Jill Ker Conway and Code-Switching

Jill Ker Conway's life, more than anything, led me to consider the multitude of roles that all of us, but particularly women, are required to take on in order to find success, both socially and professionally. In particular, Mrs. Robicseck's comment about the softness in Conway's demeanor and speech when she is interviewed, verses how she must act in the professional world, brought to my mind a sociology term that we have yet to touch upon in class: code-switching.

We all act differently around different people, it is normal and perhaps necessary for the functioning of society that people play different roles in different situations. It becomes an issue, however, when knowledge of social "code" becomes a barrier to economic or educational success. Minority cultures are expected to inhabit another role beyond those necessary for the normal functioning of society - they are expected to wear the mask of the dominant culture. 

A college president, regardless of gender, is constantly required to code-switch, to inhabit different roles around different people. Conway, however, had the added challenge of needing to function as a female in a male-dominated faculty culture. Conway's ability to code-switch rapidly is perhaps her greatest asset in succeeding at Smith and beyond. But although she is able to switch on a dime, it is important to remember that she shouldn't necessarily have to, that a male-dominated culture and social code acts as a barrier to professional women, and that the only way to topple this barrier is to foster a more equitable culture in our schools and workplaces.