The Glass Ceiling Today Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Glass Ceiling Today - Research Paper Example The first wave, occurring during the mid-19th century and lasting until the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, consisted of the efforts to attain the rights to vote and run for office. The second wave of feminism occurring during the late 1960s and early 1970s saw feminists fighting for greater equality on a wide range of issues notably education, workplace, politics and, also, home. The recent trend in feminism that is, the Third Wave that began in the early 1990’s relates to an inclusive philosophy that tries to draw attention to disparities due to race, religion, class, ethnicity, nationality, and sexuality of women. Thus, while the central issues are that of race, social class and sexuality, the third wave feminism also challenges the second wave’s emphasis on the resistance to the male domination of upper-middle-class white women. Also, women's oppression, as viewed through the lens of the modern feminist thinking, goes beyond mere deprivation of politica l and legal rights of women. It holds societal structure and culture equally to blame (Bartky, 1990). If the second wave was â€Å"victim feminism†, the third wave is â€Å"power feminism†. The phenomenon of female self-empowerment materialized in the 1990s. Equality for women in the workplace, at home, and in the corridors of power has become achievable. Higher education and generally better awareness created by women’s movements have helped the modern woman to enter several hitherto predominantly male bastions. However, studies have shown that women in numerous male-dominated occupations, for example, the military, law, science, banking and other businesses, and sports (e.g., bodybuilding) face a glass ceiling (Dworkin, 2001). The term was coined by Hymowitz and Schellhardt (1986) to describe the indiscernible barriers women face for advancement to the higher echelons of the workplace.