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Christopher Xie
Rae Blumberg
SOC 2052
5 May 2020
Sociological and Political Causes of the Gender Wage Gap
Traditionally, the gender pay gap refers to the average difference in earnings between
men and women, although its definition varies through inflation or ethnicity. The wage gap often
provokes controversy from men and women alike, whether its presence arises from natural
fluctuations within the job market or actual discrimination against women. Regardless, people
fail to consider the sociological and political factors that have affected the wage gap, which
carries significant implications for its actual origin. Historically, the discrepancy has decreased
over time, which correlates with women’s remarkable progress in equality. Much of this growth
has been based on the evolution of the role of women in society, specifically in the workplace, as
changing technological and sociological advancements have shaped how society expects women
to work. Overall, the lingering effects of the nuclear family household of the 60s, the
occupational segregation that arises from women pursuing disproportionately lower wages, and
the weak attempts of maintaining equal pay legislation provide an adept explanation for the wage
gap between men and women within the workforce.
The established nuclear family household consists of two parents with their directly
related children. According to The Atlantic, the majority of American families in the mid-50s-
60s were a nuclear family, with a breadwinner father and a housekeeper mother. The nuclear
family model has been the defining familial image since the agricultural era, and it has affected
how women work drastically. This design held dire implications for the financial state of women,
as the low cost of living necessitated only one working parent to financially sustain a family,
leading to a 56% gap between men’s and women’s wages in the late 60s (Waldfogel 136).
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Although nuclear families have been fading away, their influence still exists. The nuclear family
emphasizes that solely women care for children, and the consequences of this responsibility
incurs a reduction of workplace opportunities for them (Brooks). Companies often hesitate to
hire women that have children, expecting that they will offer less time and effort due to their
familial roles. For instance, even when the wage gap had already been diminishing in the early
80s, only 31% of wives worked a full-time job. And amongst those 31%, their wages were
significantly lower than their male counterparts, especially if they had a child (see table 1).
Naturally, one would expect that the variable of children also confounds with male pay as well,
but a cross-sectional analysis of sociology papers indicate that men’s pay remains relatively
unchanged regardless of marriage and children (Hodges 31). Interestingly, in extended families
that have other relatives that can take care of children, women’s average income increases as
