Unlike with men, women’s places in society have long been under debate. Many women face pressure to quiet their voices and opinions merely because of their gender. When that happens, though, society loses the individual contribution of women’s minds and spirits. Instead of growing forward together, we lose someone’s unique gifts. In this book, voice coach Veronica Rueckert attempts to liberate women’s voices from these oppressive patterns so that they can give back better.
As a male, I read this book to learn to appreciate the stories behind the women on my teams at work. It educated me about the struggles women often face to have their voices heard at home and elsewhere. I could easily envision how this spills over into conference rooms and how I can do a better job of bringing those voices out practically.
Still, this book left me with a bit of unease. It often illuminated any gender disparity as a source of evil. For example, she laments that many women cite their fathers as having a huge influence to shape their voices. I suspect, however, that many men would also cite their mothers with having a similar influence. More women and less men do not always equate to more good. She also points out an expert on women’s voices who felt so oppressed at home that she divorced her husband. While her husband may have been a jerk, I’m concerned about gender experts who can’t even help their own gender issues.
I also would have liked to have Rueckert explore genderfluidity and its impact on the voice. I’ve learned from younger generations just how fluid gender can be and how similar we all are to each other. Is a binary really called for in this case? Can men improve their voices by learning from women’s styles? Yes, I think so, and I think it applies not only to boardrooms but also to homes and families. I found much of Rueckert’s analysis overly simplistic and too tightly fitted into binary categories.
This book did help with my goal, and for that I am grateful. Nonetheless, I find myself wanting to better understand how we can all learn from each other. In racial issues, I have learned a lot from Martin Luther King’s and John Lewis’ concept of a “beloved community” where we rely on each other without emotional weight. I suggest we need a similar concept in gender relations. I did not find that concept in this book, sadly, and I posit that we need a more transcendent view of gender relations in times to come. What’s the way out of our gendered tensions?
Outspoken: Why Women’s Voices Get Silenced and How to Set Them Free
By Veronica Rueckert
Narrated by Veronica Rueckert
Copyright (c) 2019
HarperAudio
ASIN B07S6ZSG6S
Length: 5:30
Genre: Communication, Women
www.amazon.com