Enlarging Our Understanding of Glass Ceiling Effects with Social Closure Theory in Higher Education

As we witness demographic shifts that shape the future of our nation, both empir ical and practice-based examinations are needed to understand the implications of this transformation (Moore, 1995). Women and people of color have dramatically transformed the country's economy by entering sectors of the U.S. workforce in the late 1 960s and early 1970s (e.g., the armed forces) that were previously dom inated by White men (Winborne, 2007). This growth continues and employment data in the United States illustrate that women are nearing a balanced representation in the workforce and people of color have increased their presence across several employment sectors (e.g., business) (Toossi, 2005). These shifting demographics have profoundly altered the image of the U.S. workforce and will continue to trans form the country. For instance, according to the Hudson Institute, people of color represent 16 % of the workforce today, but it is predicted that the growth will sur pass the 30 % mark by 2020 (California Diversity Council, 2005). With regards to women, their impact is also significant, as they comprise approximately 47 % of the total workforce (Winborne, 2007)