Nicole Kramer's Blog
A Blog for GatewayJ206 Reflection
This year, in Gateway II, it has definitely been a work in progress. In this class I was introduced to programs like Final Cut Pro and media tools like the audio and video recorders that I have never used before. I think in the beginning I was not aware of how valuable preparation, and getting organized prior to shooting a piece was. I often found myself getting frustrated in the editing process with not having the desired shots for my project. I learned the importance of reshooting multiple times, filming from different angles, spacing in between questions during an interview, and having the interviewee repeat the questions asked in his or her answer. Also I learned the great importance of picking a topic that can be filmed, photographed, and have people in interview.
Another Gateway II Favorite Media Project
This is a public service announcement for women graduating college and entering the job market. Women need to know the signs of wage discrimination, and what they can do individually in order to guarantee they receive appropriate and equal wages with men. We cannot allow this on going wage discrimination to continue any longer.
Gateway II: Favorite Media Project
This is a video of Maggie Dieringer’s dance performance along with an interview of her history and experiences as a dancer.
Starring: Maggie Dieringer
Filmed, Edited, and Written by: Nicole Kramer
“Make Your Case” Final Essay
Wage Discrimination
In America today, women are still facing unfair wage discrimination.
For the second time since September 2008, a San Diego State University coach has filed a wage discrimination lawsuit against the university. Courtney Bale was a strength and conditioning coach at the university and was paid $9,000 less a year compared to her male coworker. Last year Bale was awarded $150,000 dollars cash to settle the wage discrimination lawsuit. The women’s suffrage movement has made much progress during the history of the United States. By 1963, The Equal Pay Act was passed, which made it illegal for employers to pay a woman less than what a man would receive for the same job, and finally in 2009 President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which allows anyone to file a lawsuit within 180 days of his or her’s last paycheck if a person believes he or she has been wage discriminated. Women are now able to vote, own property, and are considered socially equal to men by most Americans. But are women completely equal? No; women all over the nation, like Bale, are still paid significantly less than men, even with the passing of fair pay laws. This existing problem still continues to fly under the legal and social radar. Some argue that the wage gap is a myth and does not exist, while others beg to differ. Should the United States government create stricter laws that ensure that women are paid as much as men? As a county we pride ourselves as being the land of the equal, and women deserve this right and should be paid equal to men for the same work.
Americans once lived in a time of clear gender roles. Women lived lives of submission to their husbands and were expected to keep to the domestic sphere of their homes. Now that times have changed, women are valued as equal contributors, and some are even heads of the household. With the current state of the economy, women are now more than ever dependent of the income that they provide for themselves and for their families. Currently, for every $1.00 an average man is making, an average woman is making only $.80. If a woman has the same education, experience, and is as qualified as her male counterpart, this wage gap should not hypothetically exist. Unfortunately it still does. In an interview with Katelyn Conroy, she expressed her belief that she was paid less than her male coworker because she believed that her employer did not see her as physically capable to complete all the tasks required for the job of being a lifeguard. Some other reasons for why the wage gap still exists are that women are still not considered “primary breadwinners,” they are hired less frequently in high-wage establishments, they are also given fewer training and mentoring opportunities than male workers, and they are not thought to be fully committed to the job if they have a family at home. Frankly these reasons are just not good enough. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was put in place to ensure that women were paid equally to men, and now in the year 2009, employers should not go unpunished, but still do.
It is evident that there is a large wage gap between men and women in the workplace because women are discriminated against because of their gender; however many argue that this gap does not exist. Through the research of this topic, a recurrent argument is that women have the societal pressure as being the primary caregiver for their families. Many argue that because many women are the caregivers for their own families, they are in and out of the work force more often than men, and go into less pressured, lower-paying professions because they feel the need to balance between home and work life. These are blatant stereotypes that, over time, society have given women. Women should not be financially punished because of these stereotypes, but still are today.
In most of the sources, the experiences of people in the workforce are analyzed as men versus women, and the gender of the person is always the constant. What if it was possible to make gender the interchanging variable? In a study conducted by Kristen Schilt and Matthew Wiswall, people in the workforce who changed their gender were examined. They discovered that a woman who under went the sex change procedure to become a man made on average 1.5% more compared to when the individual was a female. In comparison, a man who became a woman made on average 32% less than he did before he transitioned to be a woman. From this sole study alone, it is apparent that gender is a very large contributor to the wage gap. People with the same work experience, education, and capabilities were paid more if they were a man.
The struggle for wage equality will continue, and as it has done in history, it will slowly and steadily close. Eventually women will be paid equally, but this will be a long, constant struggle. In the near future, the Fair Pay Act will change its process by not putting so many restrictions to file a wage discrimination lawsuit allowing women easier access to seek justice. Laws have been passed for over half a century to ensure that women are not discriminated in the work place based on their gender. As proven before, gender discrimination in the workplace still exists. Laws need to be put in place to prevent lawsuits, and not allow it to get to that point. By the time a woman files a lawsuit; she has already suffered. Statistically it is shown that wage discrimination cases are hard to prove and win in court. Women will always have to combat this struggle to be seen equal to men. Woman can contest and be proactive by negotiating and questioning their salary, and also seek for higher paying jobs. Women need to speak out for themselves, and seek justice for what is rightfully there own. Mohandas K. Gandhi once said, “There is no occasion for woman to consider themselves subordinate or inferior to men.” In those wise words, it is more apparent than ever, that the women of today must take a stand for the equality they deserve.
“Make Your Case” Source Writeup
1. This article, called “Women Face Discrimination in the Workplace” was posted on an educational website about social issues. Specifically this article covers the issue of women being discriminated in the workplace because of their gender. This is a journalistic article that presents the needed facts to cover the topic. This article does make a stance on the issue and argues that because of the expected gender roles in society women are paid less than men. This article is intended for a larger audience to cover a topic for people who know little about the subject, and is funded by the advertisements on the website. This is help with my argument to present the facts and background of the subject. The sources used in this article were by Ida Castro, a writer of feminism, Julie Lowe, a writer of equality in America, and Katha Pollitt, a writer of gender roles in society. Although there was no author listed, the author of this article collectively uses the information from these author’s works to help present the facts of discrimination of women in the workplace. This article was published in 2007 by the Gale Group Inc. on the website Wise to Social Issues. This article was first initially accessed November 11, 2009 and was most recently accessed November 30th, 2009.
Other sources for this article:
- Castro, Ida L. “Women Face Discrimination in the Workplace.” Feminism. Ed. Jennifer A. Hurley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001.
- Lowell, Julie. “Women Face Discrimination in the Workplace.” At Issue: Does Equality Exist in America? Ed. Stuart A. Kallen. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006.
- Pollitt, Katha. “Women Face Discrimination in the Workplace.” Male/Female Roles. Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000.
2. This is an excerpt from the article called “Fighting the Wage Gap” from an organization called “Women Work!”, a national network for women’s employment to close the wage gap and gender discrimination for women in the workplace. This source is funded by the “Women’s Work!” organization and was published on their website in 2007. This organization educates individuals about the wage gap, including how to work with employers to implement fair pay policies, how to fight the wage gap, and advocate for equal pay legislation on both federal and state level. This article will help my argument with statistical information. The audience for this website is geared to women who are experiencing wage discrimination, and to educate them. This article is also intended to spread awareness, and promote change for women. The sources used for this website were the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council of Economic Advisors, AFL-CIO, Institute for Women’s Policy Research, and National Committee. These sources give statistical information to support the organization’s goal to close the wage gap between men and women. This source was accessed on December 1, 2009.
3. This is a journalistic article titled “SDSU Settles Equal-Pay Lawsuit Brought by Coach,” that was published on SignOnSanDiego.com in October 2009 written by Brent Schrotenboer. This article is about a woman, Courtney Bale, who was a strength and conditioning coach for San Diego State University who had filed a lawsuit against the school for gender discrimination. She had a male coworker who she was equally as qualified as him, and had the same job description, and he was receiving a higher pay than Bale. This story emulates a very rare case where a woman was able to win the lawsuit, and will help my argument by providing an example. This story was published on the journalistic website called SignOnSanDiego.com, but was also published in San Diego’s Union Tribune. This article is to be read by people who are interested in politics in the San Diego area, and also for anyone over the Internet. SignOnSanDiego.com and the Union Tribune are mainly funded by advertisements on the webpage, and also in the actual newspaper. The sources used were statements made by Bale, and also statements made by SDSU. These sources are used to emphasis points made in the article by use of a quotation. This article was initially viewed on October 1, 2009 and was most recently viewed December 1, 2009.
4. This is a recording of Solomon W. Polachek’s research titled, “How the Human Capital Model Explains Why the Gender Wage Gap Narrowed.” This paper, written in 2004, describes the different explanations why women are often paid less than men. One very predominant piece of information is found from this paper is that women who are mothers, or bare children are statistically paid less than men. Also race is another to why women are paid less than men. A woman of color is not only wage discriminated not only because she is a female, but also because of her skin color. This paper is more geared to a more academic reader, and is funded by The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn. This is used as preliminary work and is circulated to encourage discussion. Operating as a non-profit institution, it draws financial support from the research from fund raising for its foundation. A reader who seeks for the economical reasons why women are paid less would be more geared to reading this particular research paper. This article was originally accessed November 11th, 2009, and was recently accessed December 1, 2009. (To access this paper, go to iza.org, -> publications -> discussion papers-> search “How the Human Capital Model Explains Why the Gender Wage Gap Narrowed”)
5. This is an article titled “President Obama’s First Signed Bill Restores Essential Protection Against Fair Pay Discrimination,” written by Jonna L. Grossman, a columnist for FindLaw, in February 2009. This is a journalistic article about the newly signed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This article with help my argument because it explains how the act came to be, the issue presented by the act, and the ruling’s effects. The author does give her opinion of the act, and its benefits, though some beg to differ. This is a link to an informational website called FindLaw. FindLaw provides online legal information and Internet marketing solutions for law firms. FindLaw is funded by the advertisements on the web page. This website appeals to people who are seeking legal information or articles written about legal issues. This website, including this article, is available to anyone on the Internet. This article though fails to recognize that some do not think that this law is useful because of its restrictions. The sources used in this article are previous fair pay lawsuits, which include Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co, Bazemore v. Friday, Amtrak v. Morgan, and AT&T v. Hulteen. This was initially accessed November 30th, 2009 and was most recently accessed December 1st, 2009.
6. This is an interesting article about a different viewpoint of the wage gap argument titled, “If Women Were More Like Men: Why Females Earn Less,” written by John Cloud for Time Magazine. This article discusses an interesting study done that women who become men through sex changes are paid significantly more in the same work field, and women who change there sex to be a man are paid more. This article will help my argument because it presents an interesting argument that helps prove the theory that men are paid more then women for the same work. This journalistic article was published in the magazine and on the website in 2008 which is available to many. Time is funded by subscriptions to the magazine, and also from the advertisements on the website. Time is a notable journalistic source, and is well respected, and its views of debatable subjects are often very influential. This article is intended for the readers of Time, and those who are interested in the wage gap argument. The sources used in this are Kristen Schilt and Matthew Wiswall, who conducted the transgender research, and Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn, authors of “The Declining Significance of Gender?” This article was recently accessed December 1, 2009.
7. This is a journalistic article from CNNMoney.com titled, “What the Wage Gap Doesn’t Show Us,” that disagrees with the argument that the wage gap between men and women is based on gender. In this article Jeanne Sahadi, a female herself, argues that the wage gap is because other outlying reasons like that more women choose lower-paying professions than men, they move in and out of the workforce more frequently, or they work fewer paid hours on average. Sahadi is very opinionated about her stance on the topic, and is intended to sway readers to disagree with the generally accepted theory. Although this article disagrees with accepted theory it still honors that other scholars make convincing arguments, and will be used in my paper as a counter argument. This source was published on the website and is intended for readers of the CNN Money website, but is also available to the public. The sources used Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Gary Thornton, a compensation specialist, and two wage discrimination studies preformed by Cornell and Carnegie Mellon universities. The author uses these sources for quotations, and research to prove her argument that the wage gap is not because of gender. This article was most recently viewed December 1, 2009.
8. This is a citizen’s web page called Wagegap.com, which is geared for the sole purpose of educating individuals of the wage gap in America. Zachary Nguyen is an individual who created the web page because he feels that women should get pay the same wage as men for doing the same job position. Among other things he writes about how wage gap discrimination is not just between women and men but also between majority and minority, and also an individuals education level also plays a factor in wage discrimination. This is an interesting take from individual who is just seeking for people to hear his opinion on the subject, and will be used in my argument to provide a view from a citizen. This source provides an interesting take because usually those who fight to end wage discrimination against women and stereotypically women. Although this is a citizen’s post, it is funded by advertisements on the website and was published in 2006. There were no sources, but mainly opinion and personal experiences that are left unnamed. Many of the posting are not only made by the author, but also by citizens who choose to post an article. This source was initially viewed November 11th, 2009, and was most recently accessed December 1st, 2009.
9. This is a counter argument against the wage gap based on gender argument made by Arrah Nielson titled, “Wage Gap is Feminist Fiction” posted on the Independent Women’s Forum. In 2005, Nielson wrote into the forum to argue that it is because of women’s choices that men make more than women. He argues that they choose to lower paying jobs, or are required to work part time to take care of their families, and will be used as a counter argument in my paper. It is ironic that the author posted this article on the Independent Women’s Forum, which is a forum centered around women’s issues, and are typically pro-women, “feminist” writers. Although Nielson makes a strong argument that women make the same if not more then men by giving examples, he only recognizes the very small margin where women are not discriminated. He fails to recognize that the majority of jobs women do make less then men. The Independent Women’s Forum’s audience is of people who are interested in women’s issues, and is an organization funded on donations. The author uses quotations from Warren Farrell’s book, “Why Men Earn More.” This was most recently accessed December 1, 2009.
10. This source is an interview I conducted with Katelyn Conroy on November 26, 2009 on her experience of being wage discriminated because of her gender. Ms. Conroy told of her experience last summer working as a lifeguard at her local community center. Ms. Conroy and her male friend were hired at the same time for the same position, but then realized that she was being paid fifty cents less an hour. She asked her boss why she was being paid less, and he answered that he had more availability then she did. Unfortunately this was not a true statement. When asked if Ms. Conroy was paid less then her male coworker because she was a girl, she strongly agreed. Ms. Conroy believed that because she was working in a male dominated field, which required physical labor, she was paid less because she was perceived to not be as valuable as a man would be in that profession. This is a real anecdote of a woman that was discriminated because of her gender. The only problem using this as a source is that this is only Ms. Conroy’s side of the story, and there are always two sides to every story, but still is a great example of someone who was pay discriminated for my argument.
10 Links
10 Links
This is a link to a website that writes about current social issues. This is a journalistic article that presents the basic needed facts to cover the topic and does not take a stance or an opinion. In this specific article it generally covers the topic of wage discrimination. It compares the wage gap of women and men over several years, and uses statistical analysis comes from the book “Women Face Discrimination in the Workplace.” Specifically it discusses the different variations of the women who are wage discriminated. This source comes from the Gale Co. Inc., and just helps educate viewers of certain debated topics.
2. http://www.womenwork.org/policy/wagedisc.htm
This is a link from an organization source and funded by the National Network for Women’s Employment. This website is about how women can overcome wage discrimination in the workplace. The article first discusses the basic situation for women, and then goes on to explain how women can avoid wage discrimination. The website also gives resources on where women can go to seek support and help if they are a victim of wage discrimination. The audience for this website is geared to women who are experiencing wage discrimination. A source used for this article was “Don’t Work in the Dark: Know Your Rights,” a publication by the DOL Women’s Bureau.
3. http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/02/02/story11.html
This is a journalistic account funded by the Portland Business Journal about the new law passed concerning wage discrimination. The new law passed this year was the Lilly Ledbetter law that allows women to file a complain within 180 days of their issued pay check that they were wage discriminated. This article argues that this new law will inspire new wage lawsuits creating an open the door for lawsuits over personnel decisions made years earlier, often by managers who no longer are with a company or may even be dead. This article is more geared to business owners, and workers because the stance made in the article to more gear to them.
4. http://www2.binghamton.edu/economics/research/working-papers/pdfs/wp04/WP0412.pdf
From the Department of Economics at the State University of New York in Binghamton, this is a recording of Solomon W. Polachek’s research of How the Human Capital Model Explains Why the Gender Wage Gap Narrowed. This paper describes the different explanations why women are often paid less than men. One very predominant piece of information is found from this paper is that women who are mothers, or bare children are statistically paid less than men. Also race is another to why women are paid less than men. A woman of color is not only wage discriminated not only because she is a female, but also because of her skin color. This paper is more geared to a more academic reader, and is funded by the State University of New York in Binghamton. A reader who seeks for the economical reasons why women are paid less would be more geared to reading this particular research paper.
5. http://www.amptoons.com/blog/archives/category/economics-and-the-like/21/the-wage-gap-series/
This is a citizen forum about the wage gap between men and women. Here is a wage gap where bloggers can write in and discuss where they are for or against the wage gap debate. Some topics include: “The Wage Gap is Caused by Men’s Higher Pay for Dangerous Jobs” or “If women really get paid less for similar work, then employers would replace all of the male workers with female workers.” The contributor’s use from well documented statistical analysis, or own personal experience to prove his or her own opinion. This site is a free blog on the WordPress website. This blog is meant for citizens with personal experiences or opinion of the wage gap debate.
6. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012201787.html
This is a journalistic article from the Washington Post. This article is specific to whenthe senate passed the wage discrimination bill in January 2009. This bill had failed just last year, and this was also the first bill that President Obama had signed that he was in favor of. This law was called the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This article also discusses the turmoil that the senators and Lilly Ledbetter had to go through in order to make this proposed bill a law. This article would appeal to those who read the Washington Post also those who specifically are interested in the actions taken by the Senate and President Obama.
7. http://www.iwpr.org/blog/2007/06/supreme_court_steps_backward_i.html
This is a website of the organization for FemChat. FemChat tries to create a voice for women and by women. Their aim is to create a woman’s perspectives to public policy debates, current events, politics, and critical issues facing women and their families. In this article they discuss the flaws and restrictions of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Law. It argues that the 180 days deadline to file a lawsuit of pay discrimination is restricting and unfair. The writer argues that with the 180 days restriction employers are capable of finding ways to hide the proof that they were pay discriminated for the time period. Women who are concerned with the new fair pay law probably read this article.
8. http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/R334_BWStateEconomies2006.pdf
This is a briefing paper of the best and worst state economies which was funded by the organization called the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. This briefing paper where women are wage discriminated the most, and which economies have the smallest wage gap between men and women. It also gives the span of women’s wages across the describing where women make the most and least money, and it also gives the long term and short term trends with the difference between men and women. This briefing is intended for those who are seeking specific information about women’s economic status in comparison to men and women in other states.
9. http://www.wagegap.com/index.htm
This is a citizen’s web page geared for the sole purpose of educating individuals of wage gap in America. Zachary Nguyen is an individual who created the web page because he feels that women should get pay the same wage as men for doing the same job position. Among other things he writes about how wage gap discrimination is not just between women and men but also between majority and minority, and also an individuals education level also plays a factor in wage discrimination. This is an interesting take from individual who is just seeking for people to hear his opinion on the subject.
This is a link to an informational website called Findlaw. FindLaw provides online legal information and Internet marketing solutions for law firms. This page gives a clear definition of what employment discrimination specifically is, and what it entails. It explains was Title VII is and also what the Equal Pay Act is. The website also discusses the state and local laws of employment, and pay discrimination. This website appeals to people who are seeking legal information.
Two Representative Images for Equality of Women in the Work Force
Two Representative Images for Equality of Women in the Work Force
This is J. Howard Miller’s poster for Westinghouse Electric Company, titled “We Can Do It!” This poster was modeled after the Michigan factory worker Geraldine Doyle in 1942.This is poster became a popular campaign to empower women during World War II. The female in the poster often called Rosie the Riveter became a cultural icon that bonded women as equal to men in the work force. Rosie the Riveter represented the American women who worked in war factories during this time, many of who worked in the manufacturing plants that produced ammunition and materials that were necessary for the war. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs and sometimes took the places of the male workers who were in the military. The character today is still considered a feminist icon in the US implying that “We Can Do It” equal to any male coworker or counterpart.
This is a poster for the 2008 campaign for women to be granted equal pay for equal work titled, “Women, like Men Only Cheaper.” This poster was seen at many Lilly Ledbetter rallies. Lilly Ledbetter is a woman who has fronted the fight to make it illegal for women to be paid less than men because of their gender. “Women in the United States still earn only 78 cents on the dollar compared to men more than 45 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963.” This poster embodies the stereotype that Lilly Ledbetter and those who have rallied around the cause are fighting against. The poster’s sarcastic statement and the bluntness catches a reader’s attention, and brings light to the issue that they are fighting for.
10 Event Timeline Assignment
10 Entry Timeline: Equality for Women in the Work Force
- 1848: In Seneca Falls, New York the first women’s rights conference was held. Men and women joined together for equal treatment, and voting rights for women.
- 1903: A group joined together to advocate for equal wage and working conditions for women called The National Women’s Trade Union.
- 1920: The Women’s Bureau of Department of Labor is formed to protect women in the work field by collecting information and promoting good working conditions for women.
- 1935: Mary McLeod Bethune organized The National Council of Negro Women. The CNW was a council of black women that lobbied against job discrimination, racism, and sexism.
- 1961: A report issued by the Commission on the Status of Women documented discrimination against women in the workplace and made specific recommendations for improvement, including fair hiring practices, paid maternity leave, and affordable childcare.
- 1963: The Equal Pay Act was passed which made it illegal for employers to pay a woman less than what a man would receive for the same job.
- 1964: The Civil Rights Act was altered to bar discrimination in employment on the basis of race and sex. Also the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was established to investigate complaints and issue penalties pertaining to the newly altered Civil Rights Act.
- 1970: In the Schultz vs. Wheaton Glass Co. case the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that jobs held by men and women need to be “substantially equal” but not “identical” to fall under the protection of the Equal Pay Act. This meant that an employer couldn’t change the job titles of female workers in order to pay them less than men.
- 1999: The Supreme Court ruled in the Kolstad vs. American Dental Association case that a woman can sue for damages if the anti-discrimination law is violated even if the violation is miniscule.
- 2009: President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which allows victims of pay discrimination to file a complaint with the government against their employer within 180 days of their last paycheck.
5 Additional Links
- This is an article about a female strength and conditioning coach at San Diego State University who filled an unequal pay lawsuit because of sexual discrimination.
- This is an article about six female Wal-Mart employees who filled a lawsuit because of unequal pay and denial of promotions due to their gender.
- This is a forum called the Democratic Underground where women respond and discuss the current issue of unequal pay that is still affecting women today.
- This is a fact sheet listing information related to the topic of unequal pay and rights for women in the work force.
- This is an article of unequal pay in the sports world. Tennis star Venus Williams comments about how the prize money for the female champion at Wimbledon is significantly less than the prize money for the male champion.
These five articles represent the current situation of unequal pay and gender discrimination. Each article represents the different career fields that are still being affected. The struggle for the ending of gender discrimination began in 1848. Although as a country we have made many improvements; it is still not enough. Women are still being faced with inequalities. In typical “male” professions, like a sport star, or training coach, women are still not respected as equally talented individuals of their trade and are still not equally rewarded. Women are also not being rewarded financially for their work, but also are not given promotions because of their gender. It is now the 21st century and there is still a clear boundary that inhibits women’s ability to progress and be rewarded for their hard work.
