Preview

Sexism in the Workplace

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2296 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sexism in the Workplace
Discrimination can be expressed in many different ways, which n no matter can be very hurtful to a person. Discrimination itself means making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit (Merriam-Webster). One way of expressing discrimination is denying one a job because of his/her race or gender, or treating others unfairly because of his/her race or gender. Discrimination can lead to quitting a job, and possibly doing something harmful to oneself or to the aggressor. Different ways of discrimination occurs very often in the workplace. The most common would be, sexism against women; because men are the more dominant figure in today s society they receive more jobs, than do women
Sexism is described as “discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex as in restricted job opportunities; especially, such discrimination directed against women.” (Merriam-Webster) Since the beginning of history, sexism has always been a prominent barrier between sexes. The notion that women are not on the same level as men has always been in existence. Children learn from their parents and society the conception of "feminine" and "masculine." (Leon-Guerrero) Much about these conceptions is not biological at all but cultural.
Sexism in education is clearly associated with sexism in the workplace. When women are expected to “stay in the home,” they are unable to access the necessary educational resources to compete with men in the job market. If by chance they are able to secure a position, women may be less prepared educationally for the task, and thus draw lower wages. When you think of a CEO of a company or of world political leaders, do you think of a man or of a woman? Many, if not most of us, see these positions as being held by men. There is more sexism in the workplace than we could ever imagine but it is so important for us to be aware of this.
Women in



Cited: Berg, Barbara J. "Feminism Takes Flight." Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future. Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill, 2009. 19-22. Print. Berg, Barbara J. "Trouble @edu." Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future. Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill, 2009. 171-87. Print. Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 10 May 2011. . Feminist Majority Foundation - Breaking News, Feminism from Affirmative Action to Sexual Harassment to Women 's Sports. Web. 7 May 2011. . Leon-Guerrero, Anna. Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge, 2011. Print. "Male–female Income Disparity in the United States." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 10 May 2011. . "Sexism." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 7 May 2011. . "Total Money Earnings in 2005." Annual Demographic Survey. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of the Census, 2005. Web. 6 May 2011. . Women, Audience --. "U.S. Department of Labor -- Find It! By Audience -- omen." The U.S. Department of Labor Home Page. Web. 10 May 2011. .

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Feminism In Penny Weiss

    • 116 Words
    • 1 Page

    Feminism has been born through decades of ignorance and misguidance, a perception of a weaker sex, and a belief that equality is not truly meant for all. Because of this deprivation of equality and privileges that exist exclusively for men, decades of work have been put forth from the feminist movement to ensure that no woman will any longer be held back or have opportunities revoked simply for having the status of a “weaker” gender. Before taking this class, I was hesitant to ever label myself in such a manner and questioned those who had, but after reading Penny Weiss’ revealing piece “I am not a feminist, but …” I no longer have that same reluctance.…

    • 116 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Osmond, Marie Withers, and Patricia Yancey Martin. “Sex and Sexism: A Comparison of Male and Female Sex-role Attitudes”. Journal of Marriage and Family 37.4 (1975): 744–758.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Woltemath, Becca. "Sexism in the Early 1900s."Worldbook Encyclopedia. Worldbook, 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.…

    • 1087 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    For thousands of years human societies have functioned with various forms of social injustice and oppression. But the largest and most long lasting system of oppression is the patriarchal system. In which, women are not afforded the same economic, social, and educational opportunities as men. For example, in America today full time female workers still only make seventy-eight cents for over dollar their male coworkers make (Hill 1). However the tireless work of women’s rights advocated like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul has led to landmark equality legislation and real measurable strides towards greater gender equality. Because…

    • 3039 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bibliography: Davidson, J. D. (n.d.). Nation of nations: a narrative history of the American Republic (6th ed., Vol. II). Boston: McGraw Hill.…

    • 2280 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sexism against women- Sexism still pervades in our society. A clear example of this is the way Hillary Clinton was treated in the elections. Hillary faced many gender-based abuse by the media and many individuals. “Multiple studies on women in national security have shown concerns about the progression of women into senior leadership positions (Erbe, 2008).” Some feel women are inferior to men, this is clearly a form of sexism. Statistics from U.S. Bureau of Justice indicates that women are much more likely than men to experience “nonfatal intimate partner violence”. 30% of female homicide victims are estimated to have been killed by intimate partners in comparison to 5% male homicide victims. In the past, women were not included in higher education. When women were included in higher education , they were encouraged into majors that were less intellectual. Women have been excluded from participating in many professions. Based on a 2009 study conducted by Cornell University on the topic of CEOs, research suggests that while being obese limit’s the career opportunities of both women and men, being a bit overweight harms only female executives and may actually benefit male executives. There’s also a disparity of wages between men and women. Today, women earn 75% of the income of men. Research conducted suggest that mothers are 44% less likely to be…

    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Feminine Mystique

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The treatment of women in the workplace, school and wider society has evolved since the first wave of feminism. But to what extent are women treated as equal to their male counterpart? The persistent gap between the treatment of men and women even after the first wave of feminism provoked a second wave. The catalyst to mainstream feminism in the 1960’s through 1970’s was Betty Friedan’s book,The Feminine Mystique. Women's right activist and writer, Betty Friedan, a leading figure in the Feminist movement. Her book ,The Feminine Mystique, was a major influence in the second wave of Feminism because it voiced what so many women lacked to say; they wanted more. The Feminine Mystique was published in 1963 and over two million copies were sold…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While there are no restriction on what a woman can be, women in the United States have difficult "phantoms" and mental barricades to overcome on their journey to the workplace such as the illusion that there is rampant sexism in the workplace, the wage-gap between men and women myth, and the belief that they have to care for their children.…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sexism is a problem that every person will experience at least once in the life. The oppression can be as simple as a joke, to as a serious as rape or death. This bias endures hidden in stereotypes and in common practices, or it can be front page news. Gender discrimination is so remarkably ingrained into our society that it will always be commonplace in our everyday lives. The primary reason for it being perpetuated in our society is the history of ignorance and misinformation. Sexism appertains to the discrimination or prejudice of a person based on whether that is a man, women, or transgender.…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “In 2015, only half of the world’s working-age women are in the labor force, compared to 77 percent of working-age men,” (MAKERS). Everyday, women face unequal circumstances and situations within the workplace. The average woman’s wage is significantly lower than their male colleagues. This would also mean that men have more job opportunities than women. All these disadvantages women face negatively affect their careers. The government has tried to decrease the inequality by creating laws, but they are never harshly enforced. Improvements for women are needed in the workplace because they will increase women’s career rights and the quality in the workplace overall.…

    • 1728 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Laws on woman’s rights have changed a lot since the 1900’s. Women weren’t allowed to vote, get an education, and have high authority in jobs. Now, women are allowed to do all of these things and more. But have things really changed, or are they just more hidden? There are three ways in which women are discriminated against: in the workplace, television, and in politics.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sexism In Workplace

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Though, feminism can help eliminate the effects of sexism. By bringing awareness to problems and fighting for the rights women deserve, American men and women in the workplace could finally become…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Over the past hundred years, women’s participation in the workforce has grown significantly. Today’s women are getting college degrees which was not common before the mid-twentieth century. More of them than ever are taking jobs that were originally run by men. Many women are going into medicine, engineering, and law which was nearly impossible fifty years ago. Their ability to get into these fields allows them to pursue careers they could never before. However, there is a major gender pay gap. Men are still to this day paid way more than women. Although men have a large impact on our nation’s workforce, women perform job tasks just as effectively, therefore they are completely worthy…

    • 1615 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Women lack a voice who will advocate for them in promoting their abilities and skills to help them accomplish the upward mobility they so desire both in the workplace and in their careers. They are held to a higher standard than men because of their new found independence and drive to be successful. Gender Inequality has been an ongoing problem that has impacted society for many years. Although there are a number of issues associated with the topic, the concept of the glass ceiling and women’s exploitation are important and very real in today’s society. This paper will cover a brief history of gender inequality, the transition of women from home to the workplace, the concept of the Glass ceiling and exploitation amongst women in the workplace…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Within the last century, there has been a phenomenal rise in the percentage of women that make up the American workforce. The relentless battle women faced as they fought their way into a patriarchal work force has subdued since the start of the 21st century, but – is the battle over? Are women now able to enter any field they wish just based on their abilities and skills or are they still inhibited by the previous century’s perceptions of women? Many women argue that this struggle still continues; they feel even in the most professional of working environments, they are constantly stereotyped and possibly discriminated against based on their gender. These discriminations can appear in many different forms and in multiple facets of the workplace.…

    • 1166 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics