4 ms·

The rise of women-only coworking spaces

2 points by sverige 9y ago

contourtrails 9y ago
Seems needlessly reactionary. The way to encourage cooperation is to cooperate, not to isolate.
jenkstom 9y ago
I guess that means men only coworking spaces are OK, too.
zunzun 9y ago
This seems racist.
JoeAltmaier 9y ago
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.
- contourtrails 9y ago
  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.
  - JoeAltmaier 9y ago
    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 9y ago
      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 9y ago
        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 9y ago
        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.

2 points by sverige 9y ago

contourtrails 9y ago

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

jenkstom 9y ago

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

zunzun 9y ago

This seems racist.

JoeAltmaier 9y ago

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.

contourtrails 9y ago
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.
- JoeAltmaier 9y ago
  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 9y ago
    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 9y ago
      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 9y ago
        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.