Blog #11

Social Contracts, Chapter 6 -- Julia Driver

I enjoyed this chapter and found it especially fitting to my work as a fundraiser. When a person makes a donation to Drake, especially a planned gift, as a fundraiser it is imperative that we know that this agreement could change at any time. Driver discusses this at length in this chapter and questions whether social contracts even exist, or at they more just agreements? 

She also provides an example of a parking garage. If one person thinks it should be free when another is paying, the person who thinks it should be free cannot just “opt out” of paying. But then, she give an example of someone who sells a painting for $100 and learning the next day that it is worth much, much more. The person is not able to demand more money from the person they sold it to just because of what they have learned. I think Driver provides good examples that argues both points of view.

In my opinion, and because of my work, I know that I need to be flexible with social contracts in fundraising. No one is required to give charitable gifts to Drake. They do so out of the goodness of their hearts to create a legacy for future students to come. It is important to be respectful and appreciative. 

Blog #10

    Feminist Ethics, Chapter 9 – Julia Driver 

    Driver presents us with a great deal of information in Chapter 9. I selected this chapter because I’m already interested in what Carol Gilligan has to say about feminist ethics. Much of the chapter is dedicated to Driver delving in to the influence Gilligan’s work has had on feminist ethics and how feminine ethics has evolved since the time of Gilligan. Right away, Driver criticizes the biases that men have created in traditional ethics such as Utilitarianism and Kantian ethics.

I appreciated that Driver points out the good work that Gilligan has done to correct that moral stereotypes that women have had to endure over time and that men believe the male “justice” view is superior. The chapter goes on to explore many studies that involved findings from the Victorian age and Kohlberg.

As I think about relating this to my current life, I am reminded of a role I held with a previous job in Chicago. I was in charge of managing an elite, high social-class women’s board for a museum. What was interesting was the way I was treated by these women—as if I was just a lay worker, there to wait on their every need and want. I bring this up because I think it shows how feminist ethics have evolved (and not always in the best way). Although I was an educated professional women, working in a respected job, I was made out to be treated like a worthless minion. It does to show that Driver is accurate in stating feminist ethics are evolving all the time. 

Blog #9

Chugh, D. (2004). Societal and managerial implications of implicit social cognition: Why milliseconds matter. Social Justice Research, 17(2), 203-222. 

I really enjoyed Chugh’s article on implicit social cognition and found her findings fascinating. I had never considered that just seconds can make such a major difference for an individual in their career, all based on the biases of a manager. Chugh states that her primary objective is to, “show how and why managerial work is prone to unintentional social justice violations,” (2004, p. 204). A great deal of the article dealt with social injustices having to do with race.

We learn, through Chugh and her research of Mintzberg, that there are three general managerial roles: interpersonal relationships, information processing, and decision making (p.205). It is noted that these three roles need to have someone that is socially cognitive. However, many organizations have managers in place that are not of the highest social cognition. Personally, I have experienced this in my professional life. Although I did not deal with an issue of race (as is largely discussed in this article) I feel that gender biases were an issue. In a previous job, I learned that the women were paid less for doing the exact same job as the men in the office. Also, my boss at the previous job was somewhat of a male chauvinist and always gave the preferred clients and tasks to my male colleagues. It was frustrating and unfair, but at the time I did not feel I could say anything.

Luckily, since that job, I have not been in this position again (that I am aware of!) and I hope never to be again. Managers play such an integral role in the health and well-being of a strong organization.

Mintzberg states it best by saying: No job is more vital to our society than that of the manager. It is the manager who determines whether our social intuitions serve us well or whether they squander our talents and resources (1975, p. 61).