There are some interesting charts here, but the basic premise is that with women entering the work force, this depresses wages because the supply of labor has increased.
Couple points to note (and realize I have no particular feeling of this one way or another, since I haven't studied it thoroughly enough).
1. Yes, the increase in supply of labor should depress wages, but....
2. A doubling of the number of people working should also result in the doubling of the amount of goods and services being produced, as well as lower prices, thus increased standards of living - ie-women entering the workforce should help us, but...
3. If they all go become elementary education school teachers or social workers, then it is just a wealth transfer and no real goods and services are produced, let alone income and...
4. Most of the production women provide in this economy is simply to work up the money to pay for child rearing and house keeping that they've now outsourced as they've pursued careers. And ADDITIONALLY
5. TO PAY FOR THE INCREASE IN TAXES because when you decide to outsource rearing, you not only have to pay for the govenrment to baby sit your children either through the public schools or public day care, you also have to pay for additional cops, lawyers and judicial costs associated with the divorce, litigation and crime associated with broken families.
There is a piece of me though that still believes that women can do just as good of a job as men in most fields (not all, and vice versa). And some fields they are more productive in (accounting I believe is a perfect example as I believe women to be more precise and detailed than men). Unfortunately, based on what I've seen in the first half of my life, women are not living up to the bargain in terms of being independent, and disproportionately opt to pursue make-work-make-believe careers in the public or non-profit sector that really don't produce anything.
I shall not live the second half of my life ignoring this or being so ignorant about it. I will, for once, truly become an original feminist by treating women as genuine equals and holding them to the same standard as men, with the exact same expectations.
And they won't like it.
Captain, leave those kids alone
ReplyDeleteThey're not kids. They're adults and will be treated as such. And they will embrace the equal treatment.
ReplyDeleteBroads in the workforce. Seems like a grand scheme for governments to syphon even more tax revenue from families.
ReplyDeleteNot entirely unrelated...
Once upon a time, poor people owned homes. Granted, they were modest homes - but at least they had some sort of equity and weren't stuck on the perpetual rent treadmill. But that's not the case today.
Progress, Cappy.
There is a piece of me though that still believes that women can do just as good of a job as men in most fields
ReplyDeleteI have yet to see it happen, but hope springs eternal.
I will, for once, truly become an original feminist by treating women as genuine equals and holding them to the same standard as men, with the exact same expectations.
Prepare yourself for disappointment!
http://www.springerlink.com/content/r230850076278115/
ReplyDeleteTreating women like equals is how you get a sexual harassment complaint.
ReplyDeleteThere is no way to win this Capt. You know this, we all do.
ReplyDeleteGive them exactly as they say they want and you will be wrong for doing so.
The only winning move is not to play.
I say F*ck them, they know not what they do nor do they want to know.