We've talked about the glass ceiling in class. Scholars have added the term "concrete ceiling" to discuss the duality of racism and sexism that women of color face, and the term "stained-glass ceiling" to refer to the patriarchal structure of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Recently the
Fawcett Society released a report that suggests we need a new term: "the mirrored ceiling." What is the mirrored ceiling? Check out an
article about The
Fawcett Society's report, "Sexism and the City," on Salon.com.
6 comments:
"The mirrored ceiling" refers to barriers in the business world for women. Essentially, some business meetings are held in strip bars, which are a degrading, offensive, and intimidating environment for women. Their sex is emphasized, since strip bars are generally patronized by men. If they speak up, they may face humiliation, lack of promotions, or even unemployment. If they choose not to attend, they miss out on work and may be viewed negatively by coworkers.
Mirrored ceilings usually decorate strip bars, which is why the Fawcett Society cleverly coined this as a term to represent the SeXuAl ExPlOiTaTiOn as a barrier to advancement in business - in addition to the already recognized barriers of gender, race, religion etc. The Sexual Exploitation barrier is in a category all its own in London. London has an increasingly common practice of holding business meetings in stripbars, which is a setting where it is very hard for women to be taken seriously. It is a setting that objectifies women as sexual objects, which strips (yes, pun intended) the business women of her intelligence and skills that she has qualifying her as a valuable member of the business. Women in these business settings are understandably very uncomfortable and have to work extra hard at being seen as a person with intelligence and skills while their male coworkers pay no attention to them as they stair at the nude dancers. As Helen stated before me, if they speak up there will be consequences as well. There is no winning for women in a corporate strip club culture such as this, obviously creating a barrier to advancement - a mirrored ceiling.
Mirrored ceiling is definitely a derogative perspective towards women. As prescribed in the article od Fawcett Society, it has expressed mirrored ceiling as been a a barrier where women are see as a mere object and exploited sexually. Women in the stip club could not do anything rather than been stripped, they could not say anything and they do not expext any morality from any of the viewers. The scenario would be just as like hungry hyenas keeping an eye on its prey laughing. Such women working in the strip club are not seen as of any intellectual being, they are taken as a mere things. If these women tries to speak up then they are made stereotyped and might as wellface humiliation and might even get kicked out of the job. In this case there would be nothing for them rather than be seen naked by the world and endure the agony.
mirrored ceiling refers to the barrier to the females and other minorities to achieve any position they qualify. The society is changing everyday, but still it is stratified in terms of gender and social classes. Females and people of race have still lots of barrier, to achieve any position. Various professions are considered to be males profession, and society puts various obstacles for women to go in that profession.
This can be illustrated in the movies "North Country" and "hammering it out" in some extent. People still believe that females should be dominated and they should not be in the high profession jobs. Similarly, if females, anyway got that job, society puts various barrier to her while performing that job.
wow, i have said it before and i will say it again...ow do peole get away with this stuff? How can any man be ok with himself by suggesting a meeting should take place at a strip joint? I mean maybe i am just crazy, but that isnt weird for these guys? I feel really bad for the women because you know all the guys just want her get up on stage and dance and take their clothes off. that is so degrading.
mirrored ceilings just shows that women and minorities still have a long way to come because of the indecency of others.
"The Mirrored ceiling" is a barricade that has caused women to suffer in the business world. Women can not reach the goals they want and deserve because of this barrier in the way. Men have complete control over the top positions in the business world. They view women as objects not as equals. In the Fawcett Society article the author explains how strip clubs are a good example of the mirror ceiling. If men control the business world and they all decide to go to a strip club, the women around may not want to attend and loose out of opportunities. That is just one small issue that has the mirror ceiling affect… there are so many more.
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