Sexism in the Workplace
Sexism is definitely alive and well in today’s society. Women earn a lower wage for performing the same job as a man. As a woman starts to succeed and be rewarded through promotions and larger salaries, she is defined by her sexual aura or more specifically the loss of that aura; where a man in the same instance is perceived as motivated, driven and successful. According to the online dictionary by Merriam-Webster, sexism is described as “Prejudice . . . especially against women” (Merriam-Webster). Sexism is sexism, it is more prevalent for the male to get the upper hand and the female is the one being discriminated against. But the street is not just one way; sexism is an equal-opportunity discriminator. In today’s culture in the United States, women are still fighting for equality in the workplace.
Today women are more successful than in the past. But, according to Ph.D. Heather Haveman, a professor at U.C. Berkeley, the gap between women that hold upper management positions compared to men that hold upper management positions is a cultural issue. She also states: “If the root cause of the vertical gender gap in management is culture, then corporate or public policies that seek to reduce this gap must focus on culture. In general, to change culture, you have to change peoples hearts and minds. Therefore, culture is arguably the hardest thing to change through policy (Beresford).” She also talks about how people are unwilling to pay for something if they are not going to benefit from it. The current status will continue to perpetuate, and expand, upon itself continuing to hold women back while men succeed.
The Equal Rights Amendment, ERA, was introduced into every session of Congress between 1923 and 1972, when it was passed and sent to the states for ratification. The seven-year time limit in the ERA 's proposing clause was extended by Congress to June 30, 1982, but at the deadline, the ERA had been ratified by 35 states, leaving it three states short of
Today women are more successful than in the past. But, according to Ph.D. Heather Haveman, a professor at U.C. Berkeley, the gap between women that hold upper management positions compared to men that hold upper management positions is a cultural issue. She also states: “If the root cause of the vertical gender gap in management is culture, then corporate or public policies that seek to reduce this gap must focus on culture. In general, to change culture, you have to change peoples hearts and minds. Therefore, culture is arguably the hardest thing to change through policy (Beresford).” She also talks about how people are unwilling to pay for something if they are not going to benefit from it. The current status will continue to perpetuate, and expand, upon itself continuing to hold women back while men succeed.
The Equal Rights Amendment, ERA, was introduced into every session of Congress between 1923 and 1972, when it was passed and sent to the states for ratification. The seven-year time limit in the ERA 's proposing clause was extended by Congress to June 30, 1982, but at the deadline, the ERA had been ratified by 35 states, leaving it three states short of
Cited: Francis, Roberta W. Equal Rights Amendment. 2013. 24 April 2013 . Haveman, Heather A. and Beresford, Lauren S. "If You 're so Smart, Why Aren 't You the Boss? Explaining the Persistent Vertical Gender Gap in Management." The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 639 .114 (2012): 114-130. Gray, Kaili Joy. Daily KOS. 7 March 2013. 24 April 2013 . Merriam-Webster . 2013. 24 April 2013 . Oakley, Judith G. "Gender-based Barriers to Senior Management Positions: Understanding the Scarcity of Female CEOs." Journal of Business Ethics (2000): 321-334.