| Summary: | Little has been written about women's career development that specifically addresses
the process of women becoming successful in their occupations. As well, the literature has
neglected to include the experiences of lesbians. Yet there is reason to believe that lesbians,
by virtue of their lesbian identity, may have unique work experiences that are different from
heterosexual women, leading to different paths to occupational success. The purpose of this
study was to investigate the process of lesbians becoming successful in their occupations by
utilizing a grounded theory approach. Fifteen women (age range 35 to 69 years) who were
identified as successful in their occupations (i.e., they were perceived as leaders in their
fields) and who represented a variety of occupational fields, were interviewed about their
experience of becoming successful in their careers.
The grounded theory analysis of the data led to conceptual development, ordering,
and a description of a psychological process "striving for holistic integration." The central
process begins by these women "managing their lesbian identities in the workplace." The
process involved women "taking risks and being out" at work along a continuum that
represented women "working 'in' silence," "working quietly," and being "boldly 'out'
spoken." Other salient categories in this central process included: facing ongoing fear,
handling homophobia, and fighting for social change. Holistic integration involved
participants integrating their lesbian and work "worlds." This integration facilitated
enhanced working relationships based on honesty, and, for many participants, holistic
integration became transformational as they became empowered by being open and
disclosing their lesbian identities in the workplace. This process involved a dynamic,
synergistic interaction between the influencing conditions (i.e., changing social times,
personal background, serendipitous conditions, love and support, and a gay friendly work
environment) and the unfolding of the process of striving for holistic integration.
This research contributes to our understanding of lesbians' occupational success and
is an important first step for further research. The women in this sample were primarily out in
their respective fields and experienced benefits from doing so, despite the barriers many of
them encountered along the way. The findings of this study provide guidance for future
research in the area of lesbian career development and success.
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