Question

(a) In relation to the position of women in the labour market, distinguish between the

terms ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ segregation.

(b) Compare and contrast person-centered and situation-centered explanations of women’s disadvantage in the labour market.

Answer 1

a) Gender segregation in employment refers to the unequal distribution of men and women in the occupational structure which is known ‘occupational segregation by gender.
1. Vertical segregation’ means the clustering of men at the top of occupational hierarchies and of women at the bottom.
Whereas Horizontal segregation’ is the fact that at the same occupational level that is within occupational classes, or even occupations themselves men and women have different job tasks.
2) Both are contributing to the gender inequality gender pay gap in labour market.
3) horizontal segregation is known as ‘the under-representation or over-representation of a given group in occupations or sectors not ordered by any standards.
4) An example of horizontal segregation can be found in construction, where men make are in majority of the workforce, whereas childcare is almost exclusively a female occupation.
5) Occupations employing the largest numbers of women are the following:
Sales persons and demonstrators in malls, shops etc, Helpers domestic and Cleaners and Launderers, Personal care such as baby sitting, nursing and related workers, other office clerks, administrative, human resources associated professionals, housekeeping and restaurant services workers etc.
6) Vertical segregation denotes the situation whereby opportunities for career progression for a particular gender within a company or sector are limited.
7) Vertical and Horizontal segregation can have serious impacts on occupational segregation in terms of the risks to which the different genders are exposed.
6) Occupations employing the largest numbers of men are the following:
Drivers, Doctors, Building frame and related trade workers, managers of small enterprises, building finishers and related trades workers, physical and engineering science technicians, machinery mechanics and fitters etc

b. Some employers stereotype women as weak, emotional, and submissive, while they view men as aggressive, decisive, and strong. Women are not able to move up into higher paid positions as easy as men. Some industries have more inequality than others, and to the extent which it occurs can differ greatly. In the workplace the men usually hold the higher positions and the women often hold lower paid positions such as secretaries etc.
Issues faced in gender inequality and disadvantages are the following:
1. Inequality in pay : men are paid more compared to women in many industries
2. Sexual harrassment : according to surveys many cases has been reported in the workplace including verbal and physical assault
3. Expose to racism : unfortunately many industries pay more to white ethnic women than other races.
4. Less opportunity for promotion as compared to men : despite being educated more than men , women still have less opportunity for promotion. One among many reasons was the lack of female role models in the workplace (i.e why women aren’t moving into higher-up executive-type roles).
5. Fear or struggle to ask for hike in pay : the issue of unequal pay, fear of discussing money is an issue that affects women more significantly than men. Negotiating pay is often viewed as being greedy or desperate, which leads to hesitation when it comes to asking for their worth in the workplace for women.

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