User:Amandeep110/sandbox

There are a number of sociological factors that need to be considered when seeing why women may get paid less. For example, it seems that women tend to partake in lower paying roles and capacities, where job security is also inferior to the types of security men witness (Congress). For example, in Canada it is shown that women are more likely to take up such employment opportunities, which greatly contrasts with males of the nation. About 20 percent of women between the ages of 25 and 54 will make just under $12 an hour in Canada. The demographic of women who take up jobs paying less than $12 an hour also a proportion that is twice as large as the proportion of men taking on the same type of low-wage work (Congress). There still remains the question of why such a trend seems to resonate throughout the developed world. One identified societal factor that has been identified is the influx of women of color and immigrants into the work force. These groups both tend to be subject to lower paying jobs from a statistical perspective. Not to mention, women of color and immigrants often face a lack of protection by the government, from exploitative employers. These women who are immigrants or of color often have lesser access to education than their male counter parts. For instance, a women may come from a heavily patriarchal society in the lesser developed world, and wasn't socialized into an educational system when she was growing up. By the same token, her brothers and/or husband may receive the absolute opposite treatment. Upon her arrival to the developed world, by default she becomes a less viable candidate than her male counterpart, helping to explain how socially driven the gap is (Congress).

Another social factor, which is related to the aforementioned one, is the socialization of women. Since women are not as encouraged to take on higher education and more challenging jobs, a male dominated society tends to relegate women to domestically-oriented work. For example, statistical data will show that women often find themselves taking on work that somehow relates to housekeeping, child rearing and care taking for the elderly. Not to mention, a lack of social support for maternity and menstrual cycles make it difficult for women to obtain high demand work, as employers that are more demanding tend to be less likely to hire an individual who may be interrupted by natural cycles (Congress). For instance, higher demand work may require employees to stay longer hours, or to commit to projects over long periods of time. If a woman has been socialized to feel solely responsible for her children, she may not be willing to work longer hours. By the same token, her choice to be with her children may also keep her from making deeper long-term commitments to jobs and projects. As a result she is more likely to be deprived of the same opportunities that a male is more likely be able to take up (Congress). Thus the social expectation that has been set for women is one encourages bearing and raising children. By the same token, men are socialized to be bread-winners. These modes of socialization predispose the preferences of men and women, where women end up in career situations where they are more likely to get paid less than men.

Congress, C. L. (n.d.). Women in the Workforce: Still a Long Way from Equality. Retrieved November 23, 2012, from Canadian Labour Congress.