CONTEXT 177 : SEPTEMBER 2023 47 Director’s cut Smashing glass ceilings: lessons from Barbie and the IHBC I’m not sure if this issue of Context will take in under its thematic mantle the more abstract concepts of and associations with ‘glass’, such as glass ceilings and their smashing, but I doubt it. The practical focus of our operations – and the no-less-practical priorities of our members – mean that abstruse takes on Context’s headline topics have only a limited locus in these pages. But there may be a place in this column for that approach, so here goes. The glass-ceiling metaphor is well summarised in Wikipedia, where its roots in the feminist interrogation of patriarchies has a particularly current relevance in the year we see ‘stereotypical’ Barbie reconsidered in the light of her new movie. But there may also be – and certainly without undervaluing its original context – a place for highlighting glass ceilings in other hierarchies, including all aspects of the place management strategies that encompass conservation as practiced under the IHBC’s own model and holistic approach to specialist practice. That may not be something that the IHBC spends much time highlighting in any obvious way, but the matter of ‘invisible barriers’ is hugely resonant for us, as it is so critical to successful conservation outcomes. And, as discussed below, the awareness of barriers to practice has pervaded the IHBC’s corporate activities since our incorporation in 1997. A good example of the issue in general is how we might correlate the skills of a craftsperson or tradesperson against those of a professional – whatever we may mean by these terms – in the context of the IHBC as, primarily, a professional body. As competent professionals, accredited IHBC members know that craft and trade skillsets, in the right place and at the right time, are no less essential to successful conservation than the skills profiled in our formal competences. Yet those seeking accreditation from us must align their application in line with specific processes and terms determined by us, such as written submissions and abstract concepts such as ‘significance’. These are good examples of areas that are typically less tied to the mainstream trade or craft skills that we hope to improve. So there is one glass ceiling to start, and one that of course does not apply only to the more manual skills. One close friend, an IHBC colleague and skilled practitioner, readily admits that he would not pass the current entry requirements due to his personal language limitations. He may be wrong – and probably is – but what counts in glass ceilings is the perception, and I am sure he is not alone. The starting point to understanding the IHBC’s response there is to realise that, contrary to the expectations of many, we do not require degrees or specific practice training to permit membership, or even more formal recognition through our accreditation systems. All an applicant has to do to join us and help our charitable work is
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