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The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap – And What Women Can Do About It

Discrimination of women is a topic that today’s society discusses widely.

However, the author of “Why Men Earn More” argues that the reason that women are paid less, is not discrimination. Instead, he states, that it is so because women seek more personal fulfillment, prioritize family, and do not make as many sacrifices as men do.

Read on to understand what are the arguments that he bases his theory on.

Who Should Read “Dance Lessons”? and Why?

In “Why Men Earn More” Warren Farrell presents his theory that tackles the subject of the pay gap between men and women. He argues that because of their priorities, women take more parental leave, work shorter hours, are less productive and less committed.

He lists several factors such as discomfort, danger, long hours and heavy lifting, which according to him increase the wage for some jobs. He urges women to enter nontraditional fields so that they can earn more.

We recommend this book for readers who have no problem in taking in opinions that are the exact opposite of feministic and egalitarian beliefs.

About Warren Farrell

Warren Farrell is the author of a few books on men, including The Myth of Male Power and Why Men Are the Way They Are.

“Why Men Earn More Summary”

“Following your happiness” isn’t exactly the way to becoming wealthy.

However, that does not imply that you should spend your life building a career you hate just to get a decent wage.

The right way of going about a better wage is by inquiring about the sorts of occupations that are available on the market, and by dissecting your field to find which specialties pay the best. Also, you need to learn in which settings; you can accomplish a good harmony amongst your family and your job, all the while getting a higher salary.

Of course, nothing in this world is “free.”

On the quest for a better payment, you may need to make some sacrifices. For example, you might need to relocate or work the night shifts.

Now, let’s talk about our topic.

When women do this sort of employment analysis, they will find that the wage gap, contrary to society’s belief, does not originate from discrimination. Instead, it comes from women’ and men’s different ways of approaching work.

When they comprehend this, women will quit feeling victimized and will bring fewer lawsuits, which scare organizations and make them hesitant to hire them.

Apart from that, women can take 25 steps towards improving their capacity of earning.

• • “Choose a field in technology or the hard sciences, not the arts or social sciences (pharmacology vs. literature)

• • “Get hazard pay without the hazards (female administrator in the Air Force vs. male combat soldier in the Army)”

• • You can make more money “in sleet and heat than indoors and neat (FedEx deliverer vs. receptionist)”

• • You will make more in jobs where “you cannot psychologically check out” at 5 p.m. “(corporate attorney vs. librarian)”

• • “Fields with higher pay often have lower fulfillment (engineer vs. childcare professional)”

• • “Choose fields with higher financial and emotional risks (venture capitalist vs. supermarket cashier)”

• • “Higher pay requires working the worst shifts during the worst hours (private practice medical doctor vs. HMO medical doctor.”

• • Earn more by working in “unpleasant environments (prison guard vs. restaurant hostess)”

• • “Updating pays… (sales engineer vs. French language scholar)”

• Choose your specialty’s more lucrative subfields “(surgeon vs. psychiatrist)”

Also, people who earn more do things a little differently. They:

• • “Work more hours.”

• • “Have more years of experience.”

• • “Have…years of recent uninterrupted experience” with one company

• • “Work more weeks during the year.”

• • Are “absent less often from work.”

• • “Commute to jobs that are farther away.”

• • “Relocate, especially to undesirable locations at the company’s behest”

• • “Travel extensively on the job.”

• • “Take on different responsibilities” and bring in business

• • “Take on bigger responsibilities.”

• • “Require less security.”

• • Get “more relevant training.”

• • “Have higher career goals, to begin with.”

• • “Do more in-depth job searches.”

• “Above all, produce more.”

As you can see, these steps may influence your choices of job, training, work conditions or commute. They may push you to work longer, harder and make more risks, but at the same time, they can help you balance work and home life, and become more financially stable.

So, consider these steps and take them toward a better financial future.

Key Lessons from “Why Men Earn More

1.      Male and Female Workers Both Prefer Male Bosses
2.      Discrimination against Men
3.      Weighing Alternatives for Achieving Balance

Male and Female Workers Both Prefer Male Bosses

It is true that women make significant contributions to their work environment since they are better at cooperative work and social skills. However, surveys show that most people prefer male bosses. This is because of men, even though they are more hierarchical then women, frankly use their power, while women can sometimes get passive aggressive.

Discrimination against Men

Society is hypersensitive about issues such as gender discrimination lawsuits and sexual harassment. So, companies try hard to accommodate women. As a result, society awards women for succeeding in previously men-dominated industries, they get promotions and higher pay faster, all the while doing less at work. The world is tiptoeing around women and their needs and moving towards discrimination of men.

Weighing Alternatives for Achieving Balance

You can have everything: better family life, satisfying job, a decent salary and great inner life. However, all of it requires time. There will be a point when you will have to work harder and longer and stay away from your family. This period of absence will be easier to manage if you take the following steps at home:

• • Pay for help

• • Work from home when you can

• • “Form community” by connecting with others in your field.

• • Select your life partner with care

• Show kids how to make the most of their time (and yours)

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“Why Men Earn More” Quotes

Our Critical Review

“Why Men Earn More” is full of graphs, charts, sidebars, footnotes, and analysis. However, his examination is based on single studies, personal experiences, newspaper articles, and interviews, instead of on social, historical and economic trends that give better explanations on the topic.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.