Unequal Pay for Equal Work
Hannah Brown
Professor Steven Smith
Sociology 210
April 10, 2015
“In 2011, a typical 25-year old woman who works a full time job all year earned $5,000 less than a typical 25- year old man. This means that in ten years, her cumulative lost wages will reach $34,000” (National Organization for Women). This is a form of gender discrimination that is occurring in the workplace. Gender discrimination is a form of discrimination that prevents one gender from having equal opportunities. Women are equally trained and educated the same as their male co-workers but their male co-workers are being paid much more than they are being paid. Women receive more college and graduate degrees than males do but …show more content…
This half a million dollars is going to their male coworkers who are doing the same exact work that women are doing. This gender discrimination can be found in tons of research that the White House and other organizations have conducted. The president and other officials in the White House have tried to get rid of unequal pay by passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and creating the Equal Pay Task Force. However this measures the president and congress has taken hasn’t helped any for women that are receiving unequal pay. There are three possible theories’ that can explain gender discrimination in the workplace. These theories are the Scapegoat, Gender Role and Social Role. It is believed that women in the workforce can be seen as the scapegoats if a company is not making that much money anymore. This can lead to men getting upset and blaming women for the companies’ losses which lead to unequal pay for women (Scapegoat theory). The Gender Role theory states that women still faces discrimination in the workplace because people are stuck in the same mindset from 30 years ago that men should be working while women stay at home and clean. The social role theory explains this type of mindset and where it comes from which is usually older people telling younger people that women are weaker than males and that they should not be getting equal
Hannah Brown
Professor Steven Smith
Sociology 210
April 10, 2015
“In 2011, a typical 25-year old woman who works a full time job all year earned $5,000 less than a typical 25- year old man. This means that in ten years, her cumulative lost wages will reach $34,000” (National Organization for Women). This is a form of gender discrimination that is occurring in the workplace. Gender discrimination is a form of discrimination that prevents one gender from having equal opportunities. Women are equally trained and educated the same as their male co-workers but their male co-workers are being paid much more than they are being paid. Women receive more college and graduate degrees than males do but …show more content…
This half a million dollars is going to their male coworkers who are doing the same exact work that women are doing. This gender discrimination can be found in tons of research that the White House and other organizations have conducted. The president and other officials in the White House have tried to get rid of unequal pay by passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and creating the Equal Pay Task Force. However this measures the president and congress has taken hasn’t helped any for women that are receiving unequal pay. There are three possible theories’ that can explain gender discrimination in the workplace. These theories are the Scapegoat, Gender Role and Social Role. It is believed that women in the workforce can be seen as the scapegoats if a company is not making that much money anymore. This can lead to men getting upset and blaming women for the companies’ losses which lead to unequal pay for women (Scapegoat theory). The Gender Role theory states that women still faces discrimination in the workplace because people are stuck in the same mindset from 30 years ago that men should be working while women stay at home and clean. The social role theory explains this type of mindset and where it comes from which is usually older people telling younger people that women are weaker than males and that they should not be getting equal