Actually it is my understanding the male hormone pump is literally cooler than the female hormone pump. Scrotes rule!
And now I am going to squander any gender capital I may have earned and ask the following question.
Could some of the gender differences in pay be because women, more than men, put their careers on hold to raise children?
Some very cool female coworkers in my technical field frequently take leaves for family, and some drop out completely. Around here anyway losing that 'face time' does not help them at work. No one thinks ill of them, but sometimes the good assignments go to those people that are instantly available.
Tripp, seriously, yes, of course some of the disparity between men and women is due to women putting their careers on hold. What people say about this (rightly, in my opinion) is precisely that it's only women who are expected to put their careers on hold. And, outside some short-term biological constants, like nursing, there really isn't much reason for that to be the case. Following on that, people also point out that a system of employment that doesn't reasonably accomodate humans procreating isn't a very good system.
As to women putting their careers on hold. The European countries I have firsthand experience of all empower men to take paid paternity leave. Here in Austria the partners can divide the parenting leave up between them according to their wishes.
But,
You just try actually doing it as a man!
What this leads to is a situation in which, despite legal underpinning men rarely take their option up... etc.
Result: Women are kept in their "places" below the glass ceilings because "of course" they're going to take maternity leave.
But, truly burning any of my remaining capital, the professional women I know seem to do it because they want to. And their working female counterparts are all ears hearing every gory detail about junior spitting up on the cat.
So in my advanced age I'm not so sure anymore that it is a pressure thing and may be more of an innate thing, at least for some people.
The women I know have options and they choose the "be with junior option." They say things like "I don't want to miss out" while I say things like "I can't wait until they are old enough to catch a baseball and understand my jokes."
No need to mention that which is obvious.
Posted by Roxanne | Link to this comment | 03-28-05 6:55 PM
As for why men make more than women, it's because men have penises
As in they need to receive extra compensation because they have less cool body parts? :)
Posted by profgrrrrl | Link to this comment | 03-28-05 10:19 PM
External genitalia = $$$, baby.
less cool body parts
Keep right on denying that scrotum envy. You're not fooling anybody.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 03-28-05 10:26 PM
Actually it is my understanding the male hormone pump is literally cooler than the female hormone pump. Scrotes rule!
And now I am going to squander any gender capital I may have earned and ask the following question.
Could some of the gender differences in pay be because women, more than men, put their careers on hold to raise children?
Some very cool female coworkers in my technical field frequently take leaves for family, and some drop out completely. Around here anyway losing that 'face time' does not help them at work. No one thinks ill of them, but sometimes the good assignments go to those people that are instantly available.
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 7:54 AM
Good question Tripp, but what I want to know is: why are there no female political bloggers?
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 9:21 AM
why are there no female political bloggers?
I guess they're uppity b's who write in a way that's, well, just not congenial...
Posted by cw | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 9:58 AM
apostropher,
The same reason there are no female sport's bloggers?
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:02 AM
cw,
Bless your heart, are you writing a book? Something like "How Not to Appeal to Women?"
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:05 AM
Tripp, I think you're misinterpreting cw.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:08 AM
Tripp, seriously, yes, of course some of the disparity between men and women is due to women putting their careers on hold. What people say about this (rightly, in my opinion) is precisely that it's only women who are expected to put their careers on hold. And, outside some short-term biological constants, like nursing, there really isn't much reason for that to be the case. Following on that, people also point out that a system of employment that doesn't reasonably accomodate humans procreating isn't a very good system.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:09 AM
And don't get me started on Title Nein.
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:10 AM
Is this going to be the thread where we all misconstrue each other, and then the crazy people who don't like children start posting?
Avocados are non-fattening. Discuss.
Posted by textualist | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:39 AM
I had an avocado for lunch and my weight dropped precipitously.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:45 AM
Don't lie, Ben.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:47 AM
What he's not telling you is that he also gave birth to twins in the interim.
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:49 AM
I think I should go to the ER.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 10:51 AM
Im in the mood for some heavy mis-construe-ing.
As to women putting their careers on hold. The European countries I have firsthand experience of all empower men to take paid paternity leave. Here in Austria the partners can divide the parenting leave up between them according to their wishes.
But,
You just try actually doing it as a man!
What this leads to is a situation in which, despite legal underpinning men rarely take their option up... etc.
Result: Women are kept in their "places" below the glass ceilings because "of course" they're going to take maternity leave.
Now... who's got the avocado?
Posted by Austro | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 11:12 AM
I guac what you're saying.
Posted by Gary Farber | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 11:43 AM
ogged,
I know, I know.
But, truly burning any of my remaining capital, the professional women I know seem to do it because they want to. And their working female counterparts are all ears hearing every gory detail about junior spitting up on the cat.
So in my advanced age I'm not so sure anymore that it is a pressure thing and may be more of an innate thing, at least for some people.
The women I know have options and they choose the "be with junior option." They say things like "I don't want to miss out" while I say things like "I can't wait until they are old enough to catch a baseball and understand my jokes."
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 03-29-05 1:55 PM