Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sphinx.UChicago.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!crsp!gargoyle!sphinx!beth From: beth@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Beth Christy) Newsgroups: net.women,net.politics,net.social Subject: Re: Discrimination against women and statistics Message-ID: <741@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> Date: Thu, 27-Jun-85 10:15:51 EDT Article-I.D.: sphinx.741 Posted: Thu Jun 27 10:15:51 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 29-Jun-85 02:18:47 EDT References: <457@unc.UUCP> Organization: U. Chicago - Computation Center Lines: 46 Xref: watmath net.women:6131 net.politics:9627 net.social:752 From: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann), Message-ID: <457@unc.UUCP>: >In articlefagin@ucbvax.UUCP (Barry Steven Fagin) writes: >>"Actually, many of the factors that contribute to the earnings gap are the >>result of personal choices made by women themselves, not decisions thrust >>on them by bosses. The most important example is marriage." > >One other factor is that women tend to choose occupations with greater >nonmonetary benefits which may compensate for the lower pay scales. That is, >women more often choose occupations which center around helping other people >and cooperating with them (teacher, nurse, secretary, social worker). >The direct gratitude from the helpee satisfies some of the woman's social >needs. > >Men more often find themselves in occupations which either isolate them >from other people, or pits them in anxiety-provoking competition. >Some of these higher paying "men's jobs" are dirty and dangerous as well. > >The fallacy of the equal-pay-for-equal-work idea is that it compares >only the paychecks and level of skill and training required. If we do not >also factor in the safety, pleasantness, and emotional effects of the job, >then this plan is likely to create more unfairness than it rectifies. > > Frank Silbermann Right. We should pay nurses less because it's *so* much more pleasant and rewarding to watch people in agony die than it is to do dirty and dangerous work like resurfacing roads. Earth to Frank, Earth to Frank - methinks you're on the wrong planet. I'm personally *certain* that teachers, nurses and social workers across the nation consider the intangible benefits they get from being asked to give of their very essence *all* the time to *more* than compensate for being only barely able to support themselves and their kid(s). I think this pay scale thing is just hype from the idle rich who have nothing better to do than stir up some fuss for their own amusement. [Editor's note: The above should be read with the heaviest sarcastic tone you can muster.] Get real, Frank. -- --JB All we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.