Reading Summary:

In Jennifer Kaufmann-Buhler’s article, “If the Chair Fits: Sexism in American Office Furniture Design,” she discusses how office furniture design in the twentieth century was used to express sexism within office work and the gendered hierarchy of organizations. It examines the varying forms and sizes of office furniture as a way to demonstrate how furniture differed depending on one’s status within an office, typically associating genders with those status’. For instance, executive chairs were designed to be bigger in order to fit larger male bodies, and secretarial chairs were designed to be small to fit female bodies. This left female executives in the late twentieth century struggling with the ideal of masculine leadership that was associated with executive chairs. However, since the 1960s, office chairs have evolved in style, function, and size in order to accommodate everyone. The introduction of the Steelcase model 451 provided a chair design that was adaptable to both men and women, and provided a variety of options that could adjust to suit different work needs. Despite this advancement, there is still a discrepancy between secretarial and executive chairs today, as executive chairs continue to have larger and higher backs to express authority. Overall, Kaufmann-Buhler stresses how office chairs have and continue to express stereotypes through gender associations, which is why it is important to be aware of the messages furniture can communicate about labor and gender roles. 

Building Interpretation: 

Cheba Hut “Toasted Subs” is a chain sandwich restaurant that serves a variety of unique sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. This specific restaurant is located in between the University of Oregon campus and downtown Eugene. It offers a variety of seating, including, lower tables with chairs and booths, higher tables with high chairs, and a bar area with bar stools. This restaurant’s seating is a great example of how stereotypes and discrimination is expressed throughout furniture. Since it is a restaurant the seating is not designed to be very comfortable, as a way to create flow of customers. However, all of the seating options, while different sizes and shapes, are relatively small. They are not adjustable, and someone who has a larger body, would not be able to use them or would be very uncomfortable. This causes a dilemma for both the restaurant and the users, as some users might choose not to come or will not eat in the restaurant because there are not accommodating seating options for everyone. Especially the unhoused group of people, as they seek out places such as this one to sit for a while and enjoy a homey environment, but the seating does not provide the comfortable space they are looking for. While people using this furniture are using it for long periods of time, as they would in an office, there is still a discrepancy in the seating as it is geared towards people with smaller bodies, relating back to Kaufmann-Buhler’s article surrounding sexism and stereotypes seen throughout office furniture. 

This image shows the variety of seating option within Cheba Hut.