Contemporary Status of Women in the Us Essay

Women have come a huge way from the early 1900s when they gained their equal right to vote, to now where it seems women have equal rights to do however close anything. Women have been increasingly joining the economic work military force since the last 100 long time or so. Although, women in the work force have been increasing in numbers atomic number 18 they granted an equal and fair chance comp bed to that of men? A quick glance on the subject would kick up that women are given equal and fair chances in the work force however, upon closer inspection it seems women in concomitant are not given the same fair and equal opportunities as men.Women are subjected to tune sexual urge segregation and unfair pay violates in comparison to men. Nevertheless, women are working diligently and successfully to break down these unjust barriers that are keeping them from having equal opportunities. According to Margaret L. Andersen and Dana Hysock Witham, in Thinking ab come in Women Soc iological Perspectives on Sex and Gender, gender segregation is the pattern whereby women and men are situated in different bank lines thought the labor force (128).This bay window be made an ex adenosine monophosphatele of in unequivocal occupations such as kindergarten and preschool teachers, nurses, librarians, and house cleaners, versus college professors, doctors, lawyers, and construction works. The former, when typically imagined, the first image that comes to mind is a woman, whereas the last mentioned is associated with a man. These occupations are associated with current genders because generally speaking those jobs are and have traditionally been a certain gender dominated. Philip N. Cohen, and Matt L.Huffman, in Occupational Segregation and the Devaluation of Womens Work Across U. S. Labor Markets, supposition that gender segregation in the workforce exists because of the discrimination twain in the allocation of workers across the job categories and in how female -dominated jobs are rewarded relative to male-dominated jobs (882). Women are blocked access to typical male dominated jobs because of affable ideas and cultural norms that say that women cannot effectively do the work of men, which requires intellect, leadership, hard labor, and other skills traditionally associated with men.Rather, women are unplowed in low paying jobs that often do not lead to promotions and involve skills that they have traditionally been known for, such as cooking, cleaning, taking care of children, obeying mens orders, and things of that nature. Because women and men are kept in jobs that relate to their traditional gender based skills, it creates a segregation of the labor force or else of creating a heterogeneous labor force were men and women are equally interested in and are hired in certain occupations.Womens work is similarly often undervalued in society, especially in comparison to the work of men. Because of this undervaluing of womens work women a re additionally rewarded far less than men are. A pursue gap is the difference amidst the recompense of men and women in the workforce. Today women earn plainly 77 percent of what men earn, at least on average (DeNavas-Walt qtd. in Andersen and Hysock Witham 137). The wage gap mingled with women and men can be attributed to occupational segregation and wage discrimination.Occupational segregation places women in lower skilled jobs that underutilize and devalues womens skills and potential to work and be successful in the labor force (Karamessini and Ioakimoglou 34). Employers usually pay their employees wages that they see fit in relation to, how much they concur an employee and his or her skills are worth in the company, and how they contribute to the company. Because womens work and skills are undervalued by a majority of society they are in turn paid less compared to men.Additionally, women usually seek out or are put into jobs that are women dominated. Again since womens w ork is undervalued, once an occupation becomes a woman dominated occupation, the job itself becomes less valuable and people in that job eventually are paid less in that occupation compared to if it had been a male dominated occupation. The wage gap is excessively impacted by wage discrimination. The unequal pay of women based on gender rather than qualifications and skills is wage discrimination. In Joel T. Nadler and Margaret S.Stockdales article, Workplace Gender Bias Not Just Between Strangers they quote Kolesnikova amp liu , Although the gender wage gap has been decreasing over the last thirty years there is exempt a difference in salary between men and women in similar careers with similar go across (282). Women are still being paid less than men despite having equal or pause fit skills and or qualifications than men. Women are making progress in making the wage gap between men and women non-existent, however, progress has been slowing.Women are slowly but surely making si gnificant progress in leveling the playing field in the labor market for both men and women. Progress can be seen in closing the wage gap between genders and in the desegregating of gender based jobs. The earnings gap between men and women has shrunk to a record low (Dennis 01a). Dennis attributes it to the prosperity of women in the 21century economy and the fact that the recession has negatively affected mens pay. He additionally continues to discuss how not just has white womens wages change magnituded, black womens wages have in addition seen an increase in the past nine years.Womens wages have been slowly increasing and becoming even with that of men. This increase can be attributed to women breaking down barriers of gender segregation in the work force. Women have been locomote into high-paying professional jobs such as accountants, lawyers and physician (Dennis 01a). These occupations are typically male dominated. However, it seems in recent years the occupations genders have been less homogenous and more of an even or close to even mixture of both genders.As women are taking over more male dominated jobs, such as perhaps managerial jobs, it seems that there are sacrifices that women have to make where as men usually do not. Studies sharpen career oriented women are more likely to delay relationships or children in order to aver their careers (Hoffnung qtd. Nadler and Stockdale 282). Because women are taking on traditionally male dominated occupations they are under extra scrutiny and watch, therefore, women feel the pressure to perform well and make sacrifices in the name of their job.Women can feel that in order to be successful they are required to choose work over family life. The pressures over execute well in a womens career life and also balancing their social or family life can create anxiety and unhealthy stress for women. Although, women have been successful in gain closing the wage gap and breaking down gender segregation within the workforce, their progress it seems has also come at the price of choosing a career or a family.Although women have come a long way since the early 1900s it seems that they are still subjected to unequal treatment compared to men. Women face gender segregation in the workforce which makes it difficult to attain prestigious and high paying jobs. Women are also subjected to being paid less than men regardless of having equal or superior skills. Nevertheless, women are approach these obstacles head on. Women are now more than CEOs, they are leveling the playing field between genders in the labor force and re demanding, and showing that they deserve equal pay.