The Gender Wage Gap

Introduction

Thirty five years ago, President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, making it illegal to pay men and women employed in the same establishment different wages for “substantially equal” work.  At that time, the ratio of women’s to men’s average pay was about 58 percent. 

Although the gap between women and men’s wages has narrowed substantially since the signing of the Equal Pay Act in 1963, there still exists a significant wage gap that cannot be explained by differences between male and female workers in labor market and experience and in the characteristics of jobs they hold.  The long standing differences in the average pay of men and women in the labor market are the result of many different components.  Some differences are; labor market experience, characteristics of the jobs, and differential and discriminatory treatment of women by employers and co-workers.

  Gender discrimination may take a variety of forms, from practices that reduce the chances that a woman is hired to differences in pay for men and women who work side by side doing the same tasks equally well.  

There are a variety of theories about how and why women face discrimination in the labor market.  In your groups, you are going to analyze the problem of gender discrimination in the workforce and examine why women make less money than men in the same work position.

 

 

 

 

Task

Students will investigate gender discrimination in the workforce and examine some of the reasons why women earn less money than men in the same work position.

                       

Process

Each student group must create a power point presentation using at least 6 slides.  The slides must consist of the following:

1. Define the problem (gender wage discrimination

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Wage_Discrimination.aspx

http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/EOP/CEA/html/gendergap.html

2. Gather evidence on wage discrinination

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/04/08/3424043/gender-wage-gap-myth/

http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/13/news/economy/equal-pay-day-2015/

3. Identify three causes of gender discrimination and why women make less money then men in the same work position.

http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/EOP/CEA/html/gendergap.html

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/report/2014/05/19/90039/explaining-the-gender-wage-gap/

4. Evaluate a (1) policy dealing with gender discrimination in the workforce.

http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/public-policy/aauw-issues/gender-pay-gap/

http://rooseveltinstitute.org/new-roosevelt/how-fix-gender-wage-gap-going-far-beyond-app

5. Develop some (3-5) solutions for the problem.

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/report/2014/09/18/97421/7-actions-that-could-shrink-the-gender-wage-gap/

http://rooseveltinstitute.org/new-roosevelt/how-fix-gender-wage-gap-going-far-beyond-app

http://mic.com/articles/87983/norway-has-found-a-solution-to-the-gender-wage-gap-that-america-needs-to-try

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/14/things-we-need-to-do-to-close-wage-gap_n_7056322.html

6. Develop and explain the best solution to the problem. Choose one solution from number 5 and explain how it would solve the problem.

7. Use vocabulary words from the class readings and your research in your powerpoint.

Evaluation

RUBRIC

BELOW STANDARDS

MEETS STANDARDS

EXCEEDS STANDARDS

INFORMATION

INFORMATION NOT RELEVANT TO LESSON

INFORMATION RELEVANT TO LESSON

INFORMATION RELEVANT TO LESSON WITH RESOURCES

PRESENTATION

INCOHERENT

LACK OF VISUALS

GROUP WAS NOT ORGANIZED

USES LESS THAN 3 VOCABULARY TERMS

HAS SOME UNDERSTANDING OF INFORMATION

HAS VISUALS

COHERENT

MOST OF THE GROUP MEMBERS PARTICIPATED

USES 3-5 VOCABULLARY TERMS

COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF INFORMATION

HAS VISUALS

COHERENT

GROUP WORKS WELL TOGETHER

USES 5 OR MORE VOCABULARY TERMS

 Point values for categories

 1 point

 2 points

 3 points
Conclusion

   In conclusion, this Web Quest will help you understand Gender Discrimination and the role it does now or may eventually play in your lives. You will have identified the process it takes to create an alternate policy to the already existing policy.  As a result you would have set a model for you to become individual problem solvers on public policies that affect you.

Credits
Teacher Page

This webquest was designed as a followup to class readings and discussions related to the gender wage gap in America and why it still exists today. Students are challenged to research the topic and come up with viable solutions, from which they will choose one to develop fully in their presentation.