Occupational Ghettos: The Worldwide Segregation of Women and Men - Paperback

by Maria Charles (Author), David B. Grusky (Author)

The last half-century has witnessed dramatic declines in gender inequality, evidenced by the rise of egalitarian views on gender roles and the narrowing of long-standing gender gaps in university attendance and labor force participation. This development, while spectacular, has been coupled with similarly impressive forms of resistance to equalization, most notably the continuing tendency for women to crowd into female "occupational ghettos." This book answers the important questions: Why has such extreme segregation persisted even as other types of gender inequality have lessened? Why is segregation especially extreme in precisely those countries that appear most committed to egalitarian reform and family-friendly policies?

Front Jacket

The last half-century has witnessed dramatic declines in gender inequality, evidenced by the rise of egalitarian views on gender roles and the narrowing of long-standing gender gaps in university attendance and labor force participation. This development, while spectacular, has been coupled with similarly impressive forms of resistance to equalization, most notably the continuing tendency for women to crowd into female "occupational ghettos." This book answers the important questions: Why has such extreme segregation persisted even as other types of gender inequality have lessened? Why is segregation especially extreme in precisely those countries that appear most committed to egalitarian reform and family-friendly policies?

Back Jacket

Twenty-first century women work in offices, shops, and even factories at rates almost as high as men's. Yet most women are still under men when it comes to pay, authority, and autonomy. Charles and Grusky document the tenacity of gender inequality and the crucial role that occupational segregation plays in perpetuating it.--Michael Hout, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley
"With great technical proficiency, Charles and Grusky lay bare the patterns of occupational segregation shared by all affluent economies: women are over-represented in nonmanual (and men in manual) jobs but in both sectors men still hold better jobs. Everyone who theorizes about gender and class should study these authors' insights."--Paula England, Stanford University

Author Biography

Maria Charles is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, San Diego. David B. Grusky is Professor of Sociology at Stanford University.