Bailey

[]The article is about the difference between men and women when it comes to bargaining, mainly how women would prefer not to because they are too shy to ask. Tory Johnson writes about how to ask a boss for a raise or more vacation time by doing research on how much you //should// be getting (not 77 cents for every dollar a man makes), anticipating reasons the boss will reject your request, and come up with a back-up plan on what you should ask for if your first request is denied.

I thought it was sad that most women don't bargain for more money because they have "diminished self-worth" and felt they weren't entitled to more money. I completely understand feeling uncomfortable asking for more than what's given to you, and I don't think I would be able to do it often, (although I tried bargaining for a ring an d scarf with this gypsy when I went to an Italian market in Florence...failure to say the least), but women need to stand up for themselves more. If they are getting paid 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, despite being just as qualified or "better educated", then they are obligated to ask for a raise in order to set things straight and get the money they deserve. This article is obviously biased and at points turns into a we're-women-and-need-to-stand-up-for-ourselves kind of a piece, like when the author Tory Johnson writes, " When someone wants to dump extra work on us, we sheepishly say OK, but it's not always OK." She uses "we" and "us" which doesn't apply to any male readers, and then provides information on how to go about asking for more money, etc from a boss. The checklist says to: Do your homework, Make a thorough list, Be creative when anticipating the opposition, and Listen to your kids. In the section where it talks about anticipating the opposition, I think Ms. Johnson gets a little greedy, she writes that if you can't get money you should have a back-up plan to ask for something else. Yes women should stand up for themselves and ask for more money if they deserve it, but I don't think this should be an issue because women should be getting equal pay anyway. (Also, I love Boggle. I wouldn't ask for more money in the trial, but I would definitely win the game.)

Why do women not feel that they are entitled to more money? Or are too scared to ask for more? Why do kids make better negotiators than women? Why do women need to negotiate to begin with? What makes bosses pay their female employees less? Men have turned "negotiating to sport; they thrive on it"--why? What makes men enjoy bargaining to the point of sprt?