Lean Out

by Dawn Foster

Sheryl Sandberg’s business advice book Lean In was heralded as a defining moment in attitudes to women in business. But for all its commercial success, it proposed a model of feminism that was individualistic and unthreatening to capital.

In her powerful debut work Lean Out, acclaimed journalist Dawn Foster unpicks how the purportedly feminist message of Sandberg’s book neatly exempts patriarchy, capitalism, and business from any responsibility for changing the position of women in contemporary culture.

It looks at the rise of a corporate “one percent feminism” and at how feminism has been defanged and depoliticized at a time when women have borne the brunt of the financial crash, and the gap between rich and poor is widening faster than ever.

Surveying business, media, culture, and politics, Foster asks whether this “trickle-down” feminism offers any material gain for women collectively or acts as mere window-dressing PR for the corporations who caused the financial crash. She concludes that “leaning out” of the corporate model is a more effective way of securing change than leaning in.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Politics, Business, Philosophy, 21st Century, Society

Audible Audio

First published January 19, 2016

About the author

Dawn Hayley Foster was a British journalist, broadcaster, and author writing predominantly on social affairs, politics, economics and women's rights. Foster held staff writer positions at Inside Housing, The Guardian, and Jacobin magazine, and contributed to other journals such as The Independent, The New York Times, Tribune, and Dissent. She regularly appeared as a political commentator on television and was known for her coverage of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Reviews

[Emily Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect, it is everything you could want in 100 pages on feminism. The perfect anti-capitalist anti-girlboss corporate feminism criticism for your commute to your corporate 9-5. However, in all seriousness it’s a perfect, and I mean perfect shit on the inward looking individualist feminism that rots our media and our brains, whilst also reminding us how corporate feminism has always been about succeeding as an individual identity and was never about collective emancipation. Bonus points for the piece on the barbarism of Israel. READ IT!

[Lis · Rating 4 out of 5]

YES. Short, but everything it needs to be: a succinct denunciation of corporate feminism with revolution at its heart.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear rebuttal to Sandberg's individualistic approach of "Lean In", a book which neatly placed all the onus on women to carry the responsibility for their position in contemporary life. Lean Out shows clearly how this approach offers nothing for the majority of women in society. Sandberg's approach is that all women have to do to achieve more is to assert themselves more. Lean Out exposes the structural inequality that exists in society to make this impossible in practice: to quote "A woman working as a receptionist in a small business can aspire to be a chief executive of a high-street bank all she wants, but without a stellar education and the attendant social connections high-ranking universities furnish alumni with, she may as well aspire to be a unicorn for all the good it will do." The reality is it is only by joining forces and working together that women will make real changes - there are several examples of this cited in the book. This is an excellent read, well worth it for any feminist.

[Taylor T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dawn Foster’s takedown of capitalist-approved feminism will destroy your dream of breaking the glass ceiling—in the best way possible. Forget leaning into a sexist racist ableist nationalist white supremacist and all-around oppressive system in the interest of getting a few more marginalized people at the top of a structure that thrives on exploiting the bottom 99% for the benefit of 1. Lean OUT and take this system DOWN.

[M Burke · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is frustrating in that Foster poses great points about structural inequalities that hamper women's economic progress but demonizes Sandberg for focusing on "women's self-defeatism." Foster covers some topics well: "pink collar" jobs that require undervalued emotional work; "zero-hours" service-industry contracts, in which a worker's hours can be reduced to zero but not qualify for unemployment; why "trickle-down feminism" doesn't work (minority leaders are less likely to hire other minorities and are perceived as weaker when they do). But frustratingly, the title, first several chapters, and the conclusion read like a personal attack on Sandberg for writing about women's attitudes in the workplace but not solving problems of reproductive rights, housing access, childcare, and economic inequality. (As if Sandberg were oblivious to these issues, when in reality she's outspoken about them.) Foster writes, "Sheryl Sandberg has worked for companies that are entrenching and worsening equality, but is able to cast herself as a feminist prophet because she has the money, power, and platform to do so, all the while refusing to engage with the structural and external forces perpetuating women's inequality, instead urging women to look inward." Framing Sandberg as oblivious and a corporate oppressor makes a good prop for selling books, but this book would have been stronger if it had simply focused on the structural issues and data behind them. And used fewer gerunds.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But actually, many people — and especially women — are fighting back. Rather than leaning in and trying to forge a path within structures that are so hostile to them, they’re leaning out and refusing to play the game anymore."
This is such a great, well researched, witty, passionate critique of the 'lean in' school of feminism. Dawn Foster argues more women at 'the top' does nothing to improve the lives of the vast majority of women, and their oppression is rooted in the inherent inequalities of capitalism. The final chapter is a great rallying call. What a loss she is, I'm so sorry she's no longer with us.

[Laura Dawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was all right on point and engaging but I'm not sure who the audience was meant to be. There's maybe a hint of preaching to the converted, as many Dawn Foster fans and Repeater book buyers will be familiar with the material covered. It would also have been nice to have a broader range of materials cited; there were a LOT of Guardian articles. That said, I'll be gifting this to several of the Sheryl Sandberg fans in my life, as Foster is a far more charming critic and feminist advocate than me.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, digestible statement on how feminism is NOT white supremacist capitalism for wealthy cis women. Not everyone is a riot grrrl. Not Thatcher and May. Not Sandberg and other hashtag girlbosses. Not the Scandinavian model. Not those who campaigned to ban Page 3 but did not give a toss about the rest of The Sun. Action and unity are important. This book is important.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on feminism ever; a must read! Eagerly looking forward to more from this writer.

[Rosmona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feminismo de clase ✊

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lean Out is short, but packs a punch.

The book title is a dig at Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, and Dawn Foster does an excellent job at critiquing corporate feminism, choice feminism, and trickledown feminism. She incorporates a ton of statistics and research in a way that’s easy to read. I also enjoyed that Foster added some sarcastic quips every now and then because it injected some humor into the book, which would’ve been depressing to read if not for how well she writes.

The part that intrigued me the most was her brief discussion on how sexual liberation for women differs across class—middle class and wealthier women can be promiscuous in a way that’s “empowering”, whereas women in classes below aren’t offered that same glossy term.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short but well researched take on whether being part of the patriarchal capitalist system actually makes a difference or not (it doesn't...shocker) and why the message that being part of such systems is the only option for women to obtain equality, equity, and autonomy is not just unhelpful but dangerous. Foster provides a clear case for how trickle down feminism doesn't work in the same way that trickle down economics doesn't work and how women in positions of power either don't or can't use those positions to pull others up behind them. Simply put, every part of the system is flawed and the work and effort needs to be done outside of it to be able to make a difference and create benefits for everyone rather than cis white men only.

[Dee Michell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this pamphle...I mean book, but I didn't. How frustrating that those who aren't into binaries when it comes to sex - which is a good thing - are into binaries when it comes to individualism vs collectivism!

Dawn Foster makes a number of good points in arguing for structural change - and I'm in agreement that structural change is needed - but she insults many potential comrades along the way.

Academic snob that I possibly am, I fail to see how quoting extensively from the media - even The Guardian - and an occasional person she bumps into constitutes "well-researched" which is the claim on the back cover.

Disappointing.

[El · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, short introductory book about the pitfalls and contradictions of “mainstream feminism”. I didn’t learn anything new but would definitely recommend it to those who don’t understand how the fight for women’s rights must happen in the context of class, race and capitalism.

Also: it was a bit weird to read something from 2015 and feel like it was written a lifetime ago, when we were all having the “who’s a feminist?” debate. Good lord.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the first chapter or so feels rather subjective in its disdain towards Sandberg, the arguments and points made are relevant and solid. It shone a light on the ways in which I - Sandberg’s target demographic - have been blinkered in my thinking, and a wake up call to what feminism really stands for.

[Amalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foster argues against

Although I don’t agree fully with Foster’s critique of Sheryl Sandberg, her arguments on feminist issues boiling down to structural, collective problems and not individuals’ lack of ambition are solid and well founded. Foster argues that to progress we need to think collectively, pushing all women forward, as opposed to thinking individually, through corporate feminism.

[Marion Joubert Des Ouches · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful wake up call to what feminism should stand for and a well researched critique of corporate feminism. Only reserved my 5th star because I found the disdain for Sandberg a bit too strong/subjective.

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough, deservedly-scathing response to Lean In, that outlines how real change is made, summed up best in the conclusion — “The way to fight for women’s rights is to become a thorn in the side, instead of the grease in a cog.”

Even reading in support of the premise, I was challenged in the best way by the book (inspiring action) which I really appreciated.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and efficient summary of the many dimensions of womens oppression in the workplace and beyond. Doesn't just list bad things, though, it gets into ways that working women resist and think about themselves in their communities.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"it's wry and sarcastic when it needs to be, because the world is a tiring and unfair place, and we cannot live in it without humor" writes Nina Power in the forward

Yep !

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revolutionary. Once your eyes are open, you can't unsee it any more.

[Cameron Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Dawn Foster's work for the Guardian and Jacobin. This short and very readable book is an excellent takedown of feminism which centers around individual success narratives does nothing to challenge entrenched power structures.

I see some reviewers criticizing the book for being too much like an extended opinion piece... I'm not sure why that's a criticism when that is effectively the intention. Foster isn't an academic, she's a columnist and she's not trying to be anything otherwise. I'd have a problem with it if the book wasn't eighty pages, but, as is, Lean Out is far more accessible than if the author had gotten bogged down in citations and academese.

[Emma Rutherford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death to the girl-boss

[Esme Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holds up well for 2015. Bun 1% corporate feminism. I’m a professional leaner outer.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not read Sheryl Sandberg's 'Lean In', so perhaps it's not entirely fair to judge what she says based on Dawn Foster's criticism, but what the heck, I'm going to anyway. Foster's book is a succinct and precise dismembering of Sandberg's 'corporate' feminism, a form of feminism (although it hardly deserves that name), which puts the blame for women's lack of fair representation at the highest level in business on their failure to play men at their own game. But as Foster points out, it totally fails to acknowledge the structural sexism that holds back even the most able women, however much they buy into the capitalist business model that men have created to suit their gender's advancement. Even worse, it ignores the impact of race, class and poverty on women's chances in life - for many, no amount of 'leaning in' will get them out of low paid and insecure employment that they have to combine with the emotional labour of supporting their family. Any idea that those few women who do make it to the top will help their less fortunate sisters is quickly dispelled too. There's also room in this short book to expose 'choice' feminism as an empty celebration of whatever decisions women are able to make about their lives and expose how, now feminism has achieved some degree of acceptability in popular culture, it's co-opted by corporations as a brand to cynically help sell their products. The book ends on a positive note by showing how activism by working class women makes a real difference to their communities without them caring about about how they should label themselves and for whom middle class feminism is irrelevant. Foster is a fair bit to the left of me and lacks the eloquence of Laurie Penny, who comes from a similar place, but it's still a damn good read.

[John Mihelic · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read the Sandberg book that this takes its name from, I was excited.



Basically, here was a feminism that someone can do on your own. No mass movement needed.



But I was thinking in context of the world that Sheryl brought us into. It was one of privilege and one that couldn’t be changed, so it must be navigated. It’s actually a really pessimistic book, and one that only will work for the educated white-collar classes who have some say in the terms of their own exploitation under capitalism –those so deep in their own exploitation that they don’t see their chains.



So it has been refreshing to see antidotes to the leaning in. I first saw it in part of Aschoff’s book “New Profits of Capital” (cited in this work), and in other more radical publications that don’t take the establishment view for granted. I came across this text because the Verso blog called it one of the best books of 2015 (Even though it wasn’t published in the states until early 2016, which to me is a recommendation to get into publishing and criticism if only for early access to crucial texts). I like this book. It is a call for the mass movements and a justification for them. It touches on that other book early on, but becomes more general on what is needed for women to do (still!) in terms of making the world work better in gender terms. It is a short but meaningful read, and one that should be undertaken. It will help explain why feminism is necessary (still!)

[Julia Tulloh Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of a 3.5. I agreed with everything Foster said - a great response to Sheryl Sandberg's 'Lean In,' that critiqued Sandberg's individualist and capitalist version of feminism. Foster's main argument, of course, was that Sandberg's book didn't address structural inequality at all but rather told women they could each individually overcome barriers in the work place on their own.

This is definitely an 'overview' type essay and assumes a lot of knowledge about feminism generally - it kind of takes for granted that everyone knows what structural oppression is and that it is a bad thing. Of course it is a bad thing, but Sandberg's popularity suggests that a lot of women don't yet fully understand the social and cultural structures that oppress women (and other marginalised groups), and so I wonder whether Foster's response would resonate with those readers at all since she doesn't really define her terms. Toward the end of the book the argumentation became a bit more rigorous, with helpful accounts of how women in 'power' (in boardrooms, etc - Sandberg's aim) doesn't necessarily equate to improved conditions for the poorest and most vulnerable women in society.

This is a good introductory essay, though, and I do recommend it to those who have read 'Lean In,' particularly if it's viewed as an entree to reading more broadly about feminism.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short little read was excellent. It's expresses the problem of "corporate feminism" and it's focus on individualizing the marginalization that women experience in society by critiquing Lean In. Dawn Foster expertly debunks "corporate feminism" as a ploy to circumvent working-class feminism. She evaluates the ways capitalism loves "leaning in" as a way to reduce female roles in leadership to tokenism and more importantly ignore millions of working-class women by saying feminism will "trickle down." If we know anything about trickle down economics (and really anything) is that it is complete bullshit.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's plenty to admire in this book - unlike other feminist texts I've read Dawn Foster engages in debate regarding intersectionality feminism and addresses head on that 'corporate' and 'capitalist' feminism benefits only the already privileged and redirects the focus onto social action. It definitely made me reevaluate how I think about feminism, and the internal snobbery that comes with it - Foster firmly places the emphasis on group action rather than individual identity and encourages women (and men) to 'lean out' - arguing that radical action is the only way to inflict real and sustaining changes that benefits the many rather than those sat at the top.

[Lizzie Huxley-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had the pleasure of receiving a copy of Dawn Foster's new book Lean Out early. In her response to Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In and to corporate feminism in a time of austerity, Dawn writes with wit but doesn't shy from telling you the result of studies she has trudged through, yet does do without being dry. Lean Out expands on the way corporate feminism misses the mark by focussing on the few "success" stories at a time when many working class women are under- or unemployed. An essential read for anyone interested in feminism in the workplace, and especially for anyone who has read Lean In.