Date of Award
2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Van Horn, Patrick
Keywords
Gender Discrimination, Wage Gap, Comparable Worth
Area of Concentration
Economics
Abstract
In recent years, the persistence of the gender wage gap in the United States has been used as a justification to pass legislation strengthening legal protections for victims of gender discrimination in the workplace. Opponents of these legislative initiatives argue that our current legal protections against gender discrimination in the workplace are strong enough, that the gender wage gap in the United States is no longer caused by discrimination, and that the persistence of the gender wage gap is caused by forces other than discrimination. This thesis takes the position that gender based discrimination is still contributing to the gender wage gap, but in ways that both Republicans and Democrats don't expect. Instead of being discriminated against at the individual level, women are discriminated against at the occupational level, wherein occupations pay less the more highly female they are, even after controlling for skill requirements and working conditions. Thus, any legislative effort to reduce the gender wage gap that doesn't take comparable worth into account is likely to be ineffective in reducing the gender wage gap.
Recommended Citation
Wolfe, Peter, "Gender Discrimination, Economic Segregation and Comparable Worth: Perspectives on the Effectiveness of Policies Targeting the Gender Wage Gap in the United States" (2013). Theses & ETDs. 6847.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/6847
Rights
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