Gender and Diversity in the Workplace AECO 380
Dr. Jennifer VanGilder
Definition of Diversity
• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
– Differing from one another
– Composed of different or unlike elements or qualities
Changing Demographics of Population
By the year 2050– 52% Non-Hispanic White (down from 75.1% in
2000)– 25% Hispanic (up from 12.5% in 2000)– 13% Black (up from 12.3% in 2000)– 8% Asian American (up from 3.6% in 2000)– 1% American Indian (Up from 0.9% in 2000)
Diversity Facts
• Minorities now account for 85% for the net growth of the nation’s labor force
• Women now comprise 37% of the labor force
If we divided the world's population by 60 million, there would be 100 humans
of who:
• 57 are Asian • 21 are Europeans • 14 are Hispanics from the Western Hemisphere • 8 are Africans • 51 are females • 70 are non-white • 70 are non-Christian; 30 are Christian
• 6 individuals control 50% of the world's wealth -- all Americans
• 30 are unable to read
• 50 suffer from malnutrition
• 1 is near death and 1 is about to be born
• only 1 has a college education
Facts Continued…
• Over the next 20 years the US population will grow by 42 million people– 47% Hispanic– 22% Black– 18% Asian– 13% White
Diversity…Not a new trend
• Miami is 2/3 Hispanic
• San Francisco is 1/3 Asian American
• California State Bakersfield has minority majority standing
Cultural Lenses
• Rigid Lenses – Stereotypes
• Open Lenses– Interaction
• “An individual may assume they understand another person’s culture, but these assumptions are usually what keep the two apart”
Development of Multiculturalism
• Canadians– Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988– Enacted to recognize and support different
cultures
• Switzerland– Alternative view– Be like us and you can be one of us
Why do we need diversity training?
• Growing Global Marketplace– Opens the door for diversity
• Diversity training can…– Increase Productivity– Decrease Turnover– Reduce Conflict
• All lead to the common goal of what???– PROFIT
Why study diversity?
• Increasing immigration patterns• More women in the workforce
– 40% of women in 1970s worked– 60% of women in the 1990s worked– 72% of women in 2001 worked
• Changes in civil rights legislation– Disabilities– Homosexual and bisexual
Does it make a difference?
• “Diverse teams are more effective and creative in an increasingly competitive economy” Honoring Diversity in the Workplace
• “Development of the future workforce is a critical issue for high tech companies. We must find ways to remain creative and innovative, and diversity of thought is fundamental to creativity.”Rich Templeton, Texas Instruments
Questions to address
• Why has the composition of the labor force been changing so rapidly?
• What are the major diversity issues?
• How can we deal with these issues on a professional level?
Examining the Intersection of
Gender and Work
Powell ix-xx
Women and Work
• Labor Force participation of women has been expanding over the last several decades.
• 1970 study– 15% of surveyed high school senior women
expected they would be working at age 35– Surveyed again at age 35 over 40% of the women
were working – Problems???
• If you don’t expect to work….you will not be prepared to work
Female Labor Force Participation Rates
• Definition:– Percentage of all women working or seeking work
• 43% in the 1970s• 60% in 1998• Almost 72% in 2001
– Lower for married females (almost 61%)• Male labor force participation rates decreased from
80 to 74% during that same period.• Mississippi, Arizona, and West Virginia have the
lowest rates for women
Why the change?
• Are men getting lazy???
• Change in attitudes about women working
• More divorces
• Things cost more money (dual income family)
Women are becoming more numerous in what used to be
labeled “male jobs”•Examples…
•How does this impact society?
Some facts…
• Females comprise– 1% of automobile mechanics– 4% of airline pilots and navigators – 10% of electronic technicians
• Nontraditional employment for women is defined as occupations or fields of work where women comprise less than 25% of the individuals employed.
Nontraditional Job Choice Facts
• More than 80 percent of employed women work in only 5 percent of all jobs
• Women can earn up to 30 percent more plus benefits in jobs dominated by males
The “Female Occupation Formula”
• Occupations which employ 90% women almost always have in common certain characteristics that women seem to find desirable
• Characteristics usually make the wage lower
• What are these characteristics??
1. Ability to Psychologically “check out” at
the end of the day• (cashier vs. lawyer)
2. Physical Safety • (receptionist vs. fire fighter)
3. Indoors • (secretary vs. garbage collector)
4. Low Risk of Job Loss • (file clerk vs. entrepreneur)
5. Desirable or Flexible Hours• (nurse vs. doctor)
6. No Demands to Relocate • (corporate secretary vs. corporate executive)
7. High Fulfillment• (child care vs. coal miner)
8. Contact with People • (hostess vs. trucker)
Blue Collar vs. Pink Collar
• Librarian• Farmer• Cook
• Physical Therapist• Police Officer
• Real Estate Salesperson• Secretary
• Insurance Salesperson• Truck Driver• Radiologist
In-class activity #3• Blue Collar vs. Pink Collar Jobs• Three tasks:
– Identify each occupation as a blue collar job (male job) or pink collar job (female job)
– Include one aspect of that job that brought your group to this conclusion
– Approximate the percentage of that occupation that is the majority gender
• Extra Credit Opportunity for Group– 1 point for identifying blue or pink collar correctly– 2 points for being within 4 percentage points of actual
composition
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