Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies For Women in the Workplace

As long as gender inequality is a “women’s issue,” men aren’t going to feel any responsibility to fix it—and that has to change, write assistant sociology professor Smith and psychology professor Johnson (co-authors, Athena Rising) in this persuasive call to arms. They address “good guys,” or male would-be allies who want to help end workplace gender inequities but don’t know what to do, and provide simple instructions, including ready responses to sexist jokes (“Not cool” or “We don’t do that here,” among others) and questions to ask oneself to help gauge a meeting’s inclusivity (“Who is getting interrupted?”). The authors provide helpful advice on how to get past one’s misgivings and get started as an ally, deploy privilege appropriately by realizing its limitations for other people (such as how women of color might not feel comfortable adopting a white male’s brashness), and advocate for women at both the individual and organizational levels. Smith and Johnson also walk the walk—almost all their quotes are from women. The direct and useful advice should make this an obvious choice for men who appreciate the book’s central message: “You can do more.” (Oct.)