Episode 95: Better in Scandinavia

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“The number of divorces has gone a little bit down in Norway – because if you take care of your family it is better for all the parts. I think it’s better for both men and women.”
— Katrine Gjaerum, Norway
Photo by crispypictures/iStock / Getty Images
Photo by crispypictures/iStock / Getty Images
“Women are working really hard and full time, and then they’re trying to be the perfect mother and have the perfect home. There’s a lot of pressure here to have very tidy, very stylishly decorated homes, and all of that takes energy.”
— Bronwyn Griffith, Sweden
“When you deviate just a little bit from gender roles and gendered behavior...it triggers anxiety and criticism. So you tend to choose the path of least resistance.”
— Lynn Roseberry, Denmark

Lynn Roseberry

The Nordic countries have a reputation for equality and excellent work/life balance. American women look enviously at these nations as they scrape together a short maternity leave or finish another 10-hour day.

But here's the paradox: there are just as few women in powerful roles in Scandinavia as there are in the US. 

In this show I set out to discover more about life for professional women in the Nordic countries. We have representatives from three of them - Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. 

You can also read a transcript of the show. 

Episode 94: Class and Career

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“This will sound funny but I feel like I wouldn’t advise it, this path that I was on. You have moments of pleasure you have to enjoy and appreciate, but it’s grueling.”
— Denise McKenzie

Denise McKenzie

In this show we look at how class can play out at work. Each of my guests works in a professional setting - Julie O'Heir in academia, Denise McKenzie in law. But both grew up in blue-collar households, and each has had trouble navigating the white-collar workplace and the attitudes of some of its workforce. When you're a black female working in a majority-white office, the issues multiply. 

I also talk to Daniel Laurison, a sociology professor at Swarthmore. He co-authored a study on the 'class ceiling' in Britain. It showed that on average, people in high-status professions who began life in a working-class household earn less than their more privileged peers.

You can also read a transcript of the show. 

Episode 93: Women in Politics (re-release)

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“It’s a very fine line...between how people want to agitate for women’s rights and women’s advancement and how much there can still be a backlash against those types of issues.”
— Megan Murphy
“You have more resources within you than you think...try to believe that you can actually make a difference, that your voice counts.”
— Madeleine Kunin

Madeleine Kunin (photo by Paul Boissvert)

This is a re-release of a show called Politics is Power, which I originally produced in March 2015. Given the impending US election, now seemed a good time to roll it out again. I think often of former Vermont governor Madeleine Kunin's wise words during our interview. Talking to her made me want to speak to many more women in their 80s or 90s. 

Since I put this show together Britain has gained a female prime minister, and America might be about to elect a woman as president. But there are still many issues female politicians face that men do not. This show looks at some of them, and provides a little inspiration to anyone thinking of entering politics. 

You can read a transcript of the show here, under the original episode. 

Episode 92: Illness and Secrecy

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“Two people at work asked me, ‘What happened to your arm?’ And I lied. I said, ‘Oh, I just fell and sprained my wrist.’ And that’s when I really started thinking more about how am I going to handle this at work? What am I going to say?”

A lot of people are working with some kind of health condition. Many of them keep that a secret from bosses and co-workers. In this show we look at perceptions of weakness at work, and talk to two guests with health issues. One of them is still deciding how and when to reveal her condition, and wonders if she does, will she ever be promoted again?

You can also read a transcript of the show.

Episode 91: Sandberg vs. Slaughter

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“To tell women who are bumping up against these intractable and structural problems that it’s all about you…is just extremely frustrating in the end, because it’s not all about you.”
— Sheelah Kolhatkar

Two powerful women dominate discussions about women in the workplace today: Sheryl Sandberg and Anne-Marie Slaughter.

In this show New Yorker writer Sheelah Kolhatkar and I talk about each woman's message and philosophy and how they differ from one another. We also hear from some of you about what you think of them. And we ask what will galvanize change for women long-term - individual effort, or a system overhaul?

Anne-marie slaughter

You can also read a transcript of the show. 

Let me know what you think of today's show in the comments section.

Episode 90: Working with Asperger's

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“I’m not afraid to have hard conversations with people. And I think that’s where my autism benefits me, because I don’t have that internal dread of having difficult conversations.”
— Tina Alberino

This is a mini-episode. It sprang from my conversation with Tina Alberino, who featured in the last show on the beauty business. She surprised me at the end of our interview by mentioning she was awkward with people. I'd just had an animated 40 minute conversation with her, so I probed, and this short show is the result.