Ep 168. David Smith: How to be a Good Guy

Dr. David Smith is co-author of the forthcoming book Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace. David is an Associate Professor of Sociology in the College of Leadership and Ethics at the U.S. Naval War College. His previous book, Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women, was named one of 25 books everyone should read by Inc. Magazine and TED Speakers when it was published in 2016. A former Navy pilot, Dr. Smith led diverse organizations of women and men culminating in command of a squadron in combat and flew more than 3,000 hours over 30 years including combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a sociologist trained in military sociology and social psychology, he focuses his research in gender, work, and family issues including gender bias in performance evaluations, dual career families, military families, women in the military, and retention of women. In this episode, Stew and David talk about the various ways men can, and must, step up to help make our workplaces and our society more conducive to equal pay for equal work for women. Despite the many gains women have made in the workplace, there remains a pernicious pay gap and the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the sorry fact that women are still doing what Arlie Hochschild decades ago called the “second shift” --  childcare and household work above and beyond their paid work outside the home.  In this conversation about Good Guys, David explains why it’s in all our interests for this to change and he offers practical guidance for how men can overcome resistance to making it happen.  Here’s an invitation, my dear gentlemen, a challenge for you to consider, after you’ve listened to this episode and learned more about what it takes to be an ally.  Find an opportunity in the next day or so to inquire of a woman in your life -- just ask and listen, that is -- about inequities she has experienced or seen.  What do you discover? Write to Stew Friedman to let him know, at [email protected], or connect with him on LinkedIn.  While you’re at it, share your thoughts with Stew on this episode and ideas for future shows.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.