These roles often provide opportunities for personal growth and job satisfaction. Administrative assistants and other office support staff are vital in ensuring seamless business operations. Their typical responsibilities include preparing documents, setting up appointments, and organizing files.
A brief history of pink collar jobs
Since there is less of a hierarchy among teachers, it is easier to take time off and then re-enter the workforce than it is with other careers. Unfortunately, the salary and prestige of teaching are very low, and the mother-friendly benefits of teaching may contribute to maintaining it as a low-prestige career. Teaching also has a relatively low retention rate compared to other occupations, especially for women (Sedlak and Schlossman, p. 32).
What are pink collar jobs?
Many women were making a lifelong commitment to teaching as a career outside of the home. By the mid 20th century, the proportion of teachers with college degrees increased, and teachers were generally trained in regular colleges (Sedlak and Schlossman, p. 35). Women were well represented in low-status teaching jobs, while men dominated powerful positions, even in the educational field.
Advancing Careers in Pink Collar Fields
- Women tended to remain in teaching for a shorter period of time than men since they had to quit upon marriage.
- This involves replacing gendered pronouns such as ‘he/she’ and ‘him/her’ with ‘they/them’ or ‘you’.
- This involves using gender-neutral language in job descriptions and focusing on skills over experience.
- Women began to enter the workforce in professions that align with societal outside roles and expectations, such as performing emotional labor.
The image of the stern yet loving, young, single female schoolteacher was in place by the end of the 1800s. Primary and secondary teachers have never been viewed with high esteem in America, though they are well esteemed in many other countries such as Japan. Teachers were generally young, and the often-transient nature of teaching also led to its low regard among the professions. The low status made teaching societally acceptable for women in the 1800s, and the presence of many women in the field maintained its low status. The issue of gender has greatly shaped the public’s perception of teaching–it has never been regarded as a profession of the same type as law and medicine (Rury, p. 10). The feminization of teaching and the status of women are integral in understanding the role and perception of teaching in America.
Roles in education and social services, like teaching, significantly contribute to nurturing future generations. A whopping 99% of preschool and kindergarten teachers are women, and the percentage of women in teaching roles decreases as the students’ age increases. Less jobs that have been feminized, such as teaching or secretarial work, are also referred to as than 20% of elementary school teachers are men, highlighting the dominance of women in early education roles. The perception of women being better suited for clerical positions was further enhanced by the widespread use of the typewriter in the 1860s and 1870s.
Despite these efforts, as of 2020, less than 10% (9.4%) of registered nurses were men, underscoring the gender imbalance within the nursing profession. The so-called ‘pink ghetto’ confines women to non-managerial roles, leading to assumptions that women prioritize family life over work and thus perpetuating the glass ceiling. Typically, clerk positions were filled by young men who used the position as an apprenticeship and opportunity to learn basic office functions before moving on to management positions.
Ann Gibbons’ story demonstrates that women have always had the talent and strength to work in the same careers as men, but had to break down barriers at every turn to gain entry. Ann’s determination to create a career by chipping away at these obstacles shows great inner resolve and purpose. In 2018, figures from Skills Development Scotland reported that the number of women in tech jobs had risen from 18% to 23.4% and more than doubled since 2010, from 10,300 to 24,000 (Skills Development Scotland, 2018). In 2019, on International Women’s Day, Unite union and the West College Scotland Clydebank held an open day which saw women try MIG (metal insert gas) welding, to encourage women into this male-dominated industry (West College Scotland, 2019). Trades unions regularly campaign on the gender pay gap, as figures show that, on average, men earn 18% more than women (ONS, 2017, cited in Unison, 2022).
Society recognized the values of female nurturance as well as discipline in education. Teaching was one way in which women could work outside their own households while still being examples of purity and nurturance. It raised wages, shortened workers’ hours, and increased employment for the first time maximizing hour and minimizing wage provisions benefiting female workers. The NRA had its flaws however, it only covered half of the women in the workforce particularly manufacturing and trade.
Approximately 55% of women working outside the home are thought to be confined to the pink ghetto, indicating a large proportion of the female workforce is affected by this segregation. While the share of female workers in industries like tobacco and textile manufacturing has significantly declined since 1940, pink-collar jobs have evolved to mainly include service roles such as clerical work, domestic labor, and retail positions. Pathways for career growth can be created by providing pink collar workers with support groups, mentorship programs, and opportunities for professional development. Professional development opportunities, combined with affirmative action policies, help pink collar workers to grow within their fields, ensuring equal access to career advancement initiatives.
There were very important changes in the lives of young people and women in the USA between 1950 and 2000, along with changes in how Americans entertained themselves. If you’re new to university-level study, read our guide on Where to take your learning next, or find out more about the types of qualifications we offer including entry level Access modules, Certificates, and Short Courses. Making the decision to study can be a big step, which is why you’ll want a trusted University. We’ve pioneered distance learning for over 50 years, bringing university to you wherever you are so you can fit study around your life.
Pink collar jobs are typically service-oriented roles that require interpersonal skills and involve caring for others, such as nursing, teaching, secretarial work, social work, and childcare. The perception of teachers and the perception of women evolved together, and contributed to the feminization of teaching, particularly in the 1800s. Teachers were supposed to set desirable moral and behavioral examples for their students. Men were employed as teachers especially in the higher grades to provide role models for older boys and to discipline them.
