Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Editor's Note, Dawn-Marie Driscoll

New England Journal of Public Policy

This issue of the New England Journal of Public Policy had many beginnings and, like most efforts in which a theme is slowly resolved, probably should not have an ending.

The discussion of this theme started several years ago when a group of senior Boston businesswomen talked about the need and value of meeting on a semi-regular basis. Their purpose would be to focus discussions on a narrow but important issue — the economic advancement of women.

The criteria for these informal meetings quickly fell into place. All the women who comprised the group would be drawn from within the …

Moving In The Economic Mainstream, Brunetta R. Wolfman

New England Journal of Public Policy

The requirements for economic mobility in a postindustrial society present many barriers for low-income women. Social policy and program goals for improving their opportunities should focus on educational, training, and entrepreneurial activities using individualized assessment, counseling, and academic and occupational advisers. Social consensus needs to be achieved in order to establish viable programs that address women's total needs rather than approaching the problem with fragmented, uncoordinated solutions.

The Changing Challenge: From Double Bind To Double Burden, Matina Horner

New England Journal of Public Policy

Has "fear of success" been overcome by our focus on individual achievement, or is today's working woman caught in an ever more exhausting circle of high expectations and guilt? The author of this article notes that professional accomplishment and femininity were once viewed as mutually exclusive, creating a double bind for women who wanted both, driving some to avoid too much success. But today, the economic interdependence of men and women is a reality, requiring that we move beyond the debate of the proper role of women and look at the real issues: burden sharing, support systems, and stresses on …

Foreword, Rosabeth Moss Kanter

New England Journal of Public Policy

Two significant facts are apparent from reading this volume. First, the authors are themselves examples of women overcoming barriers, breaking into formerly all-male domains, succeeding against the odds, and exercising economic, political, and educational leadership — on behalf of other women as well as on behalf of the institutions they serve. Thus their own lives are eloquent rebuke to anyone who still thinks that women cannot manage effectively in any realm, or that women must always take second place to men, or that family responsibilities make women less serious about public responsibilities, or that women fail to help one another; …

Women, Leadership, And Power, Marilyn Swartz Lloyd

New England Journal of Public Policy

Women strive to attain power because it is the best way to achieve their personal and professional goals. This article describes how empowerment enabled its author to capture the vision of an ideal city in which education, culture, business, and industry all enjoy dignity and respect. Gaining acceptance for a light manufacturing zone in the city of Boston involved learning to build constituencies and rally support for a winning campaign.

Another View Of The "Facts Of Life", Phyllis S. Swersky

New England Journal of Public Policy

The "mommy track" has entered the lexicon of women's career development, thanks to a controversial article in the Harvard Business Review in which Felice N. Schwartz recommended a dual career track for women. In this article, a senior executive, corporate director, and mother of three children offers another view of how working women might approach the demands of family and career.

The Boardroom: Still A Fraternity?, Dell Mitchell

New England Journal of Public Policy

Boards of directors of corporations may represent the last fraternity at the top of the economic power structure. Although they represent an important pool of candidates, highly qualified women are grossly underrepresented on such boards. This article describes the strategy behind the ongoing effort in New England to position women for appointment as corporate directors.

Women, Power, And Partnership, Elizabeth Graham Cook

New England Journal of Public Policy

As women in a community move into senior positions from which they can influence the economic advancement of women at all levels, commentators have examined factors contributing to their advancement. This article outlines data about the Women's Economic Forum, a Boston group formed in 1985. The degree to which interdependence or "partnership" is a positive element in achieving the group's objectives suggests that other communities could adopt the WEF model.

Women And Money: Getting Money And Using It, Sheryl R. Marshall

New England Journal of Public Policy

The author of this article has spent her career in the world of finance. Here she examines the way women make economic decisions. The article centers on attitudes concerning women, money, and financial independence; the availability or lack of capital for women who want to start businesses; and a strategy for using their economic clout to forward the agenda of the economic empowerment of women.

Women And Philanthropy: New Voices, New Visions, Marcy Murninghan

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article examines the growing presence and influence of women in American contemporary philanthropy. Based in part upon structured interviews conducted with leaders in the women's funding movement, it identifies how the voices and visions of women — within older, more traditional foundations as well as newer "women's funds" — are having an impact on the way the needs of human community are met. It also sheds light on how these voices and visions serve to reconceive the connections among morality, money, and power, thereby contributing to an understanding of economic morality.

A Critique Of "Women And Philanthropy: New Voices, New Visions", Micho F. Spring

New England Journal of Public Policy

The debate is classic: should women work within existing institutional systems and organizations to help shape them, or should they establish their own? Micho Spring offers her own views about Marcy Murninghan's study of alternative philanthropies.