What is Gatekeeping?

Today in our modern world we hear two words very frequently. Those words are gatekeeper and gatekeeping. However, I think the average person hears these words and either doesn't care or doesn't know what they mean. With that being said, what do the words gatekeeper and gatekeeping mean? A gatekeeper is someone who is very controlling. They are controlling which leads them to perform the act of gatekeeping. Gatekeeping is the act of controlling and limiting access to something. For example, let's say I get a text from my friends asking if I want to go to dinner. Another friend of mine named Bob is sitting right next to me when I receive this text message. Bob is friends with the friends that I'm about to go eat dinner with. The right thing to do would be for me to turn to Bob and ask him if he wants to go or tell my friends to text Bob and invite him. Instead, let's just say I say yes and tell them to not invite Bob to dinner. I am gatekeeping the information that we went out to get dinner from Bob.

Now, you might be wondering, why is gatekeeping such a big deal? It's a big deal because gatekeeping can cause many problems. For example this article looks into gatekeeping in the business world. Matt Klinman, one of the people in this reading, talks about how gatekeeping led him to almost get fired from his job in 2000 and then how it actually led him to get fired from his job in 2002. You see if you are going with your friends to eat dinner and you and them don't invite me, I would be sad but life would move on. If you don't tell me work that I need to do and I get fired from my job because of it or you prevent me from knowing knowledge that would lead me to gain a large some of money, these are things that will really take a toll on your life, especially in the business world.