Career Advancement of Men in Female-Dominated Occupations within the Framework of the Glass Ceiling and Glass Escalator Metaphors: The Case of the Provincial of Malatya

Abstract

In this study, the “Glass Ceiling” metaphor and the “Glass Escalator/Staircase” metaphor are
examined within the context of the teaching profession, which is one of the female-dominated
occupations in Türkiye. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that women are unable to attain
managerial positions even in female-dominated occupations. In line with this aim, the profession
of primary school teaching, which is a female-dominated occupation, is examined specifically in
the province of Malatya, and 75 public primary schools in the Battalgazi district of Malatya are
included within the scope of the study. Based on data obtained from the Ministry of National
Education and the Malatya Provincial Directorate of National Education, teachers holding
managerial positions in these schools were analyzed according to gender, and it was found that
male teachers dominate administrative positions. In this context, the study once again draws
attention to the fact that women are unable to access managerial positions even in occupations
where they are numerically predominant and are subject to the glass ceiling syndrome, whereas
men are able to advance their careers by walking up the glass escalator.