the (secondary) powers that be

I’ve spoken about this in some previous blogs but today we’re going to dive deep into the complex macrosystem of the 1960s that worked against Peggy Olson and her goals in many ways. From early on in her career Peggy expressed a desire for both mastery and performance approach goals. In the world of advertising, so much of the success boils down to not only the work but your ability to sell the work and the vision to the client. This necessitates both mastery approach and performance approach, but it is heightened in Peggy’s case. For Peggy, her desire for the performance approach is highly affected by controlled reasons. Before client meetings or presentations begin, Peggy is asked by the client to get coffee or given a coat, to which Peggy must say, “Oh, I’m actually a copywriter not a secretary.” The client is confused or embarrassed and has this in mind as Peggy presents. Now, it’s not enough for Peggy to just deliver on an idea – she has to go above and beyond expectations, or she will be kept very securely in her place as a junior copywriter. If Peggy fails, she’s the reason women should not be in this job; the pressure is too much and they can’t speak to a man’s needs. This is a constant force outside Peggy’s control. She’s reminded that she should be grateful to have her job, that no other place would give a woman a chance, and that she will never be given the respect of a man. It’s because of this that Peggy pushes her performance and mastery approach goals forward. It’s because of this that she sacrifices relationships and time to create the perfect ad. And it’s because of this that she refuses to settle. Over time, Peggy is able to shift from a place of high anxiety and high hope to one of low anxiety and high hope. By the end of the show she has pretty much conquered the world of advertising and earned a spot forever - if she wants it.