Major Concepts and Theories on Gender Inequality

"Sex segregation" means the separation of the sexes within the workplace based on specific jobs, and more broadly in occupation. According to Paula England and Lori McCreary's "Gender Inequality in Paid Employment," "This segregation is attended by a sex gap in pay, with most 'male jobs' offering higher earnings than most 'female jobs.'" While socialization absolutely plays a role in how we act and what jobs we desire, statistics from the American Association of University Women reveal that even when men and women are counterparts in the workplace, women make up to 89% of their male co-workers.

Sex segregation at ASU is seen in simply who runs the university: a white male. A white male has always held ultimate power at Arizona State. This also exemplifies hegemony that has been so ingrained at ASU that it seems many fail to notice. This leads into the point made by a CNBC report which notes that women represent only 2.5% of Fortune 500 CEOs. This might be explained away by either sexism, namely that a woman cannot successfully hold a powerful job, or "women's choices" to take time off or work less for more family time.

In my personal socialization, I've always been taught that, regardless of anyone else's opinion, I can do anything I want, whether that means being a CEO, a teacher or an artist beatnik hippie. As previously mentioned, I grew up with a single mother and seeing her major success in the newspaper industry, open her own business and then work in a Fortune 500 company has made me feel ultimate freedom in my choices. I have held ultimate authority jobs, and ones where I've ranked highly. My experiences relate to patriarchy in that my family life growing up was an absolute matriarchy, in a girl power sort of household. When this was translated into outer male-dominated world, I have successfully translated my own ideas of how the world should work into action.

The NPR report “Moms Become Breadwinners As Job Losses Hit Men,” explained that although more men than women have lost their jobs in this recession, women still "make 77 cents to every dollar males make." Additionally women who didn't have jobs are working part-time, while full-time workers have taken on multiple jobs. Men still dominate the normally union-based and higher-paying jobs where health care and retirement plans are factored in, while women are in lower paying jobs without such benefits. I work three jobs, not out of necessity (although extra money is nice, and certainly nothing to complain about), but out of the desire to do more and learn more. I definitely can sympathize with women taking on more work and more jobs because they have to take ultimate responsibility for themselves and their families: if they don't take care of their interests, no on else will. I also know women my age who, despite the increase in women breadwinners, cannot find work, or want to find more work but overall there is little hiring going on. This could be attributed to either the jobs that they are looking to take on, due to socialization, or perhaps a simple shortage in the economy. Either way, the situation, while interesting, is nothing to celebrate.