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Victor Della Bella

Mrs. Sheila Fielding
WRTC 103-0007
16 February 2018
The Gender Wage Gap Does Not Exist

Many Americans believe that there is a wage gap, specifically among gender.

However, this is simply not the case. Diana Furchtgott-Roth describes in her 2014 article

“The Gender Wage Gap is a Myth”; the gender wage gap is the theory that women are not

paid the same as their male counterparts. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women

make $0.77 to a man’s $1.00. However, many factors are not accounted for; hours worked,

vacations taken, jobs held, etc. Furchtgott-Roth establishes a credible claim against the

existence of the gender wage gap using statistics and logic.

To begin, Furchtgott-Roth’s main claim is that the gender wage gap is a myth. Her

points include: Invalid comparisons between men and women are made (different hours

worked/field of work), leading to false evidence of the gender wage gap (Paragraph 4); Women

claim to be discouraged from enrolling in higher paying fields, although there is no evidence

that supports their claim (Paragraph 11); Women are not discriminated against or prevented

from achieving executive positions (Paragraph 18). Furchtgott-Roth targets individuals whom

support/believe in the gender wage gap. She seeks to use logic and non-bias statistics to prove

her point. Furchtgott-Roth’s goal is to persuade readers that the gender wage gap is a myth. By

taking a scholarly approach, Furchtgott-Roth is able to educate the reader of her point of view.

She writes her points in order of importance/climatic. The reader is able to ease into the

author’s points and potentially shift his/her perspective. The author titles each of her main

points “Myth 1, 2, 3…” By doing such, Furchtgott-Roth is stating in chronological order, the
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importance of each myth. The significance of each point.

Furchtgott-Roth uses each of the three appeals quite effectively. She establishes her

credibility (ethos) early on. She states, “Diana Furchtgott-Roth is a contributing editor at

RealClearMarkets.com, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and a columnist for the

Washington Examiner” (Paragraph 1). The Manhattan Institute is a well-respected research

institution. By describing her writing/editing experience, one can ensure Furchtgott-Roth is a

reliable author. Examples of ethos can also be found within Furchtgott-Roth’s research. She

writes, “When economists compare men and women in the same job with the same experience,

the analysts find that they earn about the same. Studies by former Congressional Budget Office

director June O'Neill, University of Chicago economics professor Marianne Bertrand, and the

research firm Conrad all found that women are paid practically the same as men” (Paragraph

10). Furchtgott-Roth uses credible sources to back up her points. She uses reliable individuals

as proof of her point. She continues, “Leah Loversky, a senior at Pomona College in California

majoring in economics, told me that most economics majors on her campus are men. Last

semester, in a 21-student class on game theory, she was one of two women. (She got an A

minus.) ‘No one tried to discourage me from taking the course,’ she said. ‘In fact, my fellow

economics majors all encouraged me to take it’” (Paragraph 18). Furchtgott-Roth uses a young

student, whom happens to be a woman, to prove that she has not been discourage from fulfilling

her dreams. The writer is reliable and trustworthy. She has compiled numerous statistics that

prove her point. She also has proven she is a credible source.

To continue, Furchtgott-Roth effectively uses logos as well. Logic is her main source of

informing readers of her perspective. She states, “When comparisons are made between men

and women who work 40 hours per week, women make 87% of men's earnings, according to the
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Labor Department. For men and women who work 30 to 34 hours a week, women make more,

109% of men's earnings” (Paragraph 7). By using statistics conducted by a credible source, the

Labor Department, Furchtgott-Roth is able to build a convincing argument. She also states, “In

2010, the top five woman-heavy majors were family and consumer sciences/human sciences

(88% female); library science (87%); health professions and related programs (85%); public

administration and social service professions (82%); and education (80%)” (Paragraph 16). The

author uses the statistics shown, that many jobs women hold are lowering paying jobs. By

comparing men in higher paying jobs, to women in lowering paying jobs, a wage gap seems

apparent. Furchtgott-Roth also uses statistics to prove women are offered the same jobs as men.

She writes: “While women represented 11% and 12% of university tenure-track applicants in

electrical engineering and physics, they received 32% and 20% of job offers. Women were

more likely than male applicants to be hired when they applied. In the sciences, employers seek

to remedy the traditional gender imbalance by seeking out bright women, who benefit from

affirmative action” (Paragraph 19). The use of non-bias statistics by the author gives the

reader an outlook that he/she may not be used to seeing. Numerous articles exist covering the

wage gap between men and women. All of them are essentially the same; the statistics

presented do not account for hours worked, jobs helped, vacations taken per individual. The

statistics presented by the author account for these factors and prove the gender wage gap is a

myth.

Additionally, the article does not contain much emotion. The author does not try and

evoke and emotional response from readers. She is trying to inform readers of the facts behind

her argument and provide a different look on the gender wage gap. However, she does state

some opinions which may upset some readers. She states, “Women are discouraged from
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enrolling in higher-paying fields—science, technology, engineering, math. Not true. No one

prevents women from taking the curricula they prefer to get ahead” (Paragraph 12). Those of

the opposing view point might find this point to be unnerving or insensitive. Considering that

the author herself is a woman, the argument is more compelling. She goes on to describe

differences between men and women. For some, these comments might be considered profound

or offensive. The author writes, “For men and women, to make it to the corporate top requires

countless hours of work and travel and too little time for family. That means missed birthdays,

football and field hockey games, and school productions. Women seem to mind missing these

events more than men” (Paragraph 21). The quotation above is not meant to state that women

are not willing to put forth such effort, but that in general, more women rather spend time with

family and friends than men. Furchtgott-Roth continues to say, “But when myths try to teach us

something demonstrably false—such as women earning less than men for the same work—we

are all the poorer. It is time to discard false myths about women” (Paragraph 25). Those of the

opposing viewpoint may find this offensive, as it calls those “all the poorer”.

In conclusion, the gender wage gap is relevant because it is a popular discussion amongst

our government, economists and feminists. Women feel they are not being treated fairly.

Furchtgott-Roth’s argument shows that a female economist, whom is highly respected, does not

believe in the gender wage gap. She provides sufficient evidence to prove that the gender wage

gap is nonexistent; that men and women are equal. The author is effective because she has three

solid points to her claim; providing multiple pieces of evidence to support. The author’s use of

rhetorical appeals attempts to gain support for her argument. In Furchtgott-Roth case, she uses

ethos to establish her credibility: she uses logos to provide evidence to support her argument; she

uses ethos to show that even as a woman, she finds the gender wage gap to be absurd. The
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author can strengthen her argument by including more emotion (pathos). By doing so, the reader

would understand how as a woman, Furchtgott-Roth feels by the profound idea; the gender wage

gap. The reader would be drawn in by her argument and be able to connect with the author.
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Works Cited

Diana Furchtgott-Roth” Manhattan Institute, www.manhattan-institute.org/epert/diana-

Furchtgott-Roth. Accessed 8 Feb. 2018.

Furchtgott-Roth, Diana. "The Gender Wage Gap Is a Myth." The Wage Gap, edited by Noël

Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Current Controversies. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context,http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010529236/OVIC?u=viva_jmu&xid=0d

97102. Accessed 8 Feb. 2018.