Jessy 11/4

When we read Allen’s analysis of the organizational socialization of black women onto the pieces by Tracy & Scott, and Firestone and Harris, I believe that an important limitation of these works emerges. Allen’s projection of a black feminist standpoint illustrates the importance for critics to incorporate considerations of race, sex, and gender when describing social constructed phenomena and organizational communication. As she explains, there is a particular view for black women in organizations, a uniqueness to the black feminine perspective “enact the role of ‘outsider’ differently than white women” (180). Rachael was correct in her post to say that gender is “everywhere.” Moreover, gender relationships are interconnected with social and personal formations of race and sexuality. For example, it is not enough to study “women” without at least acknowledging that their identity is also constituted by racial and sexual factors. Of course, reduction is unavoidable in any study; however, it is the examination of the discursive interlocutors of race, sexuality, and gender which can most honestly account for organizational communication. I direct this conversation particularly to the study by Firestone & Harris on sexual harassment in the US military, due to their dyadic method of analysis. The study only accounts for “male,” “female,” and “types of harassment” without recognizing the roles race and sexuality would also play in these activities (51). The reason why I offer this comment is partially the result of an incredibly unfortunate facebook post I read last night pertaining to gays in the military. One US army soldier wrote, “America: We don’t want the gays near us.” With the undeniable presence of homosexuality in the military, we can see that perhaps Firestone and Harris’ analysis did not push far enough to understand the constellation of race, sexuality, and gender in organizational harassment.

I almost forgot to ask a question.haha. How do you think racial and sexual considerations would have altered the findings/conclusions of Firestone and Harris?