Definition of Prestige:Social respect accorded to an individual or group because of the status of their position. Applies to gender, race, religion, and other social factors.

One of my coworkers has been very frustrated lately with management and customers. She went to the general manager to explain how the floor manager is not listening to her, becomes verbally abusive from time to time, and how he is not willing to listen to customer complaints. She was not taken seriously and treated like "just a girl". The other day someone called in with a problem and she proceeded to help them and started asking technical questions to solve the problem. The caller(a man) would not listen to her and insisted on speaking to me, and saying in so many words that I knew more than she did because I was a man.

What's really a shame is that she has more technical knowledge than I do, and is equally, possibly more intelligent than me. She is more efficient than I am, I know that for a fact. But I have less problems dealing with management and customers because I am a man. At one point I spoke to management about the very same problem that she had pointed out, and they listened to me and did something.

When I was a kid, I thought that predjudice didn't exist toward gender and minorities, now that I am an adult, I know better. Most of the managers are all men here, and they are Good Ol' Boys. I know how to fit in and speak their language, but it makes me feel bad that my coworker cant get ahead when she has such a good work ethic and tries hard to do a good job.