Dimensions Of Inequality: Life Chances And Gender

Question 1

What is Hakim’s explanation of the gender pay gap?

Answer 1

Refers to 2 types of occupational segregation and suggested that there are 2 types:
Horizontal segregation- men and women are concentrated in different types of jobs in different sectors of the economy (in the public sector, women are mainly in health and social work/education- made up 79/73% of workforce in 2006

Vertical segregation- women occupy the lower levels of pay and status in particular jobs (glass ceiling)
-BBC found women made up 17% of the top ranks in the police

Question 2

What is the functionalist explanation of gender stratification in employment?

Answer 2

• parsons assumed the difference between sexes was innate due to the instrumental role of males and expressive roles of females
• men are more fitted to goo out and physically/ mentally work hard to provide economic support
• natural though socialisation
• Human capital- pay gap reflects the fact that that men have more as they have greater orientation towards paid work, suggests women at less committed to paid work and are more likely to take career breaks or go into paid time work.
  -men are able to build their skills/ qualifications due to being less likely to have career breaks

Question 3

What is a criticism of the human capital theory?

Answer 3

• Walby 2004- data from a longitudinal British household panel survey
• pay gap ‘ systematic disadvantage in acquiring human capital’, e.g pay in lower occupations where there is a high concentration of women - these occupations provide lower training opportunities and fewer promotions

Question 4

What does Edgell argue about the home?

Answer 4

interviewed MC couples and found that:
Decisions made by men- moving house, finance, car

Decisions made by women:
- interior decoration, food/domestic spending, children’s clothes

Question 5

What is Barron and Norris’s dual labour market theory?

Answer 5

• gender inequality and stereotypes lead to employment of men and women in different segments of the labor market characterised by various incomes

Primary sector- consists of secure, well-paid jobs with good job prospects

Secondary sector- characterised by poor pay, insecurity and no. Ladder of promotion

Question 6

What is Hakims preference theory ?

Answer 6

• examined gender and work from across the world
• argues reliable contraception, equal opportunities legislations, the expansive of white collar and part- time jobs increase lifestyle choices given to women
• 20% women prefer not to be in employment because of family life
• 60% women want to combine family and paid work- children are main priorities
• 20% women see careers or involvement in public life as their priority- women without children are concentrated in this category

Question 7

What is Sue Sharpe’s external explanation of gender differences in education?

Answer 7

• how girls see themselves and where they can go in future can have a significant impact on their education
• girls’ prioritise in the 1970s were loved and marriage, whereas in the 1990s, this changed to careers and independence
• result of feminism
• if girls are able to have ambitions that are realistic, that provides them with more motivation to work hard in school- better grades

Question 8

Give facts to show that women are healthier than men?

Answer 8

• women are major users of health services and spend more years in poor health with disability compared to men:
• women visit the doctor 50% over age 16
• report more head and stomach aches, high blood pressure, weight problems
• consume more prescription
• visit doctors for conditions such as insomnia and depression

Question 9

What did the Black report estimate about gender and premature death?

Answer 9

• female morality is rarer- this could belinked to women’s\ weaker ties with the labour market
• however, the black report 1980 estimated the premature death rate amongst people in disadvantaged social classes was 2.5 higher than those in advantaged classes