Sexism In The Workplace Essay

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Sexism in the Workplace
Introduction
From the United States very first school house, all the way to present day education, one thing has set teachers apart. One thing has determined what they can and cannot do, what they can and cannot wear, how much money they make and how much respect they will get. This one massive determining factor comes down to something so simple, yet it has such a great impact on how a person is treated in the workplace. Sexism in the education field, sets completely different standards for how men and women are treated, and what is expected of them.
Historical Overview:
Women have always been seen to be great teachers. When the word “teacher” is mentioned, most people automatically think of a woman. Being a teacher …show more content…

Although it may have not been seen as a problem at the time, sexism in the workplace, has been an issue from the very start. America’s earlier schools, in the 1900’s, set rules for their educators. These rules were usually set by male superintendents, over-seeing teachers, both male and female. These rules were set in place, to try and maintain a professional appearance. While some of these rules applied to men as well, unfortunately, several of these rules were directed towards women and greatly limited their freedoms. Some of these rules stated that women could not be courted or even get married, they were not to be seen in a carriage or car that was driven by anyone other than their father or brother, they could only wear dresses or skirts that stopped right above the ankle, they could not dye their hair and they could not smoke cigarettes (RULES OF CONDUCT FOR TEACHERS 1915). Most of the educators nationwide were females. While there were some males, female educators, were preferred over males. Women were seen as more compliant with the strict rules and …show more content…

Unfortunately, the situation does not improve. In the education field, women occupy 70% of the jobs for middle school and high school teachers. A man and a women doing the exact same job and working with the exact same age group, should receive equal payment, but they do not. According to a CNN report, “male teachers earn a median of $1,096 a week, whereas women earn $956—about 87 cents to the man’s dollar.” *(Litwin, A.). It is said that race and sex are not a determining factor for a formal salary, whether it is in public or private school, but salaries differ from teacher to teacher once other characteristics are weighed out. “Male public school teachers earn between 10 to 13 percent more than females, on average, and a little more than half of this difference is accounted for by differences in the characteristics of male and female teachers. The remainder of the difference may be due, in part, to differences in the labor markets for males and females.” Meaning, men are paid more based on their temperament, personality or traits, not based on their teaching ability. Women are also paid less if they are married because it is assumed and accepted that if a woman is married, her husband will make more money and will be able to help support her (The Patterns of Teacher

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