In the current society, there have been dramatic changes regarding gender discrimination in the workplace. Women have made huge steps within the workplace. However, inequality in terms of gender and race-ethnicity remains a major challenge. This gender inequality in the workplace is caused by the stereotyping of women. For instance, culturally, women have often played the role of housewives and caregivers. Such factors as education level, level of experience are among the factors that could bring about gender parity in the workplace but does not. For instance, there is a huge sum of women who have enrolled for bachelor degrees as compared to men (The Editorial Board). This means that higher number of women receive more degrees and even performing better and higher qualification. However, in society that is supposed to employ its employees and compensate them in terms of merit, women still earn less. In spite the dramatic development women have experienced in terms of education, they are still the most disadvantaged in the work environment. It is therefore clear that the current work environment does not depict equity for both men and women in the same jobs entitled to the same pay. One of the reasons why the education or experience success does not offer competitive edge for women can only be linked to gender and the way each gender is treated. There is a clear indication that workplace environment across the world is biased against women. The biasness is based on the stereotypical culture within the society and their anticipation for their actions. Women could be thought to be segregated from an initial position during the interview. Since an interviewer comes from a background where women are not tough, they are not expected to ask for high remuneration or ask questions.
Socially, the term gender is not used to refer to the biological difference between men and women, but the roles that each of the sexes should play within the society. Therefore, based on this, the role of men is completely different from that of women making them completely varied economic and social beings. Based on these differences in roles, gender inequality in the workplace has arisen. One of the major issues arising from these differences in roles is pay gaps. The major assumption for the difference between men and women is the fact that women are supposed to attend familial responsibilities as compared to the work. Usually, women attend family responsibilities such as taking care of the child, a sick family member among others but not quite their work (Amott & Matthaei 184-192). Based on this, women often choose lower paying jobs so as that they have more flexible hours such that they end up spending less work hours as compared to men. Based on this argument, companies often maintain women at these low paying jobs so that they can remain as family caregivers and at the same time earn some income. In the current society, women are encouraged and supported to work in the same position as men yet they are not compensated as men holding the same position. To resolve the pay gap issue, organizations should take into consideration the family responsibility. This means that men and women could be remunerated the same amount of money for the same job position.
Another major issue is the segregation in the workplace in terms of race. Despite this being a major challenge, it has dropped significantly from 1940s when blacks were discriminated. However, there is nothing to smile about since it is still evident that African American women, Asians and Hispanics are still underrepresented in different occupations that were considered feminine jobs. Additionally, in a research conducted, it is evident that being a woman is a bigger hindrance as compared to being a black. This is based on the fact that black men are fairly represented in various occupations as compared to women.
The inequality in the workplace is also linked to a feeling that men are more superior to women. This brings about the issue of class whereby women are of lower class as compared to men. This means that they are entitled to lower pays and specific jobs. Generally, labor force hierarchy has grown dramatically in terms of race and gender. For instance, considering a position of a nurse what comes in the mind of an individual is a white woman; a doctor could probably be a white man; while a railroad porter could be a black man. Based on these explanations, it is evident that each job tends to be stereotypically thought to belong to specific gender, class and race (Williams 69-74). This makes it difficult for people to train into specific careers or even being considered into various positions of which they have qualifications. It is worth noting that race-sex stereotyping does bring out the issue of class in gender. Job structure is also a good product of sex-race stereotyping. For example, secretarial jobs were considered to be white women’s job and until today it is still considered so. On the other hand, clerk position was white’s men job and until date it is still considered man’s job. The advancement of technology has brought a lot of changes such as bringing about managements guide and created new jobs. However, division of labor in terms of gender is still strong. In terms of earnings, women earn only seventy five cent less for every dollar a man earns. Gendered organizations tend to favor men due to their masculinity values. This means that employees with masculine values and characteristics are considered for promotions to best positions. Making it worse, the issue of proportionality within the occupation is usually not considered.
Both the white woman and woman of color are exposed to hostile environment at home and in the workplace. They are remunerated less as compared to men who do similar jobs. Worsening their situation, they are usually sexually harassed (Reskin 73-76). This forces them to remain in low paying and demeaning positions within organizations. There has been a lot of training and education and introduction of equality legislation in an attempt to eradicate this inequality in the workplace. Both white women and women of color have organized successful fights to be allowed into various occupations that were considered masculine.
In conclusion, from the above discussion on gender inequality in the workplace, it is evident that gender, race-ethnicity and class are interconnected and defines the degree of inequality in the workplace. Gender is used to describe the different roles that different sexes should perform. Based on this, various tasks are considered to be the work of men while others for men. Highly paid jobs are considered masculine based on the assumption that they have to provide for their family. On the other hand, women are considered housewives and caregivers and are therefore often away from their job. Based on this assumption, they are therefore given lower position with low pay. This is one of the factors that have led to the continued pay gap between men and women. Race-ethnicity is observed in a situation where white women are offered better paying jobs as compared to the women of color. The inequality in the workplace is also linked to a feeling that men are more superior to women. This brings about the issue of class whereby women are of lower class as compared to men.
Works Cited
BOARD, THE EDITORIAL. 'Women Still Earn A Lot Less Than Men'. Nytimes.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 15 July 2015. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/opinion/women-still-earn-a-lot-less-than-men.html?_r=0
Amott, Teresa L, and Julie A. Matthaei. Race, Gender, and Work: A Multi-Cultural Economic History of Women in the United States. Boston, MA: South End Press, 1996. Print.
Williams, Christine L. Still a Man's World: Men Who Do "women's Work". Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995. Print.
Reskin, Barbara F. Sex Segregation in the Workplace: Trends, Explanations, Remedies. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press, 1984. Print.
