Much appreciated Katie Johnson’s insightful May 27 Boston Globe article “Many Women With Top Degrees Stay Home.” It’s about a Vanderbilt University study showing that married women with degrees from the most elite colleges and universities are likelier to opt out of professional careers than are women who attended the least selective schools–and that this differential has little to do with family income.

One analyst suggests that women with degrees from elite schools feel freer than others to opt out because they think their prestigious degrees will allow them to easily transition back into the workforce.

Mebbe so–although this implies that, given the choice, all women would rather leave their jobs to stay at home with children–which I don’t for two seconds believe is true.
Based on my research for Broken Patterns, Professional Women and the Quest for a New Feminine Identity, I’ll bet the explanation for opting out is a lot more complicated than that.

In my interviews, many women told me they chose male-dominated professions because they didn’t want to live the sorts of lives their homemaker mothers led–but many had grandmothers who worked outside the home in the early 20th century. This–and the historical record– led me to posit a push=pull process in which, going back to the industrial revolution in the US, the more women left the home for paying work in one generation, the greater the pull to domesticity, in the next. That push-pull process–driven by social, technological, generational and psychological forces–is also reflected in women’s personal development along their life cycles. I believe it helps account for some of the choices–such as schools, spouses, and careers– that women make.

I’m not saying Johnson and her interviewees are wrong…Only that that women make life choices for a multitude of reasons. The Vanderbilt study points out that women who graduate from elite schools tend to marry men from similar schools. It strikes me that if both spouses pursue highly competitive careers that allow little time for family life, something’s got to give when children come along. Most often, it’s the woman.

Like Sheryl Sandberg, the Facebook COO and author of Lean-In, I am troubled by the conundrum this creates: talented women who opt out of careers, even for just a few years, may lose the opportunity to attain positions in which they can influence workplace culture–and enhance the lives of women and men of the future. On the other hand, perhaps it is not the privileged who are likeliest to push for equality–but, rather, those who have struggled to overcome barriers.
–Anita M. Harris

Anita Harris is the author of Broken Patterns, Professional Women and the Quest for a New Feminine Identity (Wayne State University Press, 1995), A new edition will soon be published; please comment below if you’d like to reserve a copy.

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning public relations and digital marketing firm based in Cambridge, MA.

Harvard Square Stacation

Spending Memorial Day Weekend at home, in and near Harvard Square. Good start yesterday: Breakfast at Henrietta’s, lunch at Mexican, afternoon perusing books on Web design. More later!

–Anita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, a public relations and digital marketing firm located in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA.

Breakthrough Greater Boston, the nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing under-resourced students to attend four-year colleges and to training the next generation of urban teachers, reports that it raised $215, 000 in its annual Springfest event on April 24th. 

According to a recent press release:

Springfest supports Breakthrough Greater Boston’s (BTGB) college access and teacher training programs, with this year’s event held at the Moakley Courthouse in Boston to celebrate the program’s site expansion to Dorchester. . Commencing this summer, the organization will bring its successful Students Teaching Students model to Boston, marking the first time BTGB will run multiple sites in the Greater Boston area. The program’s inauguration at TechBoston Academy in Dorchester will double the number of traditionally underserved middle and high school students and aspiring young teachers benefiting from its services.

“Springfest represents a fantastic opportunity for the Cambridge and Boston communities to come together and support equal access to quality education,” said Executive Director of Breakthrough Greater Boston, Elissa Spelman. “Over the past 20 years, Breakthrough has proudly served the Cambridge community, helping students bridge the achievement gap. We are thrilled to now bring our services to the Boston community to guide twice as many students in achieving their dream of graduating from a four-year college.”

The event, attended by 300 participants, provided a fun and inspiring evening for the BTGB community to support the organization’s goals and to help fund the intensive out-of-school time academic and teacher training programming. Held in the landmark Moakley Courthouse in Boston, guests were treated to a reception with live music, student and teacher testimonials, and remarks from the organization. The event also featured a live auction and raffle with donated contributions from more than a dozen local businesses and individuals.

For more information on Breakthrough Greater Boston, please visit www.breakthroughgreaterboston.org

About Breakthrough Greater Boston
Breakthrough Greater Boston (BTGB) transforms urban education for students and teachers in Boston and Cambridge. Through six years of intensive, out of school time programming, Breakthrough changes students’ academic trajectories and supports them along the path to four-year college. Simultaneously, Breakthrough builds careers in education through an unparalleled teacher training program for college-aged students that features competitive national recruitment, research-based training, and daily coaching from master teachers. Breakthrough’s unique Students Teaching Students model inspires college students to become the next generation of urban educators and students to become college graduates. Visit http://breakthroughgreaterboston.org to learn more.

–ANita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning public relations and digital marketing firm located in Kendall Square, Cambridge.

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Our friend Robert Gracey sends the following:

Massachusetts acupuncturists in affiliation with the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA), Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Society of Massachusetts (AOMSM) and Acupuncture Without Borders (AWB) are joining together through Boston Acupuncture Trauma Relief (BATR) to provide treatment and healing for those affected by the tragic Boston Marathon bombings and related events. Participating acupuncturists are offering free acupuncture treatments to those in need.

The development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a possible result of both man-made and natural disasters. Acupuncture has been used by AWB in tragic situations like the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and most recently in Newtown, Connecticut. The Department of Defense has also been working with acupuncture to help veterans returning from foreign wars alleviate trauma symptoms that may linger after deployment.

It is common for those who have undergone trauma to experience “triggers” that will set off a response, like a car backfire, the sounds of heavy equipment, or news updates as the case unfolds. It is also common for sufferers to experience physical symptoms like sweating, labored breathing, increased heart rate, and nausea. The most important thing to know is everyone reacts to traumatic exposure differently and there is no right or wrong way to feel or act. It is perfectly normal to have a reaction; it’s a natural part of the healing process.

Common Symptoms Following Exposure to Trauma:

• Restlessness/anxiety/lack of focus
• Difficulty sleeping/nightmares
• Reactions to loud noises or sudden movements
• Feeling a sense of danger or extreme alertness
• Upsetting images coming up at unwanted times
• Reliving/re-experiencing the event in your mind
• Feelings of numbness, guilt, or depression
• Loss of interest in daily activities

While acupuncturists are not first responders, we understand, because we feel it ourselves, the feelings of angst and confusion that simmer in the aftermath. The use of acupuncture for trauma is a vital bridge between first intervention and the healing process that allows those affected to move through the experience and heal. In addition, acupuncture can also help those recover from their physical injuries.

As one of many acupuncturists offering free trauma relief, Gracey and others are offering free services to those in need. For more information please contact Robert Gracy 617-549-1196 or rgracey@graceyhealth.com  ( Gracey Holistic Health),   the New England School of Acupuncture clinic at 617-558-6372, or chose from a list of acupuncturists via the following NESA landing page: http://traumarelief.nesa.edu/.

-Anita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning PR and marketing firm in Cambridge, MA. 

Kendall Square 4-17-13

Despite a historically strong anti-development bias in Cambridge, the City Council last week approved a new zoning law that will allow further transformation of the already growing Kendall Square. The new law, passed on April 8, approves plans for a new gateway to MIT facing the Kendall Square MBTA Station, the construction of some 1.1M square feet of new commercial space around the T stop, and hundreds of new housing units. (More details at  HarrisCom Blog:   http://wp.me/p1Hocg-Wy            ).

According to Tim Rowe, president of the Kendall Square Association and a founder of the Cambridge Innovation Center,  while, at last week’s meeting,  many Cantabridgians questioned the desirability of new buildings that could create traffic noise, “construction hassle and the like”, others emphasized the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship

“They spoke about how these endeavors are critical to our prosperity in these days of intense competition with other regions, how they bring jobs to residents all across the state, and how the fruits of the labors of our innovators and entrepreneurs are solutions to important problems facing the planet,” Rowe said. “What is super exciting to me is that our political leaders, by their vote, accepted these arguments.  This is a major win for innovation.”

In a blog posted to clients of the Cambridge Innovation Center–including me–Rowe emphasized that the Kendall Square community concerned about sustainability–as evidenced that  “despite millions of square feet of new buildings being built here” during the past decade, traffic in Kendall Square has actually dropped.

Rowe emphasized the need for additional state funding to ensure that the Red Line can keep up with demand in Kendall Square and urged his readers to tell their state senators and representatives to support Governor Deval Patrick’s proposal to invest  heavily in updating the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure.

Having worked in the Cambridge Innovation Center for nearly three years, I can attest to the vibrancy and vitality of this growing area.

–Anita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning public relations and digital marketing agency located in Kendall Square.

Cambridge-based Latitude News is a global Website with a mission is to make what’s going on in the world relevant to what’s happening in the US.   It’s a sort of  “local global mashup” in which writers and editors produce stories that are ” fresh, relevant and crying out to be told,” says founder and veteran BBC journalist Maria Balinska.

Recent examples include :

• Texans Victims to Algerian Hostage Crisis?
• Do Casinos Prey on Asian Americans?
• In Turkey The Simpsons and Game of Thrones Are Blasphemy

Balinska points out that Latitude News stories have  been featured in the Christian Science Monitor, the Week, Mental Floss, Marketplace, Hoy and the BBC.  And PRX (the Public Radio Exchange, another Cambridge-based outfit) commissioned a series of monthly podcasts last summer.

Latitude News recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund production of  a weekly audio program, The Local Global Mashup Show,  that, Balinska says,  “will give you the inside edge on the stories that connect Americans with the world.”   It’s an ambitious project, Balinksa adds,  in part because it proposes to use  a subscription model in order to become a sustainable business.

For more info or to donate and receive a reward,  go to the Latitude News  Kickstarter page  before February 15.

–Anita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, a collaborative team of experts in public relations, content marketing and new media services.

Want  to  lunch one-on-one with a senior exec from a major pharma company and help people in the developing world at the same time?

UK/US Life science consulting firm Alacrita,  based in the Cambridge Innovation Center, has launched a benefit auction in which you can bid for a two-hour, one-to-one lunch with senior executives from the pharmaceutical industry who have donated their time to the appeal.

According to Alacrita Partner Rob Johnson,   the appeal aims to raise money for WaterAid, an international non-profit organization that  transforms the lives of people in the world’s poorest countries by improving access to safe water and sanitation.

Bidding opened Monday 3^rd December and closes on Thursday 13^th December on 5pm EST/10pm GMT.

In order to bid,  click on a name, below. You will be redirected to eBay for bidding.

• Heather Bell, Head of Corporate Strategy and Shaun Grady, Head of Business Development at AstraZeneca (one lunch)
• Moncef Slaoui, Chairman, Research & Development at GlaxoSmithKline
• Douglas Giordano, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Business Development at Pfizer
• Susan Silbermann, President and General Manager, Vaccines, Specialty Care Business Unit and Polly Murphy Vice President, Specialty Care Business Unit Business Development at Pfizer (one lunch)
• Graham Brazier, Vice President, Business Development, Strategic Transactions Group at Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Pamela Demain, Executive Director, Corporate Licensing at Merck
• Susan Jane Herbert, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Business Development and Strategy and Annalisa Jenkins, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Drug Development & Medical and Belen Garijo, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Merck Serono (one lunch)

Bidding  will be open until 13^th December, 5pm EST/10pm GMT.

Johnson said: “We are thrilled to launch this year’s seasonal appeal to raise funds for WaterAid. 783 million people, or one in ten of the world’s population, live without access to safe water and last year WaterAid reached 1.6 million people with water and 1.9 million people with sanitation in 27 countries. ”

David Winder, CEO of WaterAid, America added: “We are delighted that Alacrita has chosen to  donate the proceeds of their charity auction to  WaterAid.  Every day, 2,000 children die from water-related diseases that could easily be prevented.  The funds raised will help us reach more of the world’s poorest people with safe, clean water and sanitation.  These vital basic services are essential for saving  lives, improving health and reducing poverty in the world’s poorest countries.”

–Anita M. Harris
New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group,  an award-winning PR/content marketing and social media firm specializing in health, science, technology and energy.

Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) and Breakthrough Greater Boston (BTGB) , both based  in Cambridge,  have together raised more than $50,000 for vital summer youth programs, according to a recent communique from BTGB.

Sponsored by The Boston Foundation, the Giving Common Challenge was a 36-hour online event running from 8:00 a.m. on October 10 through 8:00 p.m. on October 11, 2012. More than 500 Massachusetts nonprofits competed for donations and more than $100,000 in time-based and grand prizes based on both the number and amount of unique gifts were given out. Both PBHA and Breakthrough took home major prizes.

Cambridge’s PBHA won the “most unique donors” grand prize of $25,000, with 379 supporters contributing $17,102 to the organization. PBHA also won one of the $2,000 “happy hour” prizes, awarded to the first 10 nonprofits to receive 50 unique gifts between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. on October 10. Combining the amount raised from donors with the two prizes, PBHA raised a total of $44,102.

Breakthrough Greater Boston, also based in Cambridge, finished in 9th place in unique donors, after rising as high as 4th. With its 137 gifts, as well as a $2,000 “lunch time” prize similar to PBHA’s “happy hour” prize, Breakthrough Greater Boston netted close to $15,000.

The funds raised by PBHA will support more than 80 community-service programs led by 1,600 college students in the areas of adult services; advocacy, organizing, housing, and health; after-school and in-school; mentoring; and summer.

PBHA executive director Maria Dominguez Gray noted, “The breadth and support of the individual donors, from former teen participants to volunteer alumni, was overwhelming. The additional funding we were able to raise through this important community effort is especially important in light of recent government cuts to high-impact services, including PBHA’s Harvard Square and St. James homeless shelters as well as the Summer Urban Program.” PBHA’s student president Carolyn Chou confirmed, “This money will allow us not only to continue providing quality services but imagine an exciting future for PBHA. The dedication and support of our donors is a testament to the work we do, and it will allow us to keep going despite a tough financial environment for nonprofits.”

The impact on Breakthrough Greater Boston’s out-of-school time and teacher training programming will be equally great,  according to  Breakthrough’s executive director, Elissa Spelman.

“As we continue to work on bridging the education gap in Greater Boston, we rely on the generosity of our supporters. Placing 9th in the Giving Common Challenge is not only an honor for our organization but a testament to the dedication of the broader Breakthrough community that made our success over the past 36 hours possible,” she said.  “Breakthrough Greater Boston is in the midst of an exciting expansion from Cambridge into Boston, so the awareness and visibility of our organization within Boston’s philanthropic community couldn’t come at a better time. We extend our sincerest gratitude to all who supported us.”

According to the BGTB communique: For more than a century PBHA programs have provided vital experiences for generations of leaders in service and activism while developing real, meaningful community partnerships. PBHA strives to create change on multiple levels in Boston and Cambridge. For 20 years BTGB  has been working to transform urban education for students and teachers.. Through six years of intensive, tuition-free, out of school time programming, Breakthrough changes students’ academic trajectories and supports them along the path to four-year college. Simultaneously, BTGB builds the next generation of teachers through competitive recruitment, research-based training, and coaching from master teachers.

–Posted by Anita M. Harris
New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning public relations and online marketing  firm based in Cambridge, MA.