In 2022 I did about 35 live radio interviews and taped about 25 podcasts. The first few were absolutely terrifying. But eventually I caught on to the rhythm of interviews, and now I very much enjoy them. I do not use talking points – which, for me, just come out sounding overly rehearsed. But I do rely heavily on a handful of key points to help jog my memory if I ever draw a blank in the middle of the interview. This beat-up index card has saved me many times.
I often drew from stories, data points, and statistics from my book. But since Equal Partners was written in 2021, I also came to rely on a handful of recent articles to weave more current information into the conversations. And so for my last Substack of the year, I thought I’d share my top five favorite articles and data sources from 2022. I hope you enjoy them too!
1. When moms out-earn their husbands, they gain more housework, study says
This Washington Post article by Soo Youn gave us fresh data to disabuse us of the notion that men do less around the house because they earn more in dual-earning households. We have research showing that (in different sex relationships) men do not step up when their female partners are the primary breadwinners, leaving women just as much – if not more – on their To Do lists at home.
2. Are You Taking on Too Many Non-Promotable Tasks?
This Harvard Business Review article was a game changer for me! Finally, we have the words we need to describe a workplace inequity issue we’ve struggled with for so long – women are disproportionately assigned “non-promotable tasks” that take up to 200 hours every year. Meanwhile, men largely avoid these time-sucking tasks, benefitting from the freedom to invest more hours into work that earns promotions and raises. (Article by Babcock, Peyser, Vesterlund and Weingart.)
3. Why Is It So Hard for Men to Make Close Friends?
One of my #1 messages is that gender equality isn’t just good for women and girls – it’s good for everyone. This New York Times piece by Catherine Pearson helps me deliver that message, by explaining how close relationships are good for men. And just because our society has socialized men and boys in a way that limits their ability to develop close relationships, it does not mean they are incapable of making and keeping close friends.
4. The Bias of “Professionalism” Standards
There’s a lot of power in the ability to write rules, and rule-makers in work settings have (unsurprisingly) tended to create guidelines that favor people like them. And since older white men have long dominated positions of authority in American workplaces, to be “professional,” one needs to act like an older, white man. This can make it difficult for anyone who identifies as other than an older white man to be seen as sufficiently professional. This article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review by Aysa Gray helps me better explain the impact of these patterns, and ends with examples of how to disrupt them in our workplaces.
5. Feminism isn’t the Problem. It’s the Response to it.
I often say in interviews, “I am not angry at any individual person. I am angry at our misogynist culture that perpetuates gender inequality – which is harmful for people of all genders.” This piece in Medium by Mark Greene gave me some additional language to articulate how the misogynist response to feminism isn’t just about women. Anti-feminism has just as much to do with boys’ emotions as it does with women’s bodies.
For Equal Partners, 2022 was a momentous year. I am grateful for everyone who was part of it: experts, EP40, EP+, friends, family, colleagues, readers, listeners. And I am grateful for all the new friends I have made in 2022! Without a doubt, the best part of this process has been the wonderful people I have met along the way.
Thank you all for your love, support and encouragement!
I have to admit, I am relieved that I do not have a book launching in 2023. But I never get tired of talking about gender norms and household roles. If anyone is interested in hosting a book group, DEI event for their workplace, or class lecture – please do not hesitate to reach out.
I wish you all a peaceful end to 2022, and a healthy beginning to 2023.
I especially like your index card and will read the articles when I have more time. They all sound very interesting and timely!