Revisiting the glass escalator: The case of gender segregation in a female dominated occupation

Using data from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) 1977-2000, we examine sex segregation in a paradigmatic female-dominated occupation-nursing. We find that contrary to the vertical pattern of occupational stratification implied by the glass escalator, men are not disproportionately represented in administrative posts. Instead, we find a pervasive pattern of horizontal sex segregation, whereby men and women are disproportionately clustered in particular gendered specialties. Using in-depth interviews with a sample of registered nurses, we show that male nurses tend to gravitate toward areas of nursing they perceive to be more masculine. Our findings have implications for other female-dominated occupations because the bottom-heavy structure of most occupations limits the number of men ( as well as women) from reaching the top positions within the field, meaning that horizontal sorting processes of acclimation sort most male employees in female-dominated professions.