Gender, Work, and Inequality

We spend a great deal of our waking hours working, either paid or unpaid. In what ways is gender embedded in work, and how does work reflect and reinforce gender inequality? This seminar will provide an overview of contemporary theory and research on gender and work. Throughout the course, we will consider gender in relation to race and ethnicity, and we will pay close attention to how gender and race at work translates into class and inequality. Our primary focus will be on the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries, with some comparisons with other nations. Readings will include a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. Topics covered include: gender segregation and pay gaps, labor market discrimination, service work and emotional labor, unpaid household work, immigration and globalization, labor organizing, social policy, and the future of work.