Income inequality is a major ongoing problem in the United States of America. The American Dream started out as everyone being able to have equal opportunities. In many ways this has never been completely true, because there has always been some sort of inequality occurring. Inequality comes in different forms, race, gender, social classes are just a few. Gender inequality is one of the major inequality problems being faced by women today. The unequal opportunities in the work place woman face from day to day has put a strain on their American dream. Although inequality may be viewed as a natural cause of the sex gender system, it is actually the result of false consciousness. Women are academically inclined to perform the same duties as men.
According to the Forbes article “Who Is Really Keeping Women Back in The Workplace?” by Neale Godfrey, women are not getting promotions or equal pay as men in the work place. Women today are paid 83 cents for every dollar a man earns. Women are less likely to receive promotion to manager positions during their early career stages versus men, who are promoted at a 30 percent higher rate.
Even though in the “National Center for Educational Statistics” women are more educated than men, this is looked passed in this promoting progress. Women earn more than half of the bachelor’s degree (57.1%), master’s degree (59.9%), and doctorate degrees (51.8%). Women are often criticized when they request for a high pay or a similar amount that male employees earn. This causes women to become discouraged and eventually drop out according to reports from the Gallup, labor rates for women in 2000 decreased from 59.9% to 56.7% by 2015. This unfair workplace environment leads to the wage gap between men and women, which effects a woman’s American Dream.
Gender inequality effects the entire United States government. Gender inequality will increase poverty, because production will decrease and there will be less incomes in homes, which then decreases the tax revenues as well. For the government this is not good news. This will impact the supply and production system, demand and consumption system, and affect savings and investment. The government will have to come up with tactics to reduce the impact of gender inequality.
The first step toward eliminating genders inequalities in the work place is bringing awareness to the problem. Educating the management team who are in charge of pay rate and placement, will bring a more conscience perspective with gender inequality. A number of policies and state legislations have been put in place to protect women against gender inequality in the workplace in many states across the United States.
Gender inequality is not only occurring in the United States, it is global. Studies from the “UN Women Report” states that only 50% of working age women are represented in the labor force, while men are at a whooping 76%.
Why is this occurring universally? Conflict theorists believes gender inequality is just a tactic to maintain power and privilege, not caring about the expense of women. Throughout history men have always been the dominant gender or the bread winner, taking on roles that viewed them as supreme. Women on the other hand play the submissive role in society. Men are taught early on in life to be goal oriented, and to focus on the relationship of the family to outside societal structures. Women on the hand, are taught to be express themselves emotionally and to be aware of others emotions as well.
Order theorist believes that gender inequality is inevitable from several perspectives. They believe it is impossible to achieve an equal society because naturally from hormones, DNA, and genetic makeup. All these attributes to the difference between men and women, making it impossible for them to be equal.
Even though women have made much process in ending income inequality in the workplace. There is still much more that needs to be done to shift the perspective of many, who believes that men obtain higher earnings. Some may believe that this inequality is natural, while other believes that this views were taught and instilled within society to keep man in power.
