University of Texas at El Paso

The Glass Ceiling

Samara Montero

RWS 1302
Tafari Nugent
November 15, 2016

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

Abstract
The way women and men have been treated differently in their work
place for centuries. They have always been put against each other instead
of working together even if they are working for the same company.
Managers have a natural habit of comparing women and how they should
perform in their jobs to the men that work in the same place. Women get
less paid than men, even if its just cents it still should matter and be called
out for it. Women started standing up for themselves and breaking the
glass ceiling. By breaking the glass ceiling means that women are finally
and are doing jobs that were originally made for men such as doctors,
president electors and police officers.

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

What is considered to be the glass ceiling?

The popular notion of glass ceiling effects implies that

gender disadvantages are stronger at the top of the hierarchy
than at lower levels and that these are disadvantages become
worse later in a persons career.
"Glass ceiling is a metaphor for the hard-to-see informal
barriers that keep women from getting promotions, pay raises and
further opportunities. The "glass ceiling" metaphor has also been
used to describe the limits and barriers experienced by minority
racial groups.
It is glass because it's not usually a visible barrier, and a
woman may not be aware of its existence until she "hits" the
barrier. In other words, it's not an explicit practice, though specific
policies, practices, and attitudes may exist that produce this

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

barrier without intention to discriminate. The term was

popularized in the 1980s.
The term was invented to apply to major economic
organizations like corporations, but later began to be applied to
invisible limits above which women had not risen in other fields,
especially electoral politics.
Those who believe that there is no "glass ceiling" argue:
women's liberation, feminism and civil rights legislation already
provide for women's equality women's job choices keep them off
of the executive track. Women don't have the right educational
preparation for senior executive jobs. Women who do make job
choices that put them on the executive track and do have the
right educational preparation have not been in the corporation
long enough to build up experience. There has been progress
since the 1970s and 1980s. The conservative feminist
organization, Independent Women's Forum, points out that in
1973, 11% of corporate boards had one or more women

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

members, and that in 1998, 72% of corporate boards had one or

more women members.
On the other hand, the Glass Ceiling Commission in 1995
looked at Fortune 1000 and Fortune 500 companies, and found
that only 5% of the senior management positions were held by
women.

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

What do women have to do to break the glass ceiling?

Women have always been put down about not being able to handle a
mans job. Women were not allowed to run for president, be a doctor, be a
policeman and the careers can go on forever. Women were not accepted to
take these jobs because they thought they wouldnt be able to handle it.
Recent headlines tell the story that the popular media wants us to
believe about women in the executive suite: "Women Gain Numbers,
Respect in Board Rooms," "New Career Trend: She Goes, He Follows,"
"Women Entrepreneurs Have Come a Long Way,"Women are Liberating a
Citadel of Male Power," and "You've Come a Long Way, Baby. Clever as
the headlines are, these depictions of women's success in the corporate
world are misleading. Increasingly, women are bumping into a "glass
ceiling." Ann Morrison describes the problem: the glass ceiling is a barrier
"so subtle that it is transparent, yet so strong that it prevents women from
moving up the corporate hierarchy." From their vantage point on the

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

corporate ladder, women can see the high-level corporate positions but are
kept from "reaching the top" (Breaking the Glass Ceiling).
According to Morrison and her colleagues, the glass ceiling "is not simply a
barrier for an individual, based on the person's inability to handle a higherlevel job. Rather, the glass ceiling applies to women as a group who are
kept from advancing higher because they are women. Sexual harassment
remains a serious problem for women in the managerial ranks. In a 1988
survey of Fortune 500 executives by Working Woman magazine, 90% of
large corporations reported sexual harassment complaints by women
employees. The survey found that "more than a third of the companies had
been sued by victims, a quarter had been sued repeatedly." But, according
to the same study, only 20% of offenders lose their jobs; 4 in 5 are merely
reprimanded. Sexual harassment "puts a woman in her place," so a
corporate environment that tolerates sexual harassment intimidates and
demoralizes women executives. Many women hesitate to speak out,
fearing it will jeopardize their careers.

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

What does it take for a women to be consider successful

?
All women have a different definition on being successful. To some it
may mean to have a family and raise them. Others might think it is to be
single, travel the world and have a lot of money after you earn your college
degree. Other women might think of having both of those situations is the
only way they can be consider being successful. According to the
Huffington post, these are some of the reasons why some women stop on
their route to break the class celling.
Women have an immense amount of difficulty in managing work, life
and family commitments. Women are tend to be people pleasers. This
leads to exhaustion and a feeling of being overwhelmed as they constantly

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

try to please all those around them. Women carry worry like its another
personality sitting on their shoulder. They worry about their futures. Women
are afraid of failure, lack self-worth and often feel as if theyre not good
enough. They feel disempowered and lack confidence. Women fear
disappointing people, so guilt walks around with them day after day.
Women want to do meaningful work and accomplish something significant
in the world. This survey proved to be very insightful. It shows that even in
our so-called age of enlightenment, women still feel scared to follow their
talents and dreams.
While these things and reasons stop women, it is also important to
know also how you can succeeded. To know exactly what success means
to know and what is your plan for the future result in success. Beating
negative thoughts and beliefs and accept that failure is an inevitable part of
life. Find yourself and also be yourself lead you in success as well. As a
successful women, people expect you to continue learning, being
organized, setting goals, find a mentor, believe in themselves, show
gratitude, help others, arrive on time, pay attention, take chances and risks,
utilize their resources and this is just the beginning of the list.

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

Sources:

http://www.feminist.org/research/business/ewb_glass.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sue-davey/secrets-tobecoming-a-highly-successful-woman-5-easysteps_b_7210496.html

http://www.thebolde.com/19-things-successful-women-do/

http://www.vanneman.umd.edu/papers/cotterhov01.pdf

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/work/g/glass_ceiling.h
tm

Running head: The Glass Ceiling

Running head: The Glass Ceiling