From Guy Inchbald
Susan Greenfield’s analysis of women in science (30 November, p 23) sounded hauntingly familiar. As a man who dislikes and tries to avoid personal machismo, I have found that my career has suffered in similar ways. I have at times been pigeon-holed, shut out because someone else fought dirty, and passed over because of my hairstyle. I have even suffered from the old saying “never trust a man with a beard”.
It is not so much sexism that is institutionalised as machismo. Great store is set by aggressive career climbing and achieving goals, never mind who gets trampled along the way. If a woman wants to have a child, tough. If a man wants to avoid a confrontation, tough. I have been trampled indiscriminately by aggressive members of both sexes – it cuts both ways.
Sex discrimination is indeed a serious spin-off of all this. Others are cultural, racial, ageist and, as I found, simple behavioural discrimination. The answer is to tackle not just the sexist symptom but the aggressive cause as well. The culture of success-at-all-costs must be shown up as hollow.
Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire, UK
