Examining the Gender Wage Gap

Some say the days of inequality of the sexes are far gone. However, sexual harassment is prevalent in our workplace, women are still looked down upon for taking maternity leave, and homemakers are still considered second class citizens. The long lasting effects of sexism can also be seen in the still present gender wage gap. Data was collected which asked respondents their opinions on how well they gained foundational skills in their major, how much occupational prestige they feel they have, and their income. The only variable was gender. Below this data is analyzed based on the statistically significant relationships found through t scores

The first statistically significant relationship that can be seen is found in the foundational skills index. This index measures the skill level which the respondent felt they attained in their major. The major which was rated lowest for preparing respondents with skills was Political Science, for both sexes. The highest level of proficiency for respondents was different for men and women. Women thought they gained the most from the Economics major while men felt they gained high skill levels in Psychology.

The first statistically significant relationship is found here. Women rated Psychology far lower in providing them with skills than men did. Perhaps the reason women rated Economics so highly and men rated Psychology high is based of stereotypes society holds of men and women. These stereotypes provide that women are not good with numbers and math, while men are not concerned with things such as talking and emotions. These stereotypes may play out here when women adapt the stereotype to their own situation and think that Economics was something was brand new to them; that it is something they were not good at before they received an education.

No statistically significant relationships were present in occupational prestige. However, women did rate the prestige of their occupations higher than men in all fields except Anthropology. This makes sense considering the fact that these social science fields are typically thought to be filled by profession, educated women. Perhaps men rated Anthropology higher in prestige because it is the social science which is thought to be the most concrete and "scientific" because it studies artifacts. These ideas once again perpetuate stereotypes of a "woman's work" in society.

The second statistically significant relationship occurs when respondents are asked to report their income. Across all majors statistically significant relationships were found between income and gender. This illustrates the still present gender wage gap. On average, men reported making up to $13,700 more than women in the field of Sociology. Even the smallest gap of $8,660 in the field of Economics is discouraging. This data proves that the gender wage gap is still in effect.

There are statistically significant relationships that suggest that the gender wage gap still exists. In addition, we have seen stereotypes of gender perpetuated through how respondents rate their major's prestige and ability to prepare them for the work world. It occurs across a variety of fields and occupations. It is a problem that must be rectified if we are ever to rid our society of sexism.