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From: susan@vaxwaller.UUCP (Susan Finkelman)
Newsgroups: net.women,net.politics
Subject: Re: Comparable worth
Message-ID: <286@vaxwaller.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 24-Jun-85 13:34:10 EDT
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Posted: Mon Jun 24 13:34:10 1985
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> Actually, the fallacy of comparable worth is that it ignores -- I hate to
> say it -- supply and demand.  Supply:  especially, the regrettable facts
> that women choose "women's work" jobs because 1) it is considered "women's
> work", and thus social pressure moves women to take those jobs; 2) the
> jobs may be considered "better" because it is assumed, rightly or wrongly,
> that (e.g.) nursing serves humanity better than (e.g.) garbage collecting,
> and women may (probably due to our culture) value compassion more than men;
> 3) girls are discouraged from certain subjects (math) and encouraged to
> do well in others; etc., etc., etc.
> 
> Discrimination probably does cause part of the wage gap, but -- there must
> be a better way.
> 			--Paul V. Torek, Iconbuster-in-chief

There seems to be an adequate supply of auto workers, who are paid very
well.  There always seem to be construction workers laid off, yet, they
also are paid well.  There is a growing shortage of grammar and high
school teachers.

Supply and demand is as simplistic as the rest of the arguments
about men's & women's work.  
			Susan Finkelman