Hunter-prey relationships: a societal ‘Glass Ceiling’ women must overcome
Many studies have examined the barriers that women face in career advancement, where ‘glass ceiling effect’ phenomenon has received significant attention. ‘Glass-ceiling’ is an invisible barrier that is often shaped by women’s attitudes and biases, such as lack of confidence and dis-empowering beliefs, which impede their career progress. It has been referred to as ‘glass-ceiling’ because although not visible, it is real.
The glass ceiling phenomenon has been studied mainly in relation to organizational settings, to see how it affects women’s excellence into senior leadership positions. Since it is visualized as a ceiling, located high, glass-ceiling effect is often discussed in relation to women in senior leadership positions. However, outside organizational settings, women from all social classes face barriers similar to glass-ceiling, which prevent them from achieving their highest potential in personal and professional endeavours.
Consider the popular belief that most business deals are met and/or closed in recreational settings such as bars, sports events and restaurants. What is not made explicit in this belief is that in many cases, those deals are met and closed among men. Why? Is it that men go to entertainment spaces more than women? Or have more business deals to discuss and close than women? Most likely. But again, why?
Study after study have shown that women are more engaged in caring and household work than men, leaving them with little time to spare to have the benefit of attending many social events and gatherings where they could meet and close deals and other opportunities. But that is just one side. Let us make the assumption that women had as much opportunity to go to such social gatherings as men. Would they have an equal chance of getting opportunities and closing deals as men? No! Why?
When a man and a woman meet for the first time in a social setting, it is very likely that the man’s instinct switches to ‘hunter’ and the woman’s to ‘prey’. Of course, the ‘hunter’ may have no interest in hunting at all that day, and may want nothing to do with the ‘prey’; or may choose to play with the ‘prey’. Flip the scenario – what happens when two men meet for the first time in a social setting? They will explore what they have in common, be it politics, sports, or business. They will engage from a more equal position of power than that of ‘hunter’ and ‘prey’.
So, by merely being female, a woman is more likely to enter a discussion with a man from a less powerful vantage point – and this is what can be called the societal glass ceiling that women face.
Yet again, the sobering truth is that many wonderful, potentially life changing opportunities lie just beyond this barrier – being perceived as prey; to be hunted, enjoyed, or ignored, almost by default. However, if and when the barrier is overcame, the hunter can turn into a business partner, mentor, employee, or employer. But overcoming this barrier has proved easier said than done, that is why we have many cases of sex bribery and harassment.
Overcoming the barrier partly involves the woman deliberately working against the grain: confidently confront the hunter–prey relationship, shovel it aside, and move beyond it to explore common interests, be it politics, sports, or business. Being able to reach the point of discussing what is common between a man and a woman, after and beyond their hunter–prey relationship, is exactly overcoming the barrier. But giving in to sex bribery in order to get access to opportunities is failure. That is why a woman does not always have not to forgo potential opportunities simply at the face of unsolicited sexual interests from the other part. But first, it takes the woman being confident in, and accepting the adage that “opposites attract”.
The bottom line is that within the limits of law and ethics, it is as natural for a man to be attracted to a woman as it is for him to try his luck. But that is not reason to forgo opportunities that lie beyond.
Hence, it is possible, by the woman skillfully and tactically using her interpersonal communication abilities, to change a hunter–prey relationship into a mutually rewarding relationship in many other ways.
