Learning the language of negotiation.

We may not always get what we want. But we can often improve the odds by mastering the language of negotiation.

For women, learning how to negotiate is an especially important skill to have in life's tool belt. Success is usually predicated on how we handle various experiences in academe, the workplace and relationships. All require the ability to successfully negotiate what works for us to avoid misunderstandings and failure.

Dr. Marion Madison believes that faculty should incorporate lessons in negotiation into their classes, especially for students who come from poverty, many of whom are single mothers.

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Madison, who chairs the educational and leadership department at the University of West Alabama, explained why at the Women in Educational Leadership conference sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in September 2004.

Uncovering the hidden rules

An array of hidden rules govern how members of each social class behave. Those rules, generally known only to those who already belong to the social class, can exclude others. Since schools and businesses operate from middle class norms, a student must learn the norms of the middle class to survive in that world.