Women in the Workplace

Date: 11/01/20

Subject: Research Paper Proposal/Outline

Women in the Workplace: Everyday Struggle

Upon reading Blue Collar Worker by Mike Rose, I got a sense of déjà vu as I went through the article. The experiences, challenges, and doubts about intelligence that Rose described sound all too familiar. Similarly to blue collar workers, women have been underpaid, undervalued and underestimated by both those who employ them and those they serve.

For this research paper, I will conduct research via articles, scholastic journals, and other forms of media such as documentaries and interviews. As the foundation of the paper, I will first discuss the history of women professionals and how they came to be a part of the workforce. The paper will also touch on the difficulties of being a woman in the workplace, and why certain barriers exist. It will also examine the specifics of how women are treated as and looked upon as the “underdogs” of the workforce. As a woman in today’s workforce myself, I will also rely on my personal experiences for anecdotal support. Next, the paper will discuss the statistics about women in the workplace that I believe are most important, such as the rate of women being promoted vs. men, education level of women vs. men, and hiring rate. Lastly, I will suggest ways that society can better appreciate, compensate, and recognize women workers.

In my paper, I will focus on answering questions such as:

1. What struggles do women face in the workforce?
2. How do women’s education levels compare to those of men?
3. How do women’s compare to those of men?
4. How can society and employers make women in the workplace feel included and valued?
5. Why do fewer women than men end up in senior positions despite having similar accolades/education?

The goal of this research paper will be to demonstrate how women are undervalued in the workforce. This issue has existed and been discussed in society for decades, and yet still persists without a solution. My aim is to inform the reader of the details of this issue and present solutions in a way that seems plausible. I and many of my woman peers deal with the complexities of this issue daily. Upon reading the paper, I hope the reader will be aware of what part they can play in mitigating the issue.

Outline

1. Introduction:
2. A) Briefly introduce the background/history of women working in the United States
3. B) Demonstrate how society values women less than men in the workplace
4. C) Thesis: Women being undervalued and underpaid is prevalent in the workforce

1. Body:
2. In depth discussion about the history of (workplace) gender inequality
3. Women have made great strides over the last few decades in attempting to gain equal footing with their male peers
4. A big contributor to this progress was the women’s rights movement
5. After the end of the movement (around the end of the 90s), change slowed and then came to a standstill; there has been little movement since despite many attempts by women’s rights activists

1. The main disadvantages of gender inequality in the workplace:
2. Wage gap: dive into the statistics, why the gap exists
3. The glass ceiling that can never be reached (women rarely getting promoted to executive positions)
4. Imposter syndrome, depression

III.           Conclusion:

1. Gender inequality in the workplace is an ongoing, evolving issue
2. Despite there being some progression throughout the last few decades, women are still enduring a seemingly uphill battle
3. Suggestions on how to eradicate the issue, and the repercussions if not resolved