
The rise of women-only coworking spaces - sverige
http://theweek.com/articles/759527/rise-womenonly-coworking-spaces
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JoeAltmaier
To counter some of the reflex resentment and lashing out - when a population
under pressure seeks another way of succeeding, its not always about you. Its
not evil or racist or 'reverse discrimination'. You can always tell those
things - that's when the favored population is getting all the advantages,
again. When the underrepresented population works hard to find ways to create
programs for them to succeed, that's just sensible.

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contourtrails
The issue is that the population sequestering itself in an isolated working
space is stepping away from unity and partnership and backwards towards fear
and mistrust.

We learn to work together by actually working together. It's tempting to
isolate yourself sometimes, but partnership is more fruitful in the long run,
assuming your partner is willing to work with you. I believe it is the case
that the vast majority of men are capable of and willing to work respectfully
with women in the workplace and are extending a hand of friendship, so to
speak.

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JoeAltmaier
That's an ivory tower view. So many women speak out about the appalling
treatment in the workplace, but men are still "but I don't do that!" So
everybody should just get along, because.

Really, its about finding a way to work productively. Its not such a
tremendous privilege to work with men that everybody should be forced to do
it.

~~~
contourtrails
Your attitude is a tempting one, but it is socially harmful in the long run.
The issue is that women are actually doing more social harm than good by
isolating themselves.

The more that women work side by side with men on equal footing in the
workplace, establishing this as a social norm, over time the less frequently
sexism will manifest itself.

Consider racial integration of baseball in America. Jackie Robinson faced
terrible racism as the first black man to play MLB baseball. However this did
not dissuade him from playing in what had traditionally been a white man's
league. He welcomed the opportunity to be a pioneer in the face of abuse and
in doing so he paved the way for other black men to join the league.

Racism has significantly receded in MLB, in large part because of pioneers
like Jackie Robinson.

If Jackie Robinson had thought like you and the women who want to sequester
themselves, then the progress of racial integration may have been impacted.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
One group of women working in an incubator environment to get a boost is not
socially harmful.

Women get this all the time - whatever they do, its the wrong choice because
whatever. The first, and often only, critique their actions get is negative.
Why is that, do you suppose? A common thought is, its a form of institutional
bias. Its an undercurrent that makes the work environment feel like wearing
cement shoes.

~~~
contourtrails
But you read my comment, so you know I'm not saying what I am saying "because
whatever", I'm saying it because in general I disagree with isolation and am
in favor of partnership and integration.

Obviously one incubator will not have a major impact on society, but we are
talking about the sort of thinking that leads to the creation of a non-male
incubator and the value of the concept in general.

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contourtrails
Seems needlessly reactionary. The way to encourage cooperation is to
cooperate, not to isolate.

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jenkstom
I guess that means men only coworking spaces are OK, too.

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zunzun
This seems racist.

