Gender InequalityGender Inequality

Median Earnings by Sex (1999)Median Earnings by Sex (1999)

All year-round, full-time workersAll year-round, full-time workers– Men: $38,000 (40,798 in 2004)Men: $38,000 (40,798 in 2004)– Women: $28,000 (31, 223 in 2004)Women: $28,000 (31, 223 in 2004)

Physicians & SurgeonsPhysicians & Surgeons– Men: $144,000Men: $144,000– Women: $88,000Women: $88,000

DishwasherDishwasher– Men: $14,000Men: $14,000– Women: $12,000Women: $12,000

Fast Food Worker/Food PreparationFast Food Worker/Food Preparation– Men: $17,000Men: $17,000– Women: $15,000Women: $15,000

Gender InequalityGender Inequality

Gender inequality: imbalance in access to Gender inequality: imbalance in access to political, economic, educational, and social political, economic, educational, and social arenas based on sex/genderarenas based on sex/gender

pay gap: disparity between women’s and pay gap: disparity between women’s and men’s earningsmen’s earnings

What Can Explain Gendered What Can Explain Gendered Differences of Pay?Differences of Pay?

Human capital theoryHuman capital theory– Characteristics individuals bring to jobCharacteristics individuals bring to job– Assumption of fair, competitive economy, labor Assumption of fair, competitive economy, labor

marketmarket– Increase productivity through education, skills, Increase productivity through education, skills,

training (the “pay off”)training (the “pay off”)

Occupational sex segregation: concentration of Occupational sex segregation: concentration of women and men in different occupationswomen and men in different occupations– Blue collar: manual labor Blue collar: manual labor – Pink collar: work primarily done by womenPink collar: work primarily done by women– White collar: professionals; office workersWhite collar: professionals; office workers

Dual Labor MarketDual Labor Market

Difference in women’s & men’s pay due to Difference in women’s & men’s pay due to working in different labor market sectorsworking in different labor market sectors

Primary: high paying jobs; job security; Primary: high paying jobs; job security; advancementadvancement– Higher status tierHigher status tier– Lower status tierLower status tier

Secondary: low paying jobs; little security Secondary: low paying jobs; little security or possibility for advancementor possibility for advancement

Employer Practices within the Work Employer Practices within the Work OrganizationOrganization

Overt discriminationOvert discrimination

Glass ceiling: blocked access to Glass ceiling: blocked access to upper-level positionsupper-level positions– ““Mommy track”Mommy track”

Glass escalator: men in “female jobs” Glass escalator: men in “female jobs” pass womenpass women

SexismSexism

Belief system that one sex is superior to the Belief system that one sex is superior to the other sexother sex– Negative attitude toward womenNegative attitude toward women– Stereotypes; discriminationStereotypes; discrimination– DiscriminationDiscrimination

Sexual harassmentSexual harassment– Quid pro quo: direct sexual threats as Quid pro quo: direct sexual threats as

condition for employmentcondition for employment– Hostile work environment: interferes Hostile work environment: interferes

with work abilitywith work ability

Women’s paid work seen as Women’s paid work seen as supplementary to men’s worksupplementary to men’s work

Devaluation of women’s work: question of Devaluation of women’s work: question of prestige of women’s work in society prestige of women’s work in society

FunctionalismFunctionalism

How is gender inequality, stratification How is gender inequality, stratification functional for society?functional for society?

Women and men have specific roles to Women and men have specific roles to fulfill that are essential to family, societal fulfill that are essential to family, societal survival (Parsons, 1955)survival (Parsons, 1955)– Instrumental role: economic support, decision Instrumental role: economic support, decision

makingmaking– Expressive role: emotional support, affectionExpressive role: emotional support, affection

Conflict PerspectiveConflict Perspective

Gendered division of labor in the Gendered division of labor in the workplace, stems from patriarchy/power, workplace, stems from patriarchy/power, and control of resourcesand control of resources

Marxist tradition: gender inequality based Marxist tradition: gender inequality based on ownership of the means of productionon ownership of the means of production– Control on property, distribution of goods and Control on property, distribution of goods and

services, power over womenservices, power over women

Symbolic InteractionismSymbolic Interactionism

““Doing gender”: gender is accomplished Doing gender”: gender is accomplished through social interactionthrough social interaction– ethnomethdologicalethnomethdological

Gender constantly made, reproducedGender constantly made, reproduced

Acting like “a woman” or “a man” confirms Acting like “a woman” or “a man” confirms gendered social ordergendered social order

The F-Word: FeminismThe F-Word: Feminism

Belief that women and men are valued as Belief that women and men are valued as equalequalFeminist theory: focuses on the ways in Feminist theory: focuses on the ways in which societal norms & values, roles, which societal norms & values, roles, institutions limit women’s behaviorinstitutions limit women’s behaviorUnderstand gender inequality and gender Understand gender inequality and gender oppressionoppressionWomen’s personal control despite lack of Women’s personal control despite lack of powerpower

Feminist FrameworksFeminist Frameworks

Liberal feminism: gender equality linked to Liberal feminism: gender equality linked to equal opportunity, lack of civil rightsequal opportunity, lack of civil rights

Roots in 19Roots in 19thth century British liberalism century British liberalism

Social justice & social changeSocial justice & social change– Individual rightsIndividual rights– Equal opportunityEqual opportunity– Eliminate structural barriersEliminate structural barriers– Introduce social policyIntroduce social policy

Socialist feminism: women’s oppression Socialist feminism: women’s oppression based on capitalismbased on capitalism– Exploitation of women in the workplace, homeExploitation of women in the workplace, home– Capitalism and patriarchyCapitalism and patriarchy– Eliminating capitalismEliminating capitalism eliminates gender eliminates gender

inequalityinequality– Socialist economy where women are paid Socialist economy where women are paid

equal to men equal to men

Multiracial feminism: focus on the Multiracial feminism: focus on the inequality experiences for women of colorinequality experiences for women of color– Ignored by other feminist frameworksIgnored by other feminist frameworks– experience multiple oppressions based on experience multiple oppressions based on

race, class, genderrace, class, gender– ““multiple jeopardy”multiple jeopardy”