Discussion Response 2.17.09 Gender Stratification in America

Feb. 17 2009- I attended an open discussion conducted by USF St.Pete Anthropology Professor Kathryn Arthur. The topic discussed was gender stratification in America. Charts from the National Science Foundation, (dating from the 1960s to 2006), reveal that women are exceeding the number of men who hold University degrees in sciences, social sciences and non S&E. Men, however, still outweigh the number of women who hold engineering jobs (54,821 to 13,300).
Why is it that women have more degrees in sciences than engineering?

I think that women have a tendency to lean towards degrees in social sciences (79,350- the largest of any science category) because the subject matter of social science allows them to relate the history of women's struggle for gender equality.

The most shocking information discussed in this lecture was the gender pay gap in our country. The pay gap between men and women has been a sort of invisible issue to me because I've never experienced earning less than my male co-workers. Statistics of the pay gap in ink came to me like a slap in the face. "One year after college, female graduates working full time earn only about 80 percent as much as male graduates earn. After accounting for all factors known to affect wages, about one quarter of the gap remains unexplained and may be attributed to discrimination... Ten years after graduation, women working full time only earn about 69 percent as much as men working full time earn."

We dicussed ways to close the pay gap:

• Negotiate more! It's more likely for women to take the first salary offer, whereas men tend to negotiate a higher salary.
• Do research on salary before interview. (To make sure you know what you should be getting paid).
• The private sector needs to mandate and ensure equal pay. For example, the state of Minnesota keeps track and ensures, through research and periodical statistics, that men and women are being paid the same for state jobs.
• Maternity leave needs to be mandated so that women are ensured a job after they have babies.