To what extent and in what sense can we say that professional and Essay

To what extent and in what sense can we say that professional and managerial careers are gendered and radicalised - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that professional and managerial personnel include workers who have attained a higher level of education; therefore, they are skilled employees who have relevant experience in their areas of study such as, managers and technicians. For a long time, such careers were male-dominated, but today, women are moving to the hitherto male-dominated professionals, for instance, pilots, drivers, technicians, lawyers, and medical personnel among others. As a result, women are breaking the glass ceiling by beating all odds in order to fit in the once male-dominated society. In the 60s, the role of female, especially in America was changing, with more women having paid jobs, and an increase in their dissatisfaction on gender disparities. However, according to the International labour office, Geneva, the employment situation for women to date continues to show signs of inequality in terms of pay, market participation, and unemployment rates compared to th at of men. In addition, there is a notable slow rate of progress in women’s managerial positions compared to men; as a result, majority of men continue to occupy the top jobs, leaving women in lower categories. Majority of women and men have specific qualities that make them suitable in certain positions in both professional and managerial careers. Therefore, equal distribution of labor and employment opportunities should be in existence. Moreover, women continue to face the glass ceiling, and even as managers, the chances of advancements are limited compared to those of men. Needless to say, women are sometimes forced to work harder in order to prove themselves compared to men (International labour office, Geneva, 2004, p.2). In addition, the professional and managerial careers require extended working hours, which influence chances of promotion; however, it is difficult for women to take up the long working hours, because they have other responsibilities as mothers and wive s. As a result, men stand at an advantage in these careers, leaving women to cater for family alone, which is very unfair, as women are denied the chances of career advancement. According to Watts (2009, p.41), rejecting long-working hours is a catalyst for job loss, or lack of promotion opportunities. Therefore, creating a work-family balance is important for both the employer and the employees; indeed, family should not be a cause of inequality for women. According to Acker (2008, p.443), all organizations have some aspects of inequalities, especially gender-wise; however, organizations vary in the degree of the presence and severity of disparities. A survey conducted by ILM, on 3,000 employees revealed that barriers exist for women who seek senior positions in organizations in the United Kingdom. As a result, managerial career aspirations for women continue to lag behind compared to those of men (The Guardian, 2011). The study also revealed that 24% of women below the age of 30ye ars start their own business compared to 20% of men who do the same (The Guardian, 2011). Therefore, this study reveals that there is a high level of unemployment for women compared to men, which results to business ownership. As mentioned earlier, women are commonly under-represented in the managerial and professional careers; for instance in 1994, SAS