Thought You Were Avoiding That Glass Ceiling?

It’s a little disheartening. My eventual goal is to work full time as a theatrical reviewer and arts writer – a genre which is being eradicated by blogs and the like. It’s intimidating, but women have started out as minorities in so many jobs, and eventually caught up (or almost caught up). Perhaps it’s just a matter of time.

Thanks for your comment, JD.

Also I just noticed that Kristen King also referred to the Blogher incident at a possible glass ceiling, so please be sure to go check out her comments on the Blogher portion of this:

http://www.inkthinkerblog.com/2008/07/31/is-there-a-glass-ceiling-in-blogging/

*”as a possible glass ceiling” Typo, apologies.

This is so weird. Just yesterday I’m chatting with a woman at a client’s office and she says something about a glass ceiling in freelance writing. I’m always polite and professional (you never know), but the answer in my brain was, “That’s crazy. How can there be a glass ceiling when you work for yourself.” Neither of these articles is about freelancing per se (one specific to reviews, and the other about blogging), but now I know what she is talking about. She must read the NY Times…

Thanks

There are glass ceilings in every field. You have to climb over the darn thing, and step onto the same ground the men are on. Of course, it helps if you are much better at your particular profession than they are, and try not to have a bitter attitude once you actually get there. Once you have arrived, it is good to be gracious to your colleagues.

I had enough of it in the business world. Freelancing should be better but not in some fields. Has anyone noticed the numbers of men who are food critics?

I read Publishers Lunch most every day and from looking for a market for my own efforts, I find well over fifty percent of the editors/agents/publishers are female. If there is this glass ceiling, it must be controled by other women.
One suggestion… Just use your initials when submitting and they won’t know you are female unless your writing says so.

This comment is in reference to the first article. Thumbs Down … Women Film Critics …

Ok, I read the first article a few times to make sure I did not misinterpret the facts and figures.

Well, my comment here is not going to be welcomed , but here it goes anyway… because I hate to see data misused to try and prove an unrelated point.

A glass ceiling – the term – refers to situations where the advancement of a qualified person within the hierarchy of an organization is stopped at a lower level because of some form of discrimination, most commonly sexism or racism.

Obviously, the article by Dr Lauzens illustrates that men make up the majority of these specific writing positions in these industries.

But the figures from these studies mentioned nothing about the gender ratio of applicants for these positions.

This information would be necessary in order to make a worthy ‘glass ceiling’ claim ( sexual discrimination ) in this entire industry …!! Come on — lets observe the facts she uses to try and prove her point.

In Dr Lauzen’s article … she mentions NOTHING about how many men had applied for these jobs vs how many women. Maybe this information is available somewhere , but not in her article.

Her conclusion was not based on applicant gender ratios so how can she even imply discrimination without the most important data?

I am not saying discrimination is not happening in this area, but I AM saying that her data does not prove her conclusion.
Maybe this glass ceiling is happening, but I have not seen it. Personally, I know many more female writers than male, and would hire them with no reservation whatsover.

Example:
You are a hiring manager and you have 20 ‘movie critic’ writing jobs.
You post these opening and receive 245 applications for these jobs … 200 men applicants and 45 women applicants.
You research all of these applications and find that they all fulfill the job requirements …

So .. what percentage of these 20 jobs will go to men , and what percentage to women?
What is fair?

I tend to agree with Eddie above. I’ve seen a glass ceiling once in my full-time career and never in freelancing. That’s not to say there weren’t times when some interview subjects, thinking a girl wouldn’t know the topic at all, talked to me in a patronizing tone. Those times were easily cleared up when I followed with a comment or two that clearly demonstrated I not only had a clue, but I knew a lot about the industry.

I’m not sure if any glass ceiling in freelancing is because women settle for less than they’re worth in some attempt to show cooperative spirit, or if they’re really being offered less. When I was on staff at a magazine, most of our women freelance writers were paid hundreds less than the men. Why? Because when they quoted their rates and the magazine pushed back, as it did to all freelancers, the women caved.

Eddie, Your comment is well thought out. I am turning your point around in my head. One thing I am wondering, though, is if that information WAS taken into account, and simply not cited in the article. This was an academic, peer-reviewed study, right? Which means that it’s likely that info was figured in, and simply not mentioned.

On second look, I’m not sure as to the origins and vetting of the report.

One other thought- the fact that there are less female applicants, as Eddie posits, is in itself a problem, given the industry, which caters about equally to both genders.

Thanks for the thought-provoking comments, all.

Thank you so much for your article about becoming a jewelry author. I make jewelry and try to see too.I feel very similar to what you had felt. Your article was helpful, very informative and had a nice personal touch. It touched me , so I am writing to you. -Dita.