What social forces make women earn less than men?

[kevina]

Despite decades of equal opportunity legislation, women still earn less than men. What social forces reproduce this gender inequality?

[radish]

1. at the very broadest level:the combination of class and gender structures of inequality

2. more specifically:
1.Class: it is in the interests of profitabilityy for the employing class to maintain a form of two wage system based on gender. even though there are legislations to ensure equal pay this has not yet covered the different forms of work that women do

2.Gender and the work force: the work force is still very gendered ie although there have been many new openings for women there are still 'men;s jobs' and women's jobs' and
a)the latter group centre around the low paid sector of caring labour eg working in old age homes
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.11...x/abstract
whilst the high paid jobs in the mining sector are still predominantly the province of men
http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/w...ork-needed

b)there is still a glass ceiling in the upper jobs with fewer women in management andExecutivee levels of private and to a lesser extent government jobs
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/f...s-top-jobs

3. Gender and Domesticity: if women are not to give up the right to parenthood then they are at more risk of having to take leave to care for their children. Not all societies havearrangementt for equal parenting leave for men and women. As parenting occurs at just the point of careerAKke off it is the women who are less likely to remain in the work force at this point of potential promotion (especially if the couple have more than one child) the unpaid work of parenting is more likely to interfere witwomen'sns promotion prospects than mens)

[spencer_tracy]

they are paid little so there is no point for them to go into the workforce, therefore meaning they take on teh household responsiblities and child care, basically the unpaid domestic labour. men are also paid less than what they should, so they can't afford to buy domestic labour on the open market. this is beneficial to capitalism.

[Discreet Package]

It could be in the perceived qualities of men. The working world can be an unforgiving place where decisions and deals have to be made that might be a bit ruthless. Sometimes employees have to be fired and reprimanded or a decision to downsize may cost people's jobs. More hours might be required of employees. Difficult decisions that may be required to be done quickly with hardness and emotional detachment.

I also have to agree with another poster about women having children. Employers in the US may be less forgiving when it comes to taking leave for motherhood.

However, I hear that women are attending college at a higher rate than men so the gap may lessen in time.

[Doggy]

women being out of the kitchen?