Kelner, Merrijoy: A Little Difference

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MEMOIR:

Memoir pages are intended to provide a personal recollection of life at the University of Toronto or events in the author's life which he or she deemed significant. For this reason, these entries are entirely the work of the authors and are not subject to the normal fact-checking or editing of Encyclopedia entries. The editors request that the pages be approached accordingly.

A Little Difference
Merrijoy Kelner


When I was called in to Professor Clark's office, I had no idea what it was about.
The year was 1967. I was married and had three children, and I was also a graduate student at the University of Toronto. I was working on my PhD thesis which was entitled: The Ethnic Composition of Toronto's Elite Structure and was using sociological theories of class, status and power. This was a time when the feminist movement was just beginning to attract wide attention. While I applauded the demonstrations, rallies and marches staged by the feminists, and approved of their goal to bring more equality to women, I was too busy to take an active role in the movement and to tell the truth, I thought there were lots of other social causes that deserved just as much attention. Then one day I was forced to confront the issue head on.
Among the small band of graduate students in sociology, I had made only one close friend. His name was Alan Powell and he had come from England, We hung out together on the campus, traded gossip about our professors and the other graduate students, often studied together, and generally supported one another through the rigors of trying to complete our studies.
One day Alan approached me full of smiles and excitement. “Guess what” he said, “I have been offered a teaching job in the sociology department. They are going to pay me seven thousand dollars for teaching one course on urban affairs”. This was something we hadn't imagined would happen and I was thrilled for him. It was the start of an academic career and besides, I knew he really needed the money. We went to the nearest pub and celebrated his great good fortune. I toasted him and proclaimed: “This is the beginning of a distinguished career”.
A couple of days later Professor Clark, the head of the department and a prominent Canadian scholar, called me in to his office. He was my thesis supervisor so I thought that was what he wanted to talk to me about. But when I sat down he said: “Merrijoy, the professor who usually teaches the course on social class and power is going on sabbatical for a year and I was wondering if you thought you could handle a course like that.” I could hardly believe it. I had been worrying a lot about how I was going to find a job at a university after I graduated. Because universities want to get new ideas and perspectives, they prefer to hire graduates from elsewhere for their faculty positions. As a wife and mother living in Toronto, I was in no position to consider looking for employment at distant universities. I imagined that I would be very fortunate to find a job in Hamilton or Kingston and commute by train or bus every day. This offer came like a gift from heaven.
I assured Prof. Clark that I was capable of teaching such a course since I had been studying these very topics in order to write my thesis. “Good” he said, “that's settled then. We can offer you five thousand dollars for the course”. That is when I understood what the feminists had been fighting for. “I don't understand” I said, “You offered my friend and colleague Alan Powell, seven thousand dollars. Do you think I will do a less good job than he will?” “Oh” he said “You know about that do you?” “Yes I do, and I don't understand why you should offer me any less.” “Well”, he replied “It's not the same. You have a husband to support you.” “That's true, but I don't understand why that should make any difference. I will be doing the same work.” He thought for a while and I silently wondered whether I had just talked myself out of an academic future. Finally he said “All right, we'll pay you seven
thousand”.
At the time, I felt that I had no choice but to refuse his initial offer, but since then I have marveled at my reaction. That job was a crucial beginning for my future as an academic sociologist. How could I have hesitated to accept it? I don't think of myself as particularly courageous and I have never felt that I was an active feminist, but there seemed no possibility open to me except to insist on equal pay for equal work. I don't know what I would have done if he had insisted on a salary of five thousand dollars. The story seems quaint in today's world where women have made so many gains but I am proud of it and like to think that it made a little difference.