Gender & Work

Careers
~ careers are “life paths” which people choose them
base on their interests, abilities, & potential
contribution to the society
~ career choices are shaped by gender

Men: pursue career in full-time, uninterrupted

Women: part-time employment, a discontinuous path

interrupted by family obligations,
stay-at-home moms
Career Expectations and Gender
Stereotyping
aspirations are similar for boys and girls, but beliefs
and expectations differ

women’s expectations include both career & family

expectation about marriage & motherhood pull

women toward domesticity

high-prestige career demand time and commitment

Career Expectations and Gender
Stereotyping
identification of women with caring may present a
major barrier to women’s success in occupations
non-traditional for women

employed women concentrated in narrow range of

clerical, service, or professional positions

gender segregation promotes gender stereotyping

and hinder the career development for both men
and women
 Career Opportunities
Women & men do not have equal career opportunities
because:
~ different encouragement

~ education & training

~ gender stereotype

~ discrimination in hiring
 Discrimination in Hiring
Possible discrimination in hiring through:
~ recruitment
~ offer receivers
~ job assignment & salary

gender differences in salary expectation &

negotiation

even with similar levels of advancement after

hiring, initial differences in salary make it difficult
for women’s salaries to catch up
 Barriers to Career Advancement
Glass Escalator
~ the advantage that men have in female-dominated
careers; rapid promotion

Token
~ women who pursue careers in male-dominated fields
become more visible and pressure to success

Sticky Floor
~ low-status occupations with little opportunity for
advancement; female-dominated occupations
Barriers to Career Advancement
Different educational credentials

“Mommy track” vs “Daddy track”

~ levels of commitment
Career schedules
~ take time off to attend to family needs
~ promotion

Workplace climate
~ men are more likely be chosen as representative
for important tasks
 Balancing Career and Family
family demands create challenges for both
women and men

Socialization pushed women toward domesticity

and prevent them from being “ideal workers”

working mothers are hard to “win”

flexible work schedules are difficult to achieve in

high-commitment careers
 Gender Issues at Work

Gender segregation
Communication and power
Sexual harassment
 Gender Segregation on the Job
the large majority of jobs are held by either men or
women (but not both), it leads to perception of
“gendered” jobs

Diversification of occupations
~ men occupy a wider variety of jobs than women
~ women are underrepresented in skilled blue-collar
jobs

Contributes to gender gap in wages

~ occupations predominantly female are lower paying
Gender Segregation on the Job
some women have entered male-dominated
fields but fewer men have entered female-
dominated fields

women enter a predominantly male workplace

may feel unwelcome

gender segregation diminished as more women

are well-educated
 Gender, Communication, &
Power in the Workplace
Different speech styles
Men: negotiations and power
Women: connections and commonality

women’s communication style may be a disadvantage

in the workplace

power in the workplace is associated with leadership

women have the potential as excellent leaders, but

they face many barriers
 Gender, Communication, &
Power in the Workplace
Sex role spillover
~ aspects of gender roles affect behavior in the
workplace creates stereotyped/sexualized
atmosphere

Expectations for women:

~ more nurturing or loyal
~ occupy less powerful, subordinate positions
~ sexual at work
 Sexual Harassment at Work
Quid pro quo
~ demanding sexual favors as a condition for
employment / promotion

Hostile environment
~ the workplace contains unwanted sexual
attention or offensive behavior

Gender harassment
~ offensive or hostile behavior directed at
individuals because of their gender
 Sexual Harassment at Work
both men and women could be targets for sexual
attention in the workplace

lack of understanding of other gender’s perception

harassers of both genders may have impulse

control problem

negative career and mental health consequence