Innocent Comment

 

Jack Strong is seated between Tom Evans and Judy Hanson at a dinner meeting of a local industrial engineering society. Jack and Judy have an extended discussion of a variety of concerns, many of which are related to their common engineering interest. At the conclusion of the dinner, Jack turns to Tom, smiles and says, "I’m sorry not have talked with you more tonight, Tom, but Judy’s better looking than you."

Judy is taken aback by Jack’s comment. A recent graduate from a school in which more than 20 percent of her classmates were women, she been led to believe that finally the stereotypical view that women are not as well suited for engineering as men was finally going away. However, matters quickly changed on her first job. She found that she was the only woman engineer in her division. Now, even after nearly a year on the job, she has to struggle to get others to take her ideas seriously. She wants to be recognized first and foremost as a good engineer. So, she had enjoyed "talking shop" with Jack. But she was stunned by his remark to Tom, however innocently it might have been intended. Suddenly she saw the conversation in a very different light. Once again she sensed that she was not being taken seriously enough as an engineer.

How should Judy respond to Jack’s remark? Should she say anything? Assuming Tom understands her perspective, what, if anything, should Tom say or do? Do Tom and other male engineers have special responsibilities to help women engineers feel they are as well qualified as men for engineering?