Racism, prejudice, discrimination, and inequality in sex roles

Sexism

Relationship Between Sexism and Employment

Sexism has a negative impact on employment, often encouraging a hostile work environment and inequality of opportunity in the workplace. Specifically sexism can lead to inequality in the workplace, a culture that supports prejudice and discrimination and a work environment that doesn't support the needs, interests and abilities of the group being stereotyped or discriminated against. Sexism or discrimination that is based largely on ones gender is still prevalent in employment, despite much legislation aimed to provide equality in the workplace.

Sexism can take many forms, including behaviors, environmental conditions or even employee attitudes and stereotyping toward an individuals social and work roles that are based only on their sex. Because sexism is still a problem in employment, victims of sexism are still working to level the playing field and realize equal opportunity and treatment within the workforce.

Sexist Behavior in the Workforce

Of course there are multiple laws protecting against discrimination, racism and sexism in employment, none the least of which include Title VII of the Civil Rights act of 1964, the Civil Rights act of 1991 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Recent amendments to these laws include the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which prevents employers from discriminating against women who are pregnant, whether applying for a job or employed by a company. Unfortunately despite adequate legal protections many still feel that sexism is prevalent in the workforce, and studies suggest there is evidence to back this claim.

Women in some employment fields including science and technology for example still face more obstacles to employment equality than women in other fields according to recent reports from researchers at the University of Newcastle (Sherriff, 2005). Women often feel that caring for family and their career conflict with each other, as many employers are not willing to accommodate the needs of women with children in the workplace. As such many are forced to choose between one or the other.

Sexist attitudes can propagate inequality and a work environment that is hostile particularly toward women. Attitudes in the workplace often promote gender inequality and are usually the result of cultural factors or stereotypes prevalent in the workplace. Preconceived notions regarding a man or woman's ability to perform well in a role, based on their gender alone, qualify as sexist attitudes or stereotyping. Many women are faced with these attitudes particularly when attempting to assert their authority or rise to executive level positions in fields or organizations that are predominately male dominated (such as in the science and technology field).