Stereotypes Of Women Essay
Must women adopt male characteristics to succeed?
This paper will discuss the question of whether women must adopt male characteristics in order to succeed. Furthermore, this we will examine the different barriers and obstacles faced by women to attain success, and offer opinions as to why it has been traditionally difficult for women to achieve success in leadership positions. New evidence suggests that women have recently been advancing to senior positions in large organizations. However, they are still underrepresented in positions of authority within the public world of work compared to their male counterparts (White et al, 1992). Does that mean masculine style is what organizations are looking for in …show more content…
Many have speculated that sex role stereotypes are the main cause for the lack of women in leadership positions. Throughout history masculinity and femininity have been seen as opposites. A successful woman is frequently regarded as an anomaly and women who become successful leaders are of often offered the presumed accolade of being described as “being like men”. For example, Margaret Thatcher was often described as the “best man” in Britain. Early research on sex role stereotypes in the late 1960s and early 1970s suggested that masculinity and femininity were seen as opposites. Men were expected to be masculine and women were to be feminine. In the study ‘Shattering the Glass Ceiling’ (1992) by Davidson and Cooper found that there were numerous invisible barriers in forms of ‘glass ceilings’ preventing women reaching the top of management hierarchy. These sex role stereotypes translated into the type of work women did. Throughout the earlier part of the century women were only employed in limited number occupations, resulting in occupational segregation. Such studies suggested that during a time when women adhered to their sex role stereotype, majority failed to succeed at top
This paper will discuss the question of whether women must adopt male characteristics in order to succeed. Furthermore, this we will examine the different barriers and obstacles faced by women to attain success, and offer opinions as to why it has been traditionally difficult for women to achieve success in leadership positions. New evidence suggests that women have recently been advancing to senior positions in large organizations. However, they are still underrepresented in positions of authority within the public world of work compared to their male counterparts (White et al, 1992). Does that mean masculine style is what organizations are looking for in …show more content…
Many have speculated that sex role stereotypes are the main cause for the lack of women in leadership positions. Throughout history masculinity and femininity have been seen as opposites. A successful woman is frequently regarded as an anomaly and women who become successful leaders are of often offered the presumed accolade of being described as “being like men”. For example, Margaret Thatcher was often described as the “best man” in Britain. Early research on sex role stereotypes in the late 1960s and early 1970s suggested that masculinity and femininity were seen as opposites. Men were expected to be masculine and women were to be feminine. In the study ‘Shattering the Glass Ceiling’ (1992) by Davidson and Cooper found that there were numerous invisible barriers in forms of ‘glass ceilings’ preventing women reaching the top of management hierarchy. These sex role stereotypes translated into the type of work women did. Throughout the earlier part of the century women were only employed in limited number occupations, resulting in occupational segregation. Such studies suggested that during a time when women adhered to their sex role stereotype, majority failed to succeed at top