Introduction The concept of stigma was introduced in the sociological literature by Erving Goffman, who defined stigma as when an individual possesses an unsuitable attribute that is seen by many as making him or her different from the rest (Link & Phelan, 2001). Stigma prevails when a dominant group wields power by means of stereotyping or labeling those whom they perceive to be different. This paper will look at stigma in the context of occupations and compare cultural stigma associated with men and women in nontraditional careers.
In our society, certain jobs have been seen as male-identified and others as female-identified. Historically, men were expected to undertake the more physically demanding and hazardous activities to fend for …show more content…
These groups have traditionally been female-dominated. In addition, they are notable for requiring feminine attributes and skills such as nurturance, sensibility, service, and beauty, which society ordinarily attributes to women (Simpson, 2005). Unlike women who enter non-traditional careers, men who move into these jobs are seen by the society as having taken a step down in their status. This underlying form of discrimination is the main reason why there are fewer men in non-traditional occupations. Men who might otherwise have interest in pursuing these professions are most predictably discouraged from undertaking them because of the inherent negative popular stigmas and stereotypes that are associated with men working in such …show more content…
However, the forms and consequences that this discrimination takes are substantially different. According to research conducted by Martin and Barnard (2013), stigma against women workers in nontraditional professions comes from within these professions. This is different from the experience of men in nontraditional professions, who face discrimination from outside (society). Different mechanisms promote the current segregation in both male-dominated and female-dominated occupations. Therefore, different approaches should be taken to promote gender integration in all occupations. Policies designed to alter gender composition of traditionally male-identified occupations (such as affirmative action) will be of little help when applied to the “female professions” (Martin & Barnard, 2013). For men, the main barriers to their underrepresentation in predominantly female occupations have little to do with how they are treated once they move into those fields. Rather, their underrepresentation has everything to do with the underlying social and cultural stereotypes applied to men working in traditionally female-identified
In our society, certain jobs have been seen as male-identified and others as female-identified. Historically, men were expected to undertake the more physically demanding and hazardous activities to fend for …show more content…
These groups have traditionally been female-dominated. In addition, they are notable for requiring feminine attributes and skills such as nurturance, sensibility, service, and beauty, which society ordinarily attributes to women (Simpson, 2005). Unlike women who enter non-traditional careers, men who move into these jobs are seen by the society as having taken a step down in their status. This underlying form of discrimination is the main reason why there are fewer men in non-traditional occupations. Men who might otherwise have interest in pursuing these professions are most predictably discouraged from undertaking them because of the inherent negative popular stigmas and stereotypes that are associated with men working in such …show more content…
However, the forms and consequences that this discrimination takes are substantially different. According to research conducted by Martin and Barnard (2013), stigma against women workers in nontraditional professions comes from within these professions. This is different from the experience of men in nontraditional professions, who face discrimination from outside (society). Different mechanisms promote the current segregation in both male-dominated and female-dominated occupations. Therefore, different approaches should be taken to promote gender integration in all occupations. Policies designed to alter gender composition of traditionally male-identified occupations (such as affirmative action) will be of little help when applied to the “female professions” (Martin & Barnard, 2013). For men, the main barriers to their underrepresentation in predominantly female occupations have little to do with how they are treated once they move into those fields. Rather, their underrepresentation has everything to do with the underlying social and cultural stereotypes applied to men working in traditionally female-identified