We (Have to) Try Harder: Gender and Required Work Effort in Britain and the United States

Across three decades in both Britain and the United States, surveys indicate that women must work harder than men do. Using data from the 1997 Skills Survey of the Employed British Workforce (U.K.) and the 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce (U.S.), the authors investigate two possible exp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gender & society 2007-12, Vol.21 (6), p.828-856
Main Authors: Gorman, Elizabeth H., Kmec, Julie A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bias
Employee supervision
Employment
Families & family life
Gender differences
Gender differentiation
Gender equity
Gender studies
Great Britain
Job characteristics
Labor force surveys
Labour force
Longitudinal studies
Married status
Mathematical models
Men
Occupations
Performance standards
Polls & surveys
Regression analysis
Research Reports
Self employment
Sex
Technological change
U.S.A
United Kingdom
United States of America
Women
Women's employment
Work
Work skills
Workforce
Working women
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Summary:Across three decades in both Britain and the United States, surveys indicate that women must work harder than men do. Using data from the 1997 Skills Survey of the Employed British Workforce (U.K.) and the 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce (U.S.), the authors investigate two possible explanations for this gap in reports of required effort: gender differences in job characteristics and family responsibilities. In multivariate ordered logistic regressions, extensive measures of job characteristics do not explain the difference between women and men. Family obligations, as well, account for little or none of the gap. The authors argue that the association between gender and reported required work effort is best interpreted as reflecting stricter performance standards imposed on women, even when women and men hold the same jobs. The authors discuss alternative interpretations and implications for research.
ISSN:0891-2432
1552-3977
DOI:10.1177/0891243207309900