Women in the Workforce

Sariah Patterson

Eng101

Paper 4

12/8/08

“Stereotypes (or "characterizations") are generalizations or assumptions that people make about the characteristics of all members of a group, based on an image (often wrong) about what people in that group are like.” (www.beyondintractability.org). Women are often take advantage of in a stereotyping craze that puts them in a negative role which ultimately puts a male above a female. Yet today, in the workforce, women are overcoming that role by proving themselves by filling the work positions that many men once inhabited. Ultimately, this issue is claiming to be if women should be in the workforce. This idea would considerably aid the ever-persistent force to erase stereotypes from the records of all women.

To begin, the main and extremely important reason to back up the claim of women in the workforce would be because women working would help erase stereotypes between genders. “Women are not exploited enough: they are the world's most under-utilised resource; getting more of them into work is part of the solution to many economic woes, including shrinking populations and poverty.” (www.economist.com). In many other cases, the elements of convention or tradition seem to play a dominant role in deciding which occupations fit in with which gender roles. In the United States, physicians have traditionally been men, and the few people who defied that expectation received a special job description: "woman doctor". Similarly, there were special terms like "male nurse", "woman lawyer", "lady barber", "male secretary," etc. But in the former Soviet Union countries, medical doctors are predominantly women, and in Germany and Taiwan it is very common for all of the barbers in a barber shop to be women. (www.comparestoreprices.co.uk). Also, throughout history, some jobs that have been typically male or female have switched genders. For example, clerical jobs used to be considered a men's jobs, but when several women began filling men's job positions due to World War II, clerical jobs quickly became dominated by women. “It became more feminized, and women workers became known as "typewriters" or "secretaries".” (www.comparestoreprices.co.uk). There are many other jobs that have switched gender roles. Many jobs are continually evolving as far as being dominated by women or men. (www.beyondintractability.org). “The increase in female employment in the rich world has been the main driving force of growth in the past couple of decades. Those women have contributed more to global GDP growth than have either new technology or the new giants, China and India. Add the value of housework and child-rearing, and women probably account for just over half of world output.” (www.beyondintractability.org). Women still get paid less than men and few make it to the top of large businesses and companies, but, as prejudice and stereotyping fades over coming years, women will have great oppurtunities to boost their productivity—and incomes. (www.economist.com). 

The unstated assumption or “warrant” for this argument is as follows: gender stereotypes are corrupted and should be eradicated. People judge others or things not for what or who they really are but what they perceive them to be. Stereotypes are basically generalizations that are made about groups. Stereotyping is especially prevalent -- and problematic -- in conflicts. Groups tend to define themselves according to who they are and who they are not. 

On a more argumentative level, with females working out in the workforce, many women are subjected to stereotyping. But many would agree that this is not so negative as it is to decide what manner of a worker the female is. “Such generalizations are necessary: in order to be able to interact effectively, we must have some idea of what people are likely to be like, which behaviors will be considered acceptable, and which not.” (www.economist.com). There will still be differences between individuals from one culture, and with the same individual in different situations. But the stereotype is reasonably accurate, so it is useful. “Stereotypes are only a problem when they are inaccurate, especially when those inaccuracies are negative and hostile.” (www.beyondintractability.org).

To close, women are overcoming the stereotyping by proving themselves by filling the work positions that many men once inhabited. “The key to reversing negative stereotypes is to contradict them, in direct interactions between people, in the media, and through education.” (www.economist.com). If women could just overcome the stereotyping and gender roles that they are placed into by going out into the workforce and competently fill in those occupations in which they would excel, our economy and world would be that much better and more efficient... for who wouldn’t want a mother, the greatest caretaker of all, to “take care” of our government and economy?

Works Cited:

Gender Roles. 28 November 2008. http://www.ualberta.ca/dept/health/public_html/ healthinfo/decisions/roles.html.

Ioannis Kounadeas. Business Man. 26 November 2008. http://www.fotalia.com

Male/Female Roles. 28 November 2008.  http://www.bookrags.com? researchtopics/ malefemale-roles/sub3.html.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. 20 February 2008. 28 November 2008. 

http://www.leemeiee.files.wordpress.com

Men vs. Women. 25 May 2007. 26 November 2008. 

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/unbranded.html

Rhode, Deborah L. Gender Roles. 25 November 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_n1-2_v39/ai_21136462/pg_1?tag=artBody;co11.html.

“The Importance of Sex.” 12 April 2006. 8 December 2008. Women in the Workforce. 

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6800723

Burgess, Heidi. “Stereotypes/Characterization Frames.” October 2003. 8 December 2008. http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/stereotypes/