The Wage Gap Between Men And Women

Letty Cottin, an American author and journalist once said, “When men are oppressed, it's a tragedy. When women are oppressed, it's tradition.” This quote alone is so very powerful for both men and women. For some it may cause a sarcastic reaction and not a second thought. For others, it may speak deeply and open eyes. The idea of inequality between men and women has been an issue for many years in the United States and all over. This issue is one that is caused by stereotypes and gender roles given to both men and women. A clear example of inequality in the United States that is the wage gap between men and women. It is known and proven that women simply do not get paid as much as men. Some believe that this is caused by simple discrimination

So how exactly is this still possible? Well it can be shown that early-on gender roles & stereotypes given to men and women at young ages can affect their future decisions and ambitions. However, males can be affected by gender roles in a very stereotypical way, “Girls tend to conform less strictly to gender-role stereotypes than do boys, possibly because there is greater pressure from parents and teachers for boys to adhere to the masculine role”(Gender Roles and Gender Differences). The stereotype in this fact itself is the idea of men having to fall behind the masculine role. What exactly does masculine mean? According to dictionary.com, the definition of masculine is having qualities or appearance traditionally associated with men, especially strength and aggressiveness. As both sources claim, in society masculinity is associated with men, and it can be described as courageous or macho. So why exactly are men and not women raised to be courageous or macho? This gender role taught so early on on the lives of children, affect their viewpoints and abilities as they get older. Young girls are taught to run to a brother, uncle or father when they are frightened or worried. They are taught to run to the more “masculine” person, because they are not taught that they too can be courageous. This slight difference in the lessons taught to children truly can affect their success in the

A source states, “Parental characteristics influence gender typing in terms of the role models that are available for the child to imitate. Parental power has a great impact on sex typing in boys, but not in girls; femininity in girls is related to the father's masculinity, his approval of the mother as a role model, and his reinforcement of participation in feminine activities”(Gender Roles and Gender Differences). This source states that young girls are influenced mostly by their fathers and how their fathers treat their mothers. If a young girl often sees her mother being disrespected by her father, she may grow up to believe that she too deserves that treatment. To them that can be seen as “normal” or expected in their future spouse. They can learn that any man in their life, whether it’s a spouse, boss or friend contains the more dominant role. This can also affect the young men. If they often see their father controlling or disrespecting their mother, they may grow up to believe that all women deserve to be treated that way. This stereotype that women must be compliant and submissive is a very common one among society