Blog 12

Reflecting on the concept of occupational segregation we take a look at how men and women are employed in different occupations separating each other according to gender. Women throughout history have been seen as the softer more caring gender which has played to their benefit in role such as nurses, social workers, counselors and daycare providers. Women are seen as being strong in domesticated skills such as cooking, cleaning and sewing which has played to their benefit in such jobs as maids, housekeepers and cooks. Women are seen as the more attractive well manicured gender which has made them candidates for positions such as receptionist, models, sales persons and hairdressers. Men on the other hand are seen as the provider and the problem solvers which has opened up such jobs as CEO’s, Doctors, Politicians and Bank Executives. Men are also seen as being more macho with a rugged exterior which has opened up such positions as construction workers, farmers, mechanics and more labor intense jobs. The big problem here is that we have been reared up in a society that has always classified what is women’s work and what is man’s work and these stereotypes are just not true. Yet when women attempt to break into a career that has been dominated by men they are labeled as butch and the same goes for men who have tried to break into careers that have been dominated by women they are considered soft, girly and at times gay. I find these stereo typing appalling to go so far to label individuals according to the career choice that most appeals to them. If a man chooses to be an artist society can accept that yet if that man choose to express himself artistically through hair and become a hair dresser then some automatically assume that he has feminine side to him and must be gay. We can also look at the women’s side of this. It seems perfectly normal to see a woman used in an advertisement or commercial to sell a car yet it that same woman’s interest in cars swayed more towards the driving and racing of cars then society would look at her as though something was wrong with her. Women are seen as fragile and petite and racing cars is a dangerous career where she could get hurt yet it is completely acceptable for men to do it. A question asked was how can segregation like this exists when there are laws that prohibit sexual discrimination? The problem being is the law is written and yes although it can be enforced by the property authority but it can not force people to change there way of thinking.