Blog Post #4 - Social Inequality

The Glass Ceiling

       Alright, so now that you watched Comedy Centrals satire on the glass ceiling; How much truth was in it? Does this glass ceiling even exist?  Is it really a problem? What the heck is this "glass ceiling" anyway?  Well in short, the glass ceiling is a metaphor used for the struggles and disadvantages that women have in the work place.  Merriam- Webster defines it as, "an intangible barrier within a hierarchy that prevents women or minorities from obtaining upper-level positions.” 

       The glass ceiling is real. Women make 80% of what a man makes for the same work according to The Institute for Womens Policy Research.  But the Glass Ceiling itself is even worse. This is the disproportionate opportunity for women in the work place. According to The Institute for Womens Policy Research, 98,000 new jobs in March 2017 and 89,000 of those jobs went to men.  This made it that less than 10% of those jobs went to women (Institute for Womens Policy Research, 2017). Women are less likely to be promoted in the workplace and when they are promoted they are getting paid less (Hegewisch, Phil, Deitsch, and Murphy, 20017,70). Although according to the department of labor minorities as well as women are affected by the glass ceiling.  97% of senior managers of Fortune 1000 industrial and Fortune 500 companies are white, and 95-97% are male (Department of Labor, 1990).  Then when taking a look at Fortune 2000 industrial and service companies, just 5% of senior managers are women and virtually all are white (Depaartment of Labor, 1990). 

        According to one study, the ceilin is slowly being broken.  They conducted a survey of 1000 different female CEO's and senior management level employees. They found that there were multiple different reasons that these women felt the glass ceiling was in there way.  Through this study the researchers are working to help the women of today and tomorrow to break their respective glass ceilings (Ragins, Townsend, and Mattis, 2017).  

       I myself have been working to breakdown some of the struggles that I know women have faced. I was out looking for a job to give me a start in my career and upon the offer of a position at a previous work place. I sent in a counteroffer. Thus starting the negotiation process. I had never negotiated pay before. It was terrifying but I did it as I was taught in school and by male peers that I spoke with about it and although I did not get exactly what I asked for, I got more than I expected.  To put it into perspective. If I would have taken the initial offer, I would be getting paid nearly $6.00 less an hour and 1% less in sales commission.  That is huge!  So, I now see in a tangible way how important it is to negotiate and speak up. I plan on applying for a management position within six months, I made it very clear to my manager who hired me that I am looking to grow and develop as an employee and that I don't plan on sitting still. It felt great to be assertive and direct. It was received well as well. 

Sources Cited

      "Glass Ceiling." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

    Hegewisch, Ariane, M. Phil, Cynthia Deitch, and Evelyn Murphy. "Ending Sex and Race Discrimination in the Workplace: Legal Interventions That Push the Envelope." Institute for Women's Policy Research. IWPR, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

   "Job Growth Slows in March and Most Gains Go to Men: Unemployment Declined for Most Groups." Institute for Women's Policy Research. IWPR, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

      "Pay Equity & Discrimination." Institute for Women's Policy Research. IWPR, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

   Ragins, Belle Rose, and Bickley Townsend And. "Belle Rose Ragins." The Academy of Management Executive. Academy of Management, 01 Feb. 1998. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

    "Report of the Federal Courts Study Committee." Federal Sentencing Reporter 2.7, The Sentencing Commission and Its Critics (1990): 232-37. Department of Labor, 1990. Web.