Wall Street Women

From a historical and ethnographic perspective, Fisher (anthropology, Georgetown Univ.; coeditor, Frontiers of Capital: Ethnographic Reflections on the New Economy) studies the first generation of women who entered Wall Street in the 1960s. This small group of highly successful women began their careers in research and investment banking sectors; over time, individually and collectively, they climbed the corporate ladder and broke through the glass ceiling. Fisher also analyzes the impact of their involvement in professional and political networks, particularly the Financial Women's Association of New York and the Women's Campaign Fund. She demonstrates how these networks allowed the female financial elite to advance a kind of market feminism, emphasizing reproductive rights and opportunities for women in politics and the workplace.