Social Psychology: the Glass Ceiling Phenomenon Essay Example
STUDENT I.D. No: 060013503
SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY
PS3034
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Assignment 1
Submission date: Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
INTRODUCTION
Social Psychological research on sexism has come a long way from a mere page on ‘antifeminism’ in Allport’s (1954) classic text, The Nature of Prejudice, to the current rate of thousands of pages of scholarly work published every year devoted exclusively to the topic (Duckitt, 1992). A contemporary form of sexism, constantly in debate is the ‘Glass Ceiling’ phenomenon; arguably one of the most familiar and evocative metaphors[i] to emerge from the 20th century. From the publication of Kanter's 1977 book, Men and Women of the Corporation emerged the notion that experiences within the workplace are clearly gendered. Since that time, explaining the existence of the glass ceiling and other forms of discrimination, prejudice and inequality leading to the underrepresentation of women in the upper echelons of organizations has become a primary question for employers and researchers alike (Barreto et al, 2009). This essay will evaluate how social-psychological research and theory can contribute towards understanding the ‘Glass Ceiling’ through; a brief background of the phenomenon, relevant theories and empirical research, potential interventions and general social-psychological limitations.
BACKGROUND
The ‘Glass Ceiling[ii]’ is an "artificial barrier based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevents qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions" (U.S. Department of Labour, 1991). More simply, the glass ceiling constitutes an invisible obstacle for women[1], preventing them from moving up the corporate ladder (Eagly, 2003). The Glass Ceiling is evidently illustrated through statistics. For example, of the Fortune 1000 Companies, only 17 are led by women CEOs; this corresponds to less than 2 percent of women serving as CEOs[2] (Catalyst, 2003)[iii].
SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY
PS3034
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Assignment 1
Submission date: Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
INTRODUCTION
Social Psychological research on sexism has come a long way from a mere page on ‘antifeminism’ in Allport’s (1954) classic text, The Nature of Prejudice, to the current rate of thousands of pages of scholarly work published every year devoted exclusively to the topic (Duckitt, 1992). A contemporary form of sexism, constantly in debate is the ‘Glass Ceiling’ phenomenon; arguably one of the most familiar and evocative metaphors[i] to emerge from the 20th century. From the publication of Kanter's 1977 book, Men and Women of the Corporation emerged the notion that experiences within the workplace are clearly gendered. Since that time, explaining the existence of the glass ceiling and other forms of discrimination, prejudice and inequality leading to the underrepresentation of women in the upper echelons of organizations has become a primary question for employers and researchers alike (Barreto et al, 2009). This essay will evaluate how social-psychological research and theory can contribute towards understanding the ‘Glass Ceiling’ through; a brief background of the phenomenon, relevant theories and empirical research, potential interventions and general social-psychological limitations.
BACKGROUND
The ‘Glass Ceiling[ii]’ is an "artificial barrier based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevents qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions" (U.S. Department of Labour, 1991). More simply, the glass ceiling constitutes an invisible obstacle for women[1], preventing them from moving up the corporate ladder (Eagly, 2003). The Glass Ceiling is evidently illustrated through statistics. For example, of the Fortune 1000 Companies, only 17 are led by women CEOs; this corresponds to less than 2 percent of women serving as CEOs[2] (Catalyst, 2003)[iii].