The glass escalator
The glass escalator is a phrase that illustrates the undue advantage White heterosexual men get when venturing into professions predominantly held by women. Coined in 1992, the phrase denotes the job stability and financial security gained by men entering into “pink collar” nursing, library science, social work, etc. professions, which compares unfavourably with women of the same qualifications and experience. By extension, “the glass escalator” symbolizes the systematic institutionalization of the male-dominated corporate world.
Race & Wage Gap
Apart from gender, the race also counts in the wage gap. Primarily, many people of colour are not compensated equally as their White counterparts for the same work. Even after education qualifications, experience among other factors are harmonized, people of colour end up being paid less. For example, a survey conducted in 2019 by Payscale found out that for every dollar a White man earned, a Black woman earned 3 cents less, while a Black man two cents less (payscale.com). While that may appear insignificant, a Black woman earning over USD 72,000 will have lost about 2,000 per year.
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Why people are still confused about the wage gap
I believe inconsistent statistical data confuses people. There appears to be no agreed wage gap value in the video, with different people asserting their values, ranging from 9 cents to two cents per dollar. Such a lack of clarity gives some people the chance to insert personal bias and propaganda. Another reason is political bias. From the video, I noticed two contradicting observations that claimed to base on actual statistical data. If all published data regarding the pay gap is consistent with the facts, then media houses and some people tend to misinterpret them to suit their conservative of liberal political biases. In my opinion, I also think people choose to ignore the problem, imagining that it is insignificant. A case in point is the commentary that the 3-cent wage gap is “virtually no wage gap.”
References
Payscale. (2020). “The Racial Wage Gap Persists in 2020.” Retrieved from https://www.payscale.com/data/racial-wage-gap
