The equal pay for men and women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The equal pay for men and women - Essay Example This gender-wage inequality naturally carries over into the world of pensioners, where sex discrimination and occupational segregation have an even greater effect. In fact, â€Å"the pay gap which already exists between men and women during their working lives becomes a vast pension gulf in later life† (BBC, 2003). The result is that, on a whole, women pensioners are poorer than male pensioners. In fact, according to the same report, women receive â€Å"just 32p for every  £1 of income received by men in a pensioner couple† (2003).   Many women suffer from this disadvantage in pension rates because of interruptions in their service in the labour force due to maternity and child/home care, and also because of receiving lower pay in their working years via the same occupational segregation and sex discrimination. Research shows that 45% of all women work part-time and 25% of those who do are shop and care assistants or cleaners (US-UK pensions dialogue).   Across th e board, women suffer from the effects of lower wages.  This gender-wage inequality naturally carries over into the world of pensioners, where sex discrimination and occupational segregation have an even greater effect. In fact, â€Å"the pay gap which already exists between men and women during their working lives becomes a vast pension gulf in later life† (BBC, 2003). The result is that, on a whole, women pensioners are poorer than male pensioners. In fact, according to the same report, women receive â€Å"just 32p for every  £1 of income received by men in a pensioner couple† (2003).   Many women suffer from this disadvantage in pension rates because of interruptions in their service in the labour force due to maternity and child/home care, and also because of receiving lower pay in their working years via the same occupational segregation and sex discrimination. Research shows that 45% of all women work part-time and 25% of those who do are shop and care assi stants or cleaners (US-UK pensions dialogue).   Across the board, women suffer from the effects of lower wages.   It has been found through research that â€Å"in every country in the world, women continue to be paid less for comparable work than men† (Women work more). Although the government has been taking action to revalue the jobs that women do, the current state of affairs leaves women poorer than men at almost every level. Women have been disadvantaged for many reasons, but arguments everywhere are that women are victims of sex discrimination and occupational segregation. To those who say women choose their own fate by opting for lower positions or accepting low first offers, Smithson et al.  ... This is especially true of older women, who lived in a generation where women were much less likely to attain higher levels of education. As a result, women find themselves in general receiving less money than men. This scenario, however, does not account for the many women who are as skilled as the men they work with, yet receive much lower wages. Evidence supports the claim by Grimshaw et al. that there exists a "need for a multi-faceted approach to closing the average gender pay gap" (2001, p. 209). This is true in several areas where sex discrimination occurs. According to Iona Heath (2004), general practitioner at Caversham Group Practice in London, women doctors earn an average of about 20.7% lower than men in the same position. A similar situation exists in universities. According to research done in 2004 by the Association of University Teachers (AUT), the wage gap is lower in academia than in other sections of the employment world. However, it is possible to argue that at 15% the average is still embarrassingly high in that section of the employment world that is populated with the so-called progressive intellectuals who should be doing much better at leading the UK to a more gender-equal economy. In fact, as that percentage represents only the average, it has to be noted that several higher-educational institutions pay women at a rate much lower than 85% of what is given to men. The same AUT research reported that The University of Wales College of Medicine pays women at a rate of 33% lower than men who hold similar positions (2004, p. 7). In addition, several other institutions had the wage gap above 20 percent. Another interesting finding of that study

Illegal Immigration in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Illegal Immigration in the United States - Essay Example On the other side stand those who advocate the granting of amnesty and citizenship to all illegal immigrants. The only consensus which emerges on the issue is that the current immigration policy is inadequate, and is badly in need of urgent reform. The fact that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains almost half a million illegal immigrants this year, and follows â€Å"a policy of mandatory detention, detaining individuals in inhumane and unsafe conditions, depriving them of access to legal counsel and a fair hearing in court† (Esposito and Davis, 5), is a testament to a failed immigration system. An analysis of the issue of illegal immigration is required to find a middle ground which will be acceptable to the two opposing factions. The anti-illegal immigration group agitates for the deportation of all illegal immigrants. This group unequivocally blames the government for inaction, and sees a conspiracy to form a North American Union with open borders between th e USA, Canada and Mexico. This faction calls for the securing of the national borders, blocking access to welfare measures and employment for illegal immigrants, rejecting amnesty, rejecting birthright citizenship to the children born to illegal immigrants, stopping all temporary worker legislation, and strictly enforcing immigration laws (Greenley, 16). The anti-illegal immigration group supports its stand by listing several adverse effects of immigration. As â€Å"foreigners enter the country with fewer skills on average than native-born workers, immigration --- lowers the average skill level in the American work place† and leads to lower wages, and fewer job opportunities, for American workers (Hall, VanMetre and Vedder, 203). Today’s immigrants bring with them a diversity of language, customs, distinct physical traits, and religions. They hold on to their cultural roots, emphasize the preservation of their ethnic identity, and do not submit to assimilation. This is seen in â€Å"immigrant isolation† and â€Å"ethnic concentration† (Hall, VanMetre and Vedder, 205), and cause fractures in the American social fabric. Divisive multiculturalism destroys the American identity. One very valid argument is that illegal immigration poses a threat to national security, allowing drug-dealers, terrorists and criminals into the country. Another centers round the high consumption of government resources and taxpayer money by illegal immigrants, through â€Å"medical, welfare and education benefits† while paying minimum taxes (Greenley, 17). All these reasons engender a strong resentment towards illegal immigrants. The supporters of a liberal illegal immigrant policy counter the above arguments. They argue that â€Å"in the long run, immigration attracts new investment and promotes entrepreneurial initiative,† and â€Å"makes the American labor market more competitive, thus enhancing its overall efficiency† (Hall, VanMetre and Vedder, 204). It cannot be denied that large numbers of intelligent and highly skilled immigrants come to America. The unskilled immigrants migrate to the low-paying jobs, such as cleaning and food service, which native-born workers do not desire. Again, cheap labor adds to the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper prices, better quality products, and higher profits. American society has a long tradition of â€Å"celebrating diversity† (Hall, VanMetre and Vedder, 205). The pro-immigration group contends that multiculturalism is part