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This text is taken from the documentary RBG (2018). Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life serves as a rich case study in transcultural communications. We aim to explore how individuals navigate and resist systemic inequalities by constructing identities and addressing gender and power dynamics in transcultural contexts through Ginsberg's life and professional experiences. As a trailblazer who broke free from traditional gender and cultural constraints, Ginsburg not only made great achievements in the legal field, but also used her legal cases as an opportunity to promote social rethinking of gender equality and multicultural identity. She became a role model for women and marginalized groups worldwide. By analyzing her struggles in a professional environment, we hope to reveal how individuals can transcend cultural boundaries and challenge unequal structures of gender and power in the context of globalization.

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Power dynamics refer to how the relationships of power change and flow in different interactions. This dynamic includes who holds power, who exercises it, and how that power is distributed, challenged, or transferred.

Ginsburg challenged entrenched gender biases in the male-dominated legal profession, reshaping power structures. Harre (1999) states that the order in a team is influenced by expertise or cultural capital. Despite graduating from two Ivy League universities and having strong recommendation letters, Ginsburg was rejected by the law firm just for being female. This aligns with the concept of power shift among power dynamics, where an individual dominates a situation but loses control in another situation. Gender differences have been the only reason for Ginsberg's marginalization in school and her career, but she has never succumbed to this inequality. Ginsberg changed the established power structure through her tireless efforts (Bowe et al. 2014), it’s not only about her, but the global advancement of women's affirmative action.

Debray and Spencer-Oatey (2019) mentioned that an individual's positionality can be both self-given and allocated. As a female, Ginsberg was deeply affected by the dilemma of unequal power in the context of gender. The unequal distribution of power faced in the legal team is precisely shaped by gender. Gender stereotypes are deeply rooted in society and culture, leading to her being viewed as a less capable individual. However, Ginsburg broke through this gender bias with Frontiero v. Richardson's case. In this case, she defended for a female airman who was denied a housing subsidy because of her gender, making the powerful argument that “gender differentiation reflects an unequal system of evaluation” in front of an almost all-male judge.

Harre (1999) further pointed out that interlocutors do not have equal positions in interactions, power determines the positioning distribution. Despite Ginsburg was initially marginalized by the team, she gradually gained more voice through her professional competence and continued handling of women's affirmative action cases, successfully breaking her inherent positioning on the team. She adopted a smart strategy of negotiation and demonstrated a high degree of intelligence in working with the conservative Chief Justice. By compromising certain points and gaining the approval of the other judges, she eventually succeeded in establishing her own position in a system dominated by male authority.

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Question1: How can we identify and overcome hidden power barriers when driving social or organizational change?

Question2: In your cultural or social environment, what are the most common gender stereotypes, and how do these stereotypes affect individual career development or daily life?

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The "RBG" documentary illustrates how Ruth Bader Ginsburg transformed from a U.S. Supreme Court Justice into a global cultural icon. In our interconnected world, her influence transcended national boundaries, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of individual voices in the digital age.

Ginsburg's image and ideals spread rapidly through social media platforms. The "Notorious RBG" phenomenon, popular among young people worldwide, exemplifies how legal and political concepts can permeate popular culture (Carmon & Knizhnik, 2015). Her advocacy for gender equality and human rights resonated across diverse cultural backgrounds, inspiring women globally, particularly those in the legal profession (Hirshman, 2015).

Mayeri (2020) highlights how the work of legal trailblazers like Ginsburg continues to shape gender equality movements on a global scale. Her legal decisions and opinions have influenced international legal practices, extending her impact beyond U.S. borders.

The documentary reveals strategies for promoting gender equality worldwide. Ginsburg's approach to achieving equality through legal reform has provided a model for other nations (De Hart, 2018). It also emphasizes the crucial role of education in elevating women's status and the importance of male participation in the gender equality movement, as evidenced by the supportive role of Ginsburg's husband (Carmon & Knizhnik, 2015).

Mayeri's (2020) research underscores that despite significant progress, the work of feminist legal advocacy remains unfinished. Ginsburg's legacy continues to inspire legal and social reforms globally, serving as a catalyst for ongoing efforts to achieve gender equality.

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The theory of identity construction suggests that identities are multiple, complex, and situated, representing a fragmented, incomplete social subject (Taylor, 2016). Both gender and race are socially constructed, focusing on the emergence of meanings within cultural contexts (Kang et al., 2017). As a Jewish woman in a cultural context marked by stereotypes and discrimination, Ruth Bader Ginsburg rose through personal effort to become a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Through her rulings and public advocacy, Ginsburg demonstrated how gender and racial differences are constructed and reenacted within frameworks of power and privilege (Ferber, 2009).《RBG》outlines her early cases, not only showcasing her defense of her clients but also her efforts to demonstrate to the Supreme Court the real impacts of inequality and the erroneous perception of women as second-class citizens. In her arguments, she quoted abolitionist Sarah Grimké : “I ask no favors for my sex. I surrender not our claim to equality. All I ask of our brethren is, that they will take their feet from off our necks.” Ginsburg won five of the six cases she argued, delivering presentations in the grand courtroom that were both impactful and methodically structured.

Identity is fluid, continuously shaped through interactions and varies with the social context and individual roles within communities (Paltridge, 2012). As a trailblazer in a traditionally conservative legal field, Ginsburg showed how flexible professional identities could challenge and transform institutional norms. Her active participation in legal reform and advocacy not only led to significant legal victories but also elevated public discourse on gender and racial equality, facilitating wider sociocultural change.

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Bowe, H, Martin, K & Manns, H. (2014). 'Positioning the self: role, power and gender' in Communication across cultures: Mutual understanding in a global world, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, pp. 118-135

Carmon, I., & Knizhnik, S. (2015). Notorious RBG: The life and times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Dey Street Books.

De Hart, J. S. (2018). Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A life. Alfred A. Knopf.

Debray, C., & Spencer-Oatey, H. (2019). ‘On the same page?’ Marginalisation and positioning practices in intercultural teams. Journal of Pragmatics, 144, 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2019.03.002

Ferber, A. L. (2009). Gender, privilege, and the politics of hate. Hate crimes: Hate crime offenders, 69-84.

Harré, R. (2012). Positioning theory: Moral dimensions of social-cultural psychology. Oxford Handbooks Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195396430.013.0010

Hirshman, L. (2015). Sisters in law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg went to the Supreme Court and changed the world. Harper.

Kang, M., Lessard, D., & Heston, L. (2017, June 30). Social Constructionism. Umass.edu; University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. https://openbooks.library.umass.edu/introwgss/chapter/social-constructionism/

Mayeri, S. (2020). After suffrage: The unfinished business of feminist legal advocacy. Stanford Law Review, 72, 1199-1238.

Paltridge, B. (2012). Discourse analysis : An introduction. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Taylor, S. (2016). The International encyclopedia of language and social interaction. Choice Reviews Online, 53(08), 53–333553–3335. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.194235

Van Langenhove, L., & Harré, R. (1999). Introducing positioning theory. Positioning theory: Moral contexts of intentional action, 14-31.

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RBG Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Indie

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The 91st Academy Award Nomination for Best Documentary Feature - RBG

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Through the analysis of Ginsberg's life, we reveal how she responded to inequality in the professional environment through identity construction, gender and power dynamics. With her personal efforts, Ginsburg broke down gender and racial stereotypes, demonstrating how identity can be constructed and reshaped in a multicultural context. In the male-dominated legal field, she has successfully challenged gender power structures and pushed for women's rights. Her influence was not limited to the United States, but became a symbol of the global women's rights movement, showing how individuals in a globalized world can promote gender equality through transcultural communication. Ginsburg's legacy will continue to inspire people around the world, especially individuals and groups who are still fighting for equality and justice in different cultural and social contexts.

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RBG is a biographical documentary about U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The film chronicles the decades of her career and how she built a legal legacy while becoming a pop culture icon. The documentary highlights Ginsburg's challenges as a woman and a Jewish in the American judicial system, and shows her remarkable contributions to advancing gender equality and social justice. It also details the key gender discrimination cases that Ginsburg participated in and personally argued, which have had a profound impact on the U.S. legal system for gender equality and have inspired countless others to continue pursuing equality and justice.

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Q1:To identify hidden power barriers when driving social or organizational change, it’s crucial to first engage in open dialogue and actively listen to different perspectives within the organization. This can reveal areas where power dynamics may be unbalanced or obstructive.

Q2:In many cultural or social environments, common gender stereotypes include the belief that men are more suited for leadership roles while women are better in supportive or nurturing positions.

Q1: I think for identifying power barriers the first step we can do is to get a sense of people’s position, language, social roles and their cultural background. This is all related to identity and power. The power barriers can stem from the bias people possessed. In order to overcome it, we should be aware of our bias first and use empathy to understand others then. Also, the power barriers are not fully controlled by ourselves and it is realised from interactions with others, maybe building a good rapport can be helpful.

Q2: The most common gender stereotypes is that people in my country think women should get married before certain age otherwise they are too old, but this kind of stereotypes have been challenged as many people realise that it is not how the world operates and women start to position themselves as independent both financially and mentally. In the career setting, there are indeed some gender discrimination from recruitment and the pregnant leave is not widely accepted by some private companies, and they would like to hire people who are young or who have already married and have babies.

Actually, could I ask for any comments Seminar 6 Group 4? plz..

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Nice text, very original. You can look at the concept of 'fitting in'.

Also, she is a sort of 'newcomer' in the legal world.

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Idenity transforamtion

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gatekeeping

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Personally, if I am a newcomer in an organization, I am very likely to face power barriers, which may be manifested as marginalization. This marginalization is not necessarily visible, but may be invisible. For example, some important things will not be given to me, but others will do it. The way I choose to overcome it is to strengthen my self-positioning, because marginalization comes from others' positioning of me, but positioning is not only about others' positioning, but also about how I position myself. When I think I have the ability to complete it, I will take the initiative to discuss with them and propose the opportunity to join.

Before, I studied computer science in my undergraduate studies. There are many men in this major. There is a stereotype that men seem to be better at science and computer-related subjects. When I work with them in a group during my internship, not only because of gender, but also because of language and cultural background, they will have a natural sense of superiority and think that only what they have made is correct. They don't pay attention to my ideas, which largely hinders my face and expression of opinions, and puts me in a marginalized position. But I don't want to destroy the harmonious relationship within the group, so when I find a loophole in the code, I will choose to propose it in a more gentle way to avoid contradictions and conflicts.

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Your presentation provided a comprehensive and well-organized analysis of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life and achievements as portrayed in the documentary "RBG" (2018). You skillfully connected Ginsburg's professional journey with key concepts in transcultural communication, such as identity construction, power dynamics, and globalization. I especially appreciated how you demonstrated her unique strategies in the legal field to address and resist systemic inequalities, highlighting the complexities of gender and cultural identity in a multicultural context. Overall, your presentation offered valuable insights into the intersection of law, culture, and gender politics in a globalized world.

1. To identify and overcome hidden power barriers when driving social or organizational change, we can encourage diversity in leadership at all levels, ensuring that decision-making reflects the perspectives and needs of all stakeholders. At the same time, it is important to develop and communicate clear policies that promote fairness and equality, such as inclusive hiring practices, pay equity, and zero tolerance for discrimination.

2. In my cultural and social environment, common gender stereotypes often revolve around traditional roles and expectations. For example, women may face obstacles in career development due to being perceived as less committed to their work or unsuitable for leadership roles, especially if they have children or are expected to have children. This can result in fewer opportunities for promotion, lower pay, or exclusion from important projects.

(Dingyue Zhou #1255321)

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Question 1:

To overcome these barriers, it is necessary to foster open dialogue, promote inclusive leadership, and establish transparent processes that allow diverse voices and perspectives to be expressed.

Question 2:

In my cultural environment, common gender stereotypes include the expectation that women should prioritize family over career, while men should be assertive and strong. These stereotypes often limit individual career opportunities, such as women facing difficulties in advancing to leadership positions, and men not being encouraged to express vulnerability, which affects their career development and personal well-being.

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Discussion and Comments (Junman Qiu 1508112)

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Discussion and Comments (Junman Qiu 1508112)

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Q1: From my perspective, we can focus on key people within the organization, such as senior employees, who often have more influence and rights to speak, and can influence decisions through some covert means rather than formal processes. We also need to pay attention to the information asymmetry between management and grassroots employees. If certain small groups can control the flow of information, this will become an implicit power barrier. Therefore, I think it is important to implement flat management, so as to simplify the decision-making process and reduce the management level, which will reduce the possibility of power being concentrated in the hands of a few people.

Q2: In China, women are often thought to focus on their families, while men are thought to pay more attention to their careers. When applying for jobs, women are often asked about their relationship status, whether they plan to get married or have children, and their answers to these questions largely affect whether they get a job or have promotion opportunities. In addition, there are always many voices believing that women are not good at science and engineering. This stereotype limits many women's career choices, and they are often considered more suitable for clerical or nursing jobs rather than technology and other fields.

Comments:

This documentary is a good discussion of transcultural communication at the workplace with your keen insights into gender, rights, and identity issues, which discusses a topic that is closely related to real-life issues. From my perspective, I would like to get more knowledge about how Ginsburg faces the "Gatekeeping" behavior in a male-dominated legal system, thereby breaking through the threshold set by mainstream culture and gender bias. Therefore, you could also consider using this theory to analyze the scene.

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Question 1: We can identify hidden power barriers by recognizing who holds real power in decision-making and who is excluded. Overcoming these barriers can be achieved by promoting more transparency, inclusivity, and communication channels, which help drive social or organizational change.

Question 2: In Chinese society, common gender stereotypes include the belief that men should possess leadership and decision-making roles, while women are more suited for caregiving or supportive jobs. These stereotypes limit women's career development opportunities and put societal pressure on men when choosing careers or in daily life.

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Question 1:

Hidden power barriers can be identified by recognizing whether certain groups or individuals are consistently left out of decision-making processes or leadership roles within the organization. Overcoming these barriers requires transparency in organizational structures, fostering open communication, and creating channels for feedback from underrepresented voices.

Question 2:

Common gender stereotypes include ideas such as men being more suited for leadership roles and performing better at work while women being more nurturing and having to raising children at home. This affects career development by creating barriers to promotions, unequal pay, and biased evaluations in the workplace. In daily life, these stereotypes could also lead to unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities.

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Q1:Ruth Bader Ginsburg's experience offers insights into identifying and overcoming hidden power barriers. One way to identify these barriers is to recognize the inequalities in access to opportunity and influence that are often exacerbated by entrenched stereotypes and systemic inequalities. For example, although Ginsburg was qualified and recommended, she faced discrimination simply because she was a woman and worked in a male-dominated field of law. This highlights how gender power imbalances can hide beneath superficial achievements or qualifications. To overcome these obstacles, individuals can take a strategic approach, as Ginsburg has done by relentlessly advocating for legal reform and placing her arguments in a broader equality context. By focusing on specific cases, such as Frontiero v. Richardson, Ginsburg exposed gender bias and reshaped the legal framework around gender equality. The key to overcoming power barriers is harnessing expertise, building coalitions, and persistently challenging entrenched norms, even if progress is incremental.

Q2:In many cultures, gender stereotypes tend to portray women as better suited to nursing or administrative roles, while men are seen as natural leaders or more suited to more technical and authoritative professions. These stereotypes can seriously hinder an individual's career advancement, as women may face prejudices that limit their access to leadership roles or certain industries. For example, in traditionally patriarchal societies, women may struggle to be taken seriously in decision-making positions and often need to work harder to prove their competence. Stereotypes can also influence everyday life by creating expectations around family responsibilities, which women are often expected to prioritize over career aspirations. This can lead to slower career progression or an underestimation of women's contributions in professional Settings. Breaking these stereotypes, as Ginsburg did, requires systemic change and individual persistence, and advocacy, guidance, and policy reforms play a vital role in changing society's perception of gender roles.