Gender Wage Gap
by smteixeirapoit
A recent news article discusses the findings of three surveys used by the Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom. The results suggest that the gender wage gap does not necessarily exist when examining comparable occupations. The findings state that, if the gender wage gap does exist, it is because of motherhood rather than womanhood. The news article concludes that females would like to be employed because of their merits instead of being patronized by “quota feminists”. Several comments on the news article are noteworthy. One commenter argues against gender equality, claiming that males are “biologically superior” to females and emphasizing the importance of females taking care of the home.
Sociologists have a long history of studying gender inequality in the workplace. Some argue that females earn lower hourly wages than males, even in comparable occupations. Others contend that, if females do not hold similar jobs to males, then occupational sorting may create the gender wage gap. Still others concur that motherhood helps explain the gender wage gap though losses in job experience and seniority. Despite these differences, most scholars agree that gender equality does not exist in the workplace and in other spheres.
Read More
“Race and Gender Differences in Wages” By Andrew M. Penner
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If there is not a wage gap for fatherhood in the UK that is similar to the wage gap for motherhood, then this is actually strong evidence of continued gender inequality and not evidence of gender equality. The news article is more interesting for the way it frames the report rather than its summary of the content of the report. Thanks for sharing!
Keri