Feminist scholars in particular argue that the legal system, being male dominated, does not understand or honor the perspectives of women who have been harassed. Catherine MacKinnon, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, and Susan Brownmiller, an activist, are credited with initiating the study of sexual harassment as an issue of power instead of an issue of sex. Prior to their early work, sexual harassment had been interpreted largely as an instance of males' sexual pursuit of women in the workplace or classroom, a normal biological attraction of males to females. MacKinnon, Brownmiller, and other scholars argued that sexual behaviors in the workplace or the classroom were not normal, but were instances of discrimination against women. Research Researchers have found that women and men interpret sexualized behavior in the workplace differently.
Women are much more likely than men to label a given situation as harassing.
Men report that they would be flattered by sexual attention at work, while women report that they are annoyed by similar behavior. Scholars point out that the power dynamic between male bosses and female employees may account for such differential interpretations. Some scholars have theorized that since women are more likely to be subject to sexual violence, they are more sensitive to sexual behavior in the workplace. One study presented women and men with a series of hypothetical scenarios and asked them whether or not they would label the behaviors as sexual harassment. In one scenario, a male supervisor invited a new female employee to lunch to discuss her work.