Summary: We all work in an economy marked by occupational sex
segregation. That is, men and women typically work in different
occupations. American Men, for instance, are overrepresented as
auto mechanics and airline pilots, while American women are
overrepresented as preschool teachers and nurses. But why is
occupational sex segregation a problem? When I bring this issue
up in class, my students often counter rather quickly that
segregation is merely the result of a gendered role
specialization and doesn't inherently denote inequality.
However, the fact is that men segregate into higher paid
professions than women. Also, while women often report
experiencing a glass ceiling, which refers to an invisible
barrier to promotion, men who take positions in fields dominated
by women report just the opposite. They face a glass escalator,
or pressure to move up in their chosen professions (Williams
1992). In short, occupational sex segregation is a bad deal for
women. It is less about role specialization and more abo