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Exploring the Under Representation of Black Female Chefs within the Hospitality Industry

Exploring the Under Representation of Black Female Chefs within the Hospitality Industry
Author: Hannah Mayor
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Abstract: Understanding barriers and disadvantages that prevent women and those from the BAME community progressing to head chef positions, which has therefore seen a decline in female representation in the industry.

Key Words: Gender, Race, Chef, Hospitality, BAME

Cooking for many years has been a gendered environment domestically and professionally, built from years of stereotyping by society. With women being labelled as the domestic cooks, where they are offered limited support if starting a career in hospitality. Then the professional kitchens are dominated by white men both vertically and horizontally in the hierarchy. Not only does the hospitability industry lack diversity but also inclusion of the BAME community accessing chef positions, with a heavily white male segregated hierarchy. Female chefs only hold 17% of head chef positions in the UK highlighting the underrepresentation of women in the industry who are accessing leadership positions and excelling in the male dominated field. This percentage outlines the lack of diversity the industry has and the need for more research to give a voice to vulnerable BAME women. Research which provides recommendation will help create a shift in the paradigm against discrimination and bring equal opportunities for women. The reasoning behind the lack of women in head chef positions resides with the disadvantages and barriers that the industry and society have created. Which for many have made it extremely challenging or impossible to move up the hierarchy to a head chef position. Primary research conducted with a black-Caribbean female migrant with 5 years hospitality experience working in professional kitchens helps bring a real-life perspective to the conference helping to strengthen literature discussed below.

Firstly, the most prominent barrier that women face is the challenges that arise when trying to manage their work-life balance, raising their families. Progressing to a head chef position required support from employers to enable them to manage both their work and homelife effectively. Hutchings et al., (2020) outlines that this is not common practise in the industry and due to the intensification of the role it is almost impossible to manage both unless the employer provides additional support. Primary research reiterated the findings by recalling that employers had specific criteria which needed to be achieved before consideration for career progression. Which were deemed impossible if you had children or worked part time, therefore limiting women in accessing these roles. Indicating that the industry is not offering support or the necessary “ladder” to climb the hierarchy (Knutson and Schmidgall, 1999).

Concrete and glass ceilings represent the invisible barriers that restrict and create prejudice towards women and those of colour in moving up the hierarchy (Knutson and Schmidgall, 1999). Terms used to represent the lack of opportunity coloured women hold in the white male gendered environment facing invisible barriers and huge disadvantages to accessing roles as chefs, where they would hold leadership and power. Workers belonging to the BAME community face all types of stereotypes and discrimination regarding their behaviour in the workplace; lack of opportunities, misconceptions, and a masculine work culture (Hutchings et al., 2020). Social injustice which they have suffered for years. Stereotypes have crafted black women as hypersensitive and have a “sapphire” personality trait which reconstructs them as a threat and uncapable of managerial role where they would hold power and decision-making control. This preconception is another barrier which halts their progression, built upon years of inequality and social injustice in the workplace.

Intersectionality explores how the discrimination and oppressions of BAME women's gender and race intersect to create deeper levels of disadvantages. The high levels of oppression caused for workers becoming unable to identify if it was their race or gender that was causing them unfair discrimination in the working environment (Bell and Nkomo, 2001). Findings concluded that although black women faced the discrimination, they could choose how it affected them. The participant explained that many of the women would pull themselves away from the situation to avoid further distress. For which it became a normality and to be expected when joining a masculine working environment. A normality which suggests that women learnt to face the oppression due to pre-existing stereotypes which they could not overcome. Like many, the participant faced the challenges and barriers listed above which ultimately led to her leaving the industry. A true representation of what is wrong with the industry and why there is an underrepresentation of female chefs. Recommendation for the industry include offering support to BAME women and remove the historical glass and concrete ceilings that restrict their career advancements. By simply providing the opportunities and mentoring women, the industry will see an increase in female BAME chefs.

References
Bell, E. and Nkomo, S. (2001) Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity [ebook]. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press. Available from https://web-b-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.lincoln.ac.uk/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE5MTc2NDVfX0FO0?sid=375d79b1-be01-4ad7-85d5-da1bdd0a405b@pdc-v-sessmgr05&vid=0&format=EB&rid=1 [Accessed 03 May 2020].
Hutchings, K., Moyle, C., Chai, A., Garofano, N. and Moore, S. (2020) Segregation of women in tourism employment in the APEC region. Tourism Management Perspectives, 34, 1-15. Available from https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxy.library.lincoln.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S2211973620300222?via%3Dihub [Accessed 29 April 2020].
Knutson, B. and Schmidgall, R. (1999) Dimensions of the Glass Ceiling in the Hospitality Industry. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 40 (6), 64–75. Available from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/001088049904000618 [Accessed 29 April 2020].