We're Worth What We Are Paid
Unravelling the 'Paradox of the Contented Female Worker
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2392064 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maria Smith (Sheffield Hallam University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 317-332 |
| Publication date | 2020-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociological Research Online (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1360-7804 • E-ISSN: 1360-7804 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1360780419870809 |
| OpenAlex | W2971915894 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 31 |
Pay satisfaction research has suggested that women are more satisfied with their pay than men, even though, in general, women earn less. This article argues that this body of research has misconceptualised this phenomenon as an issue of women only. It also argues that previous explanations for this gender pay paradox have not adequately explained these patterns of satisfaction. A social constructionist approach to pay satisfaction is proposed which situates satisfaction within the context of structural inequality. This draws upon the scholarly work of feminist scholars and the conceptual ideas of Pierre Bourdieu. This theoretical approach is explored with data from qualitative interviews with support staff at universities in the United Kingdom. This evidence suggests that their pay satisfaction is influenced by beliefs about the 'value' of different occupations
Economics · Epistemology · Inequality · Job satisfaction · Phenomenon · Political science · Positive economics · Qualitative research · Social constructionism · Social science · Sociology · Strict constructionism · Emotional Labor in Professions · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges
Feminist methods in social research
Gender, Power and Organisations
Job satisfaction and gender
The relationship between pay and job satisfaction
The science question in feminism
Postmodern Epistemological Politics and Social Science
Outline of a Theory of Practice
An Introduction to Qualitative Research
Qualitative Researching
Introducing Gender and Women’s Studies
Understanding Bourdieu
Framed by Gender
Feminist Methodology
Gender, Pay and Work Satisfaction at a UK University
Approval of equal rights and gender differences in well-being
Gainsharing and women's and men's relative pay satisfaction
Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture
The Same-Sex-Referent-Work Satisfaction Relationship
Testing the Effect of Level and Importance of Pay Referents on Pay Level Satisfaction
Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies
Social Construction of Skill
Social Structure and the Paradox of the Contented Female Worker
The Effects of Occupational Gender Segregation Across Race
The Paradox of the Contented Female Worker in a Traditionally Female Industry
Pay reference standards and pay satisfaction
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |