The Experience Of Gender Inequality In The Workplace

If you were to do a survey asking people if they thought men and women were equal, its likely that you would get very mixed answers. According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 "men and women [must] be given equal pay for equal work in the same establishment." (Facts About Equal Pay and Compensation Discrimination). Despite this law and many others striving for gender equality in the workplace, we still have a gender wage gap of about 80 cents, and women make less money than men is almost every field of work (Pay Equity & Discrimination). In Kristin Schilt 's book Just One Of The Guys? Transgender Men and the Persistence of Gender Inequality, Schilt studies the experience of Transgender men in the workplace. Through her studies, Schilt attempts …show more content…
In chapter three of Schilt 's book, a Transgender man named Chris speaks about the differences in treatment for men and women and says "I would have never seen these differences if I was just a regular guy. I would have just not seen it . . . . I can see things differently because of my perspective" (Schilt 69). Since transgender men have their unique experience, they can give the most insight on experiences of gender inequality in the workplace. Transgender men (female to male transition) have the same past work experience, training, education and qualities (for the most part) and yet will be treated differently when they perform gender as a woman than when they perform gender as a …show more content…
She put herself into the work environment while conducting a five-year ethnographic study. Both surveys and in depth interviews were conducted in great numbers to gather even more data. The author even analyzed about 50 years worth of newspaper articles having to do with the stories and legal cases of transgender workers. Schilt gathered an incredible amount of data from numerous sources and organized her findings into a book. The book Just One Of The Guys? Transgender Men and the Persistence of Gender Inequality will allow the reader to look at gender inequality in a new light, not just something that people consciously do, but as something our society has conditioned us to do. Schilt 's variety of research methods and time dedicated to the study gives her findings validity, and makes her book well worth the read. I think it would have been interesting and beneficial to read a bit more about transgender women 's experiences than was in the book, but Just One Of The Guys? Transgender Men and the Persistence of Gender Inequality still does a fine job of articulating its