Overcoming (in)visible Barriers: Gender, Work and Discrimination

The persistence of gender discrimination in today's workplace remains an important area of concern for sociologists. A growing body of scholarship indicates a shift from overt to subtler, more ambiguous forms of discrimination that permeate modern work environments.

Recent social media campaigns like #MeToo have amplified how these platforms enable collective action against workplace discrimination and inequality. In response, there has been a visible rise in corporate diversity policies, including quota systems, governance frameworks, and more transparent reporting practices, providing pathways to mitigate workplace bias.

However, subtle discrimination remains prevalent as organizational structures often fail to address it comprehensively. These practices contribute to barriers like the glass ceiling, concrete ceiling, and maternal wall, impeding the career progression of women and mothers.

The goal of this Research Topic is to investigate interconnected aspects of discrimination. Firstly, we are interested in the persistence of organizational discrimination in contemporary work settings, with a dual focus on its subtle and overt manifestations. While discriminatory practices in workplaces have become less visible and more ambiguous, these, alongside continuing blatant forms of discrimination, critically impact the health and potential career outcomes of those affected.

Secondly, we aim to broaden the scholarly understanding of how forms of subtle discrimination manifest within organizational settings. Even if these subtly discriminatory events and interactions differ from more overt forms in terms of shape, intent, visibility, frequency and (dis)empowerment, these still tend to take place in similar contexts, including biased performance evaluations, occupational segregation and a perceived "lack of fit" for certain positions.

Finally, we welcome investigations into the role of contemporary organizational structures. This includes (but is not limited to) corporate diversity policies, and their transformative impact on a range of discriminatory practices, as well as possibly actionable insights into achievable means to foster equitable organizational practices.

We encourage critical feminist approaches that take a transdisciplinary perspective on the topic. We welcome empirical contributions that employ qualitative or quantitative methodologies, as well as papers that are theoretical in nature (theoretical work). Issues that we suggest papers address can include but are not restricted to the following topics:
• Everyday experiences of subtle and overt discrimination at work
• Effects of subtle and overt discrimination on individuals’ work experience
• Manifestations of forms of subtle discrimination
• Subtle discrimination at work and motherhood
• Implications of subtle discrimination for women’s careers
• Social media discourses and workplace discrimination
• Subtle discrimination and health
• Actionable changes in organizations advancing egalitarian practices