Complicit: How Our Culture Enables Misbehaving Men

A former broadcast journalism producer presents a deeply researched and personal examination of how women unintentionally condone workplace abuse in a post-#MeToo world and offers suggestions on how we can all influence positive change.
"A thoroughly researched and deeply personal examination of how we unintentionally condone sexual misconduct and other workplace abuses. When Reah Bravo was hired to work on the Charlie Rose show, the open secret of Rose's behavior toward women didn't deter her from pursuing a position she felt could launch her career in broadcast journalism. She believed that she would be more than capable of handling any unprofessional behavior that might come her way. But she soon learned that the discrepancy between the strong, independently minded woman she believed herself to be and the reality of her culturally conditioned, deferential behavior was vast. No person can accurately predict how one will respond in an abusive situation until one is in it. In a post-MeToo world, where many corporations mandate trainings to prevent misconduct, how do abusers continue to victimize their colleagues? When we live in a society where many feminist ideals are mainstream and women make up a significant percentage of the workforce, why is gender harassment more prevalent than ever? In Complicit, Bravo weaves her professional and personal experiences with insights from experts and other victims to reveal the psychological and cultural forces that make us all enablers of a sexist status quo. The result is a nuanced and comprehensive view of the ways we contribute to environments that harm the most vulnerable among us. With searing research and enlightening commentary, Bravo shines a light on what exactly makes professional misconduct and toxic work environments so pervasive and charts a path towards affecting real change"--
A thoroughly researched and deeply personal examination of how women unintentionally condone workplace abuse in a post-#MeToo world—and what we can do to change things for the better. When Reah Bravo began working at the Charlie Rose show, the open secret of Rose’s conduct towards women didn’t deter her from pursuing a position she thought could launch her career in broadcast journalism. She considered herself more than capable of handling any unprofessional behavior that might come her way. But she soon learned a devastating truth: we don’t always react to abusive situations as we imagine we will. When we live in a society where many feminist ideals are mainstream and women hold positions of power, how is it possible that sexual misconduct remains so prevalent? When many employers mandate trainings to prevent harassment of all kinds, why is workplace abuse still so rampant? Weaving her own experience with those of other women and insights from experts, Bravo reveals the psychological and cultural forces that make us all enablers of a sexist and dangerous status quo. By bringing these hard truths into the light, Complicit charts an accessible path toward a better future.