Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide
By: Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
Happy Women’s History Month! In honor of March being Women’s History Month, we will be reading Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide, by: Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever. Women Don’t Ask highlights the issue that women don’t always feel comfortable asking for what they want, both professionally and personally, largely due to what they have been taught in society.
The authors Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever assess the barriers women face to asking for what they want and need. Linda Babcock is a professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon and she founded the Program for Research and Outreach on Gender Equity in Society. She earned her BA in economics from UC Irvine and her Master’s and PhD in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Sara Laschever is an author and professional coach and has worked at Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon as a member of the Leadership and Negotiation Academy for Women. She earned her BA in English Literature from Princeton and her MA in Creative Writing from Boston University.
Women Don’t Ask is divided into 10 sections including an introduction, 8 chapters, and an epilogue. One of the most relevant chapters to the college audience is Chapter 1: Opportunity Doesn’t Always Knock. This chapter provides examples of people in various situations where they had to seek out opportunities which would not otherwise be available to them. It also highlights the difficulties that women face when seeking opportunities compared to their male counterparts. Chapter 5: Fear of Asking is also very relevant to this age group. Women tend to have higher anxiety regarding negotiation compared to men and this challenge is often exacerbated in young women seeking entrance into competitive industries. This chapter discusses the impacts of anxiety and ways to combat it in professional settings which is applicable for college aged students just starting their careers.
If you are interested in learning more about Women Don’t Ask, stop by the CEC in MVR 1203 to check out the book or meet with Career Assistants to discuss your summer plans. Happy Women’s History Month!
