Gender Stratification and Inequality

Unspecified Student

School of Humanities and Education, University of the Commonwealth Caribbean

SOC100 Introduction to Sociology

Mr. David Allen

November 21, 2021

 Introduction

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from It” (20

Meaningful Bible verses , 2020). At a young age we are taught to understand the different roles a

man plays versus that of a woman, it wasn’t directly implied by our parents, school and or

society but based on their teachings it was clearly defined. Female roles include care giving,

household duties and being a supportive wife, while male roles include providing for the family

and ensuring it’s safety. It’s from these the initial stages of our development gender stratification

and inequality is imbedded within us. Gender inequality refers to the social rank of an individual

regarding wealth, privilege and power, where men typically inhabit higher status than women

(Claudia & Kyle, 2016). While, gender stratification is a relatively new concept borne of the

feminist perspective in social sciences, especially in sociology, around the 1970s (Emira, 2016).

Which similar to gender inequality can be demonstrated when gender differences give men

greater privilege and power over women, transgenders and gender-non-conformation people

(Sociological Perspective and Gender Stratification , n.d.). This is a global issue, even after many

years of debate still remains our reality.

Construction of Gender Roles and Sexism

Sexism is a main influencer and contributor to gender inequality as by definition it means

prejudicing, stereotyping, or discriminating, solely on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect

anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls (Sexism , 2021)

Gender roles are developed and constructed based on the expectations that groups, families,

societies and individuals have of a person, each society values and beliefs about gender. These

roles are created due to interaction between individuals and their surroundings by providing cues

on what behaviour is appropriate by one’s gender.

 Sociological theory and prospective

“Women care for kids and men responsible for material need” (Gender Inequality - Chapter 10,

2014). The Structural Functionalist perspective of gender inequality was mostly expressed in

the 1940s and 1950s, and was largely developed by Talcott Parson. This theory advocates that

gender inequality was an effective method of forming a social system. Moreover, applies to the

division of labour to predetermine gender roles complementary and as a result contributes to the

stability of society as a whole (Sociological Perspective and Gender Stratification , n.d.).

“Men are the dominant gender, subordinating women in order to uphold power and privilege in

society”. The Conflict Perspective reasons that the only reason these roles persist is because the

dominant group naturally works to maintain power and status. It believes that social problems

are created when the dominant group oppresses the subordinate group. Consequently, their

approach is normative as it prescribes change by advocating a balance of power between men

and woman (Sociological Perspective and Gender Stratification , n.d.).

“Women are socialized into expressive roles; men are socialized into instrumental roles.”

(Gender Inequality - Chapter 10, 2014). Symbolic interactionists perspective, gender

stratification happens due to people acting toward each other on the basis of their interpretation,

interaction and belief of one another. These meanings are derived through social interaction,

which are managed and transformed through an interpretive process that people use to make

sense of the things in an effort to establish their social worlds (Sociological Perspective and

Gender Stratification , n.d.).

 Structural Sexism

Education

“Worldwide women are less likely than men to be literate” (Gender Inequality - Chapter 10,

2014). Initially women were taught and driven to choose marriage and motherhood rather than

getting an education, while men would be pushed into getting a higher education .Over the years

due to constant debates, feminist movements and legal rulings this stereotype has changed

significantly. The graph below shows how this progress is displayed in with the education

system (colleges).

Nevertheless, while there have been broad strides in recent years in equalizing the positions of

women and men, it is still important to be alert to potential discrimination because there is the

real danger of assuming that we have vanquished the demon of sexism in modern education.

(Modern Day Sexism in Education, 2021).

Income & Employment

“Women do the same work for less pay”, typically knows a gender pay gap. In some cases

women with the same level of education will earn, 60% of what men earn. The higher the rate of
females in a tenancy, the lower the wage. The below chart represents the pay gap between the

male and female gender across the United States from 1960 – 2012.

Gender Gap Hypotheses Devaluation Hypothesis argues that the wage gap is as a result of the

males’ work being more valuable when compared to a female’s job which is something that is

socially defined (Gender Inequality - Chapter 10, 2014).

Human capital hypothesis argues that female to male pay differences result from differences in

women's and men's education, skills, training, and work experience. While this might the case

the wage gap continues to reduce reflecting that with equal training, responsibilities and

education both genders should receive equivalent pay (Comparable worth).

Gender Stratification and inequality Cases

The following are actual cases of gender stratification and inequally globally.

1. In a comparable worth lawsuit, nurses successfully sued the City of Denver for paying

them less than other employees (e.g., tree trimmers, sign painters) who had less education

(Gender Inequality - Chapter 10, 2014).

2. The lawsuit alleges that Google pays men more than women for the same work, in

violation of California’s Equal Pay Act, and that Google paid its female employees

nearly $17,000 less per year than male counterparts in the same roles. The women filed
 the suit in 2017, claiming they were put into lower career tracks than their male

colleagues— so-called “job ladders” that resulted in them receiving lower bonuses and

salaries. The women have since left Google (Kim, 2021).

3. CHICAGO – The COVID-19 crisis is exposing huge gaps in our social safety net, and in

this crisis, the persistent gender wage gap means that women, and especially women of

color, are less likely to have the financial resources to weather the storm, and are

therefore more at risk (2020 Equal Pay Day Rally to Shed Light on the Experiences of

Women of Color, 2020).

Conclusion

It can therefore be concluded that there have been tremendous improvements as it relates to

gender inequality and stratification globally. This is evident in efforts like the

International Women’s Bill of Rights (1979) which establishes rights for women in education,

politics, work, law, and family (Gender Inequality - Chapter 10, 2014) and The Equal Pay act

1963, which prohibits discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers .

However, even with these changes there are still several countries with strong cultural practices

that are deeply rooted within its citizen that show little to no changes in regards to gender

equality. As a result, gender stratification and inequality still remain a very stark reality.
 References

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