a temp and had to earn my spot as
an employee. When I was hired, I was asked if I
would feel comfortable anywhere they could put me
and because I wanted to stay I said yes.
A
couple weeks in I was finally put in a different
spot than the register assistant. I was put on cart
crew. The aromas outside were so much different from
the inside smell of the delicious bakery and pizza
cooking that I was used to. Outside the odor was a
mixture of In-n-Out fries cooking across the parking
lot and the sour smell of sewage.
When
the cart crew guys were showing me what was expected
I had a great feeling that the day was going to be
fun and going to go by quickly with all the work I
would be doing. I was very excited to be learning
something new.
It
was the summer time and very hot outside but the day
was going fast. I was sweaty and felt like I smelt
but the guys that I was working with said I was
working harder than most of the men out there. That
was probably the most positive thing said to me
throughout the whole day. There were very different
views about me working out there and most were hard
to take.
The
first bad experience I had was from an employee I
work with. Her name is Becky. She is an older woman
and has worked for Costco for many years. In all her
time though, she had never seen a girl on cart crew.
It was very troubling to her especially, since it
was over 100 degrees outside. She made plenty of
comments to me throughout the day like, “ why don’t
you get a guy that is supposed to be out there do
it,” or “ make sure you are keeping cool and taking
as many water breaks as you need, girls like you
shouldn’t have to be outside.” Her comments, even
though they were heartfelt, hurt. It made me feel as
though she felt should get special treatment just
because I’m a girl. She has no problem with the guys
being out there and possibly overheating but it was
a big concern that I was. It concerned her so much
she brought me out a towel that is made to help keep
cool. Given the advancements in Women’s Rights Acts,
I did not expect to hear this view.
Another
incident happened with a Costco member. The guy had
purchased some wooden flooring that is relatively
light but just awkward to lift. He asked for
assistance loading it into his vehicle and that is
one of the various extra tasks that cart crew does,
along with bringing carts up. I was the only one out
there at the time, and when I reached the man’s car
he looked very agitated. When I greeted him, he
skipped the hello’s and went straight to making the
comment “ Are you serious? This is a joke right? You
are going to help me find someone real to load my
car up, right?” Just because I am a woman, I was not
real to this gentleman.
The
whole day was a series of incidents that concerned
me. I had this vision that we as a society, were
past this. That women were making advancements in
equality. For example, the Women’s National
Basketball Association (WNBA) had their first ever
all-star game in 1999, whereas the men’s NBA
all-star games started in 1951. The women have had
them ever since proving that they are equally as
talented and exciting to watch. I was raised to try
everything and try to be the best at anything I am
doing. I was not held back by my family for wanting
to try any sport. In any sport I did, I was always
accepted. Why then, was unacceptable for me to work
in the same position as a man.
I
have had a very blinded view of women’s advancement
though. I thought we were breaking more barriers
than we were. As of 2013, women are still making 78%
less than men, in the same full time, year round
jobs. Women lose about $431,000 in their careers
even with the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
I
have had my view altered from the start of this
project to now. I came in to the assignment feeling
as though the walls had been broken down for me.
That women before me had led the way to our equal
future. That is not the case. Women then, now, and
in the future will be breaking down the wall
together. I was just one woman making it possible. I
worked a job that most people view as a man’s job.
Just like women in politics have to fight, I have to
fight. In 1996 Madeline Albright became the first
woman to become secretary of state and in 2008 the
first African American woman was appointed secretary
of state. These women paved the way for the ones
behind them in politics, just as I have to pave the
way for women working cart crew. There is a
historical imbalance in the world that people feel
uncomfortable changing. There are boxes that we are
put into to keep this comfortable. Men are the hard
workers, they make the money to support women, they
are in the most demanding jobs, work longer hours,
and are expected to support the family. Women have a
different role. They are supposed to have simple
jobs, keep pretty, take care of the house, take care
of the kids, and make sure dinner is ready on the
table when the man comes home from his grueling job.
Until
we are able to feel comfortable enough to disturb
this imbalance, then there will be no change. Women
will continue breaking down the wall. As of 2013 the
113th congress had reintroduced the Equal Rights
Act. In 1980 the ERA was short just three states to
be ratified. Women have been trying since 1923 to
get the Act passed, and we will have to keep
fighting until it does.