What Are the Causes of Gender Differences in Types of Jobs?
The gender differences that still exist in the workplace tend to be based upon general issues such as pay and job mobility. However, there are more specific types of gender difference in specific types of job. Reasons such as societal assumptions, perceptions, and misconstrued information commonly cause gender differences in roles connected with leadership, science, law and care-related professions.
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Management
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If you're a female in a management or leadership role, you may be accustomed to people outside of your organization not realizing you're the boss of your team or department when they first meet you or enter your work environment. Once they are aware of this, they then put you under pressure to prove yourself by asking you how you got your job and what you know of the industry. As a society, we have not been used to seeing women in positions of power and authority -- be it in business or another context -- because it is males who typically fill such roles.
Math and Science
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In jobs connected with math and science, such as information technology roles, women do not enjoy as much job mobility as their male counterparts. One possible reason for this is that research findings revealing discrepancies between male and female developmental capabilities in the study of math and science have led some people to believe that women have less mathematical and scientific ability in general.
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Legal
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According to the report "Women in the Legal Profession: Taking Advantage of Our Differences," gender differences in the legal profession tend to be perceived rather than real. Although women feel they are at a disadvantage to men when it comes to finding a first job within the sector, this is not necessarily the case. The cause of this misconception may be that the language used in the advice to job hunters within the profession is somewhat aggressive. Therefore it comes across as if it's implying that typical male characteristics and behavior are more successful in landing a legal job than behavior associated with females.
Nursing
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In some professions, it is the male who is at a disadvantage because of gender differences. In nursing, although the percentage of male nurse practitioners is increasing, they are still very much in the minority and find it more difficult to be accepted and taken seriously as nurses than women do. This could be because the nursing profession, and indeed all care-related professions, requires characteristics that are traditionally associated with females. These characteristics include gentleness, compassion and empathy.
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References
- "Journal of Managerial Issues"; Gender Differences in Pay Satisfaction and Pay Expectations, TJ Keaveny; Fall 2000
- Barbara Annis and Associates Inc: Gender Differences in the Workplace
- "The New York Times"; Gray Matter and Sexes: A Gray Area Scientifically, Natalie Angier and Kenneth Chang, January 2005
- Bush Ross: Women in the Legal Profession--Taking Advantage of Our Differences; Amanda K. Bennett, Esq., et al.
- The Center for Nursing Advocacy: Girlie Men? Manly Girls? The Governator and Nursing's Gender Issues
- Photo Credit Dynamic Graphics Group/Dynamic Graphics Group/Getty Images
