In today’s world, as the younger generations have more gender-sensitive lifestyle, and those topics are discussed more and more in the media, social media, and daily life. More people are behaving differently than their parents and grandparents. In every conversation, now we are talking about gender related discriminations, sexism, patriarchy in every aspect of daily life. And yet the gender discrimination in political area is still lack. As all women face power inequalities and power structures in their daily lives, we can also find it in the leadership positions. Why is the case? Why is there less women in political area than men? How do gendered relations affect women in leadership positions? Why is there glass ceiling, occupational gender segregation, gender pay gap? How can we solve the problem and have more women in leadership positions? These concerns will appear in the course of this paper.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. RESEARCH STATUS
3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
4. METHODOLOGY
5. WOMEN IN WORKPLACE, LEADERSHIP AND CARREERS
6. HOW DO WE COPE WITH THE GENDER INEQUALITY IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS?
7. HOW DOES DIFFERENT FEMINIST IDEAS SUGGEST SOLUTIONS FOR UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS?
8. CONCLUSION
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper investigates the persistent underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, specifically within the political sphere. By employing a power-relational framework, the study seeks to understand how gender socialization, essentialist discourses, and structural workplace barriers intersect to limit women's career advancement and leadership opportunities.
- The influence of gender socialization on career choices and perceived leadership potential.
- Analysis of essentialist views as a core driver of gender inequality.
- Structural barriers including the glass ceiling, occupational gender segregation, and the gender pay gap.
- Evaluation of positive discrimination and gender quotas as mechanisms for social change.
- Comparison of liberal, radical, and Marxist/socialist feminist approaches to addressing gender inequality.
Excerpt from the Book
WOMEN IN WORKPLACE, LEADERSHIP AND CARREERS
The main reason for gender inequality is because of the power hierarchies in the society. Dahl’s (1957) and Allen’s (1998) power definition is the first thing when it comes to our mind when we refer to power. But Foucault’s (1987) explanation is broader, and it can also be explained by gendered relations. The discourses, he mentions, are the consequences of social construction of the power inequalities. This section will analyse their power theories in terms of the reasons why women are underrepresented in leadership positions. At first, I will be talking about power inequalities and essentialist view. And then the things women face in the workplace, (gender pay gap, occupational sex segregation, glass ceiling). At last, I will be talking about leadership positions and how leadership task is gendered.
There are many different reasons why women are underrepresented in leadership positions. In this paper, I will have gender socialisation, gender essentialism and structural understandings towards leadership characteristics.
Workplace is gendered because of the gendered discourses of the society. (Foucault,1987). Those discourses lead to gendered power relations and gendered workplace as well as less women in leadership positions. The main reason of having less women in leadership positions is the discourse of essentialism in the society. In other words, essentialism is the main discourse of the gender inequality.
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: The chapter outlines the author's interest in gender roles and socialization, establishing the core problem of women's underrepresentation in leadership positions.
RESEARCH STATUS: The author reviews existing literature, critiquing the repetitive nature of current research on the glass ceiling and gender pay gap while proposing intersectionality as a new perspective.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: This section establishes power analysis as the primary theoretical tool, utilizing the concepts of power developed by Dahl, Foucault, Miller, and Allen.
METHODOLOGY: The author explains that a literature review is the chosen method to compare feminist ideologies and analyze power relations in the context of leadership.
WOMEN IN WORKPLACE, LEADERSHIP AND CARREERS: This chapter analyzes how essentialist views, occupational segregation, and the "glass ceiling" contribute to the lack of women in leadership.
HOW DO WE COPE WITH THE GENDER INEQUALITY IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS?: The author discusses the role of positive discrimination and gender quotas in increasing women's presence in parliaments and corporate boards.
HOW DOES DIFFERENT FEMINIST IDEAS SUGGEST SOLUTIONS FOR UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS?: This chapter compares liberal, radical, and Marxist/socialist feminist perspectives regarding their proposed solutions to gender inequality.
CONCLUSION: The paper summarizes that radical solutions combined with legislative changes are necessary to dismantle the essentialist views that underlie gender inequality.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: The final section lists all academic sources cited throughout the paper.
Keywords
Gender inequality, Leadership positions, Feminism, Power relations, Essentialism, Gender socialization, Glass ceiling, Occupational segregation, Gender pay gap, Political leadership, Positive discrimination, Gender quotas, Intersectionality, Feminist theory, Patriarchal norms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines why women remain underrepresented in leadership roles, focusing particularly on political leadership and the underlying power structures in society.
Which theoretical framework does the author apply?
The author uses power analysis as the main framework, incorporating theories from Dahl, Foucault, Miller, and Allen to explain gendered power relations.
What is the central research question?
The central question is: "Why are women in leadership positions underrepresented?"
What research methodology is employed?
The study relies on a comprehensive literature review to compare different feminist ideologies and analyze existing research on gender and leadership.
What are the main topics discussed in the body of the text?
The body covers gender socialization, essentialism, the glass ceiling, occupational gender segregation, the gender pay gap, and the impact of gender quotas.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include gender inequality, leadership, feminism, power relations, essentialism, social construction, and structural barriers.
How does the author define the "glass ceiling"?
The author defines it as a powerful metaphor for the informal, often invisible barriers that prevent women from achieving promotions and career advancement.
What role does "essentialism" play in the author's argument?
The author argues that essentialism—the belief in an unchangeable essence defining a person—is the primary discourse supporting gender inequality and limiting women's career paths.
Does the author believe that simply having more women in power solves the issue?
No, the author contends that merely increasing the number of women in leadership does not guarantee progress unless those women challenge conservative and patriarchal ideas.
- Citar trabajo
- Özden Bulutbeyaz (Autor), 2021, Why are women in leadership underrepresented?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1669775
