Social Construction of Skill: Gender, Power, and Comparable Worth
Author(s)
Steinberg, Ronnie J.
Abstract
This article argues that existing instruments for evaluating skills are themselves biased toward male-dominated occupations and reflect gendered power relationships in the labor market. Rather than objectively based criteria, skill definitions are social constructions developed under particular historical conditions. The movement for compensation based on comparable worth both brought these biases to light and developed strategies to overcome them when conducting job evaluations.
