Are women being faced with discrimination in the job and consumer market?

“It is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information” (United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2002). However, according to the standards set by our society today, women still find themselves stereotyped as being the “less privileged” gender and are mistreated and also misunderstood because of this. During the development of this essay, it will be argued that our society is indeed unjustified in the way they go about treating women in the job and consumer markets. (this argument is inductive) Even though it is prohibited by law to discriminate against women by the US EEOC, primary investigators conducting studies with PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science), found that although female applicants are more likeable, young men were preferred for entry level management positions, and were offered higher salaries than young women in the same field. In this study young men were seen as the gender that is more deserving of mentoring and were perceived to be more competent than females. (this argument is inductive) The finding of this study clearly indicates that society is introducing a high level of biasness to the job market as it relates to women and the way they are perceived to perform job oriented tasks. From my professional experience there are women in various organizations who are just as competent or in some instances who are even more competent than their male counterpart in the same field. It is therefore very ironic that in these modern times when we are trying so hard to create equal opportunity for both genders, that these unpleasant circumstances still plague our society and affect our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, doctors, professors and teachers to name a few. (this argument is deductive) A similar study conducted by the American Association of University women found that although women have gains, stereotyping and cultural biases are still lowering their success in science, technology, engineering and math (the so-called STEM fields). This study showed that among youths who are proficient in mathematics; “sixth and seventh graders who scored 700 on their math SAT, thirty years ago, the boys outnumbered the girls by a ratio of 13 to 1, but in recent times it is only 3 to 1” (The New York Times, 2012). (this argument is deductive) The results of this investigation clearly demonstrates that there are no biological models to support or explain why men are perceived to be “hard-wired” more intelligent than women and therefore nothing really prevents women from performing just as good as men in the STEM fields. There is definitely not any evidence to support the classic argument that men are more intelligent by virtue of biology because the time frame for the significant gains as indicated by this study of women is too short to be considered as an evolutionary neurological change, but instead it may well be a psychological advancement on the part of women and the way they have empowered themselves with the right tools of the educational system to excel in whatever career they chose to pursue. (this argument is inductive)
In the consumer market, specifically the automotive retail industry, “women buy 60% of all new cars and 53% of used cars, and spend over 300 billion on used cars and keeping them running” (CBS.com, 2009). If the statistics quoted above is indeed accurate why then are women being treated badly and with condescension when they arrive at car dealerships? The only obvious answer has to do with the way society view women as they relate them to the classic cliché that women know very little or nothing about cars. Women are therefore given mediocre sales speeches by the more macho type sales representative (who in this case can be male or female) that generally misunderstand and misrepresent the female demographic. (this argument is inductive) In our society today the increase in the consumption of consumer goods among the female demographic is because of this group’s rise in income and level of education. According to a study carried out by Huffington Post, “women have a 60% greater likelihood of procuring a Bachelor’s degree than their male counterpart” (eHow.com, 2011). This important bit of information is evidence that society has to make some well needed adjustments in the way they perceive and treat women on a holistic point of view. (this argument is deductive) In conclusion, it is without a doubt that in the years to come women will take up their role as the pillars of our societies. Women are the demographic who have the responsibility of giving birth and are the main care givers in the lives of the children which they bare, and as such they deserve the love, respect, support and admiration associated in light of that fact. Therefore in a world of so many technological advancements, it would be a shame if we continue to stereotype females of our society, to the extent where it limits them from reaching their full potential. (this argument is deductive)