Note: This assignment occurs at the time students read Adia Harvey-Wingfield’s 2009 manuscript, Racializing the Glass Escalator: Reconsidering Men’s Experiences with Women’s Work (20 pages) to discuss workplace inequality through a sociological lens.
Use the “HOUSEHOLD DATA, ANNUAL AVERAGES, Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity” table to complete the table below, then answer the questions that follow the table.
| 2022 | ||||||||
| Percent of total employed | ||||||||
| Entry-Level Education | 2021 Median Pay | Women | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino | ||
| Legal occupations | ||||||||
| Lawyers | Doctoral or professional degree | $127,990 | ||||||
| Paralegals and legal assistants | Associate’s degree | $56,230 | ||||||
| Legal support workers, all other | Associate’s degree | $59,790 | ||||||
| Judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers | Doctoral or professional degree | $80,000 or more | ||||||
| Education, training, and library occupations | ||||||||
| Preschool and kindergarten teachers | Bachelor’s degree | $61,350 | ||||||
| Elementary and middle school teachers | Bachelor’s degree | $61,320 | ||||||
| Secondary school teachers | Bachelor’s degree | $61,820 | ||||||
| Postsecondary teachers | Varied | $79,640 | ||||||
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations | ||||||||
| Dentists | Doctoral or professional degree | $163,220 | ||||||
| Dental hygienists | Associate’s degree | $77,810 | ||||||
| Dental assistants | Postsecondary nondegree award | $38,660 | ||||||
| Pharmacists | Doctoral or professional degree | $128,570 | ||||||
| Pharmacy technicians | High school diploma or equivalent | $36,740 | ||||||
| Emergency medical technicians | Postsecondary nondegree award | $36,930 | ||||||
| Paramedics | Postsecondary nondegree award | $36,930 | ||||||
| Registered nurses | Bachelor’s degree | $77,600 | ||||||
| Nurse practitioners | Master’s degree | $123,780 | ||||||
| Other physicians | Doctoral or professional degree | This wage is equal to or greater than $208,000 per year. | ||||||
| Physician assistants | Master’s degree | $121,530 | ||||||
| Home Health aides | high school diploma or equivalent | $29,430 | ||||||
| Protective service occupations | ||||||||
| First-line supervisors of police and detectives | High school diploma or equivalent | $99,330 | ||||||
| Detectives and criminal investigators | Varied | $66,020 | ||||||
| Police officers | Varied | $66,020 | ||||||
| Security guards and gambling surveillance officers | high school diploma. Most states require guards to be licensed by the state, especially if they carry a firearm. | gambling surveillance officers & gambling investigators $35,450 security guards $31,470 | ||||||
- What trends do you notice in each of the occupation groups? Which occupations have more women? Which occupations have more people of color? (If you are unsure what certain occupations entail descriptions are available after the questions)
- Thinking about Weber’s discussion about status, what do we know about the status of these positions (how much prestige or honor do people typically receive)? What trends do you notice about the status of occupations and who is more likely to be in each occupation group?
- What trends do you notice between education and income?
- What social factors influence who has access to education, and thus later to certain occupations?
- What discourses, controlling images or stereotypes do you think would influence the trends that you see here?
Occupation descriptions
Legal occupations
Workers in this group interpret the law and support law-related activities.
Lawyers
Job Summary: Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.
Paralegals and legal assistants
Job Summary: Paralegals and legal assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers.
Legal support workers, all other
Job Summary: All legal support workers not listed separately.
Judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers
Job Summary: Judges and hearing officers apply the law by overseeing the legal process in courts.
Education, training, and library occupations
These workers share information through instruction and distribution.
Preschool and kindergarten teachers
Job Summary: Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects in order to prepare them for future schooling.
Elementary and middle school teachers
Job Summary: Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects in order to prepare them for future schooling. Middle school teachers educate students, typically in sixth through eighth grades.
Secondary school teachers
Job Summary: High school teachers teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.
Postsecondary teachers
Job Summary: Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a variety of academic subjects beyond the high school level.
Entry-Level Education: Educational requirements vary with the subject taught and the type of educational institution. Typically, postsecondary teachers must have a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in their field. However, a master’s degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges. Other postsecondary teachers may need work experience in their field of expertise.
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Workers in these occupations help clients maintain and improve wellbeing.
Dentists
Job Summary: Dentists diagnose and treat problems with patients’ teeth, gums, and related parts of the mouth.
Dental hygienists
Job Summary: Dental hygienists examine patients for signs of oral diseases, such as gingivitis, and provide preventive care, including oral hygiene.
Dental assistants
Job Summary: Dental assistants provide patient care, take x rays, keep records, and schedule appointments.
Pharmacists
Job Summary: Pharmacists dispense prescription medications and provide information to patients about the drugs and their use.
Pharmacy technicians
Job Summary: Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals.
Emergency medical technicians
Job Summary: Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics respond to emergency calls, performing medical services and transporting patients to medical facilities.
Paramedics
Job Summary: Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics respond to emergency calls, performing medical services and transporting patients to medical facilities.
Registered nurses
Job Summary: Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care and educate patients and the public about various health conditions.
Nurse practitioners
Job Summary: Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare.
Other physicians
Job Summary: Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance.
Physician assistants
Job Summary: Physician assistants examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the supervision of a physician.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Job summary: Home health and personal care aides monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and help them with daily living activities.
Work Environment: Home health and personal care aides work in a variety of settings, including clients’ homes, group homes, and day services programs. Most aides work full time, although part-time work is common. Work schedules may vary.
Protective service occupations
This group includes workers who provide public safety.
First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Job Summary: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.
Detectives and criminal investigators
Job Summary: Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.
Entry-Level Education: Police and detective applicants must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, although some federal agencies and police departments may require that applicants have completed college coursework or a college degree. Many community colleges and 4-year colleges and universities offer programs in law enforcement and criminal justice. Knowledge of a foreign language is an asset in many federal agencies and geographical regions.
Fish and game wardens typically need a bachelor’s degree; desirable fields of study include wildlife science, biology, or natural resources. Federal Wildlife Officers and some state-level fish and game wardens typically do not need a bachelor’s degree.
Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation may require prospective detectives and investigators to have a bachelor’s degree.
Many applicants for entry-level police jobs have completed some college coursework, and a significant number are college graduates. Common fields of degree include security and protective service and social science.
Police officers
Job Summary: Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.
Entry-Level Education: Police and detective applicants must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, although some federal agencies and police departments may require that applicants have completed college coursework or a college degree. Many community colleges and 4-year colleges and universities offer programs in law enforcement and criminal justice. Knowledge of a foreign language is an asset in many federal agencies and geographical regions.
Fish and game wardens typically need a bachelor’s degree; desirable fields of study include wildlife science, biology, or natural resources. Federal Wildlife Officers and some state-level fish and game wardens typically do not need a bachelor’s degree.
Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation may require prospective detectives and investigators to have a bachelor’s degree.
Many applicants for entry-level police jobs have completed some college coursework, and a significant number are college graduates. Common fields of degree include security and protective service and social science.
Security Guards and Gambling Surveillance Officers
Job Summary: Security guards and gambling surveillance officers protect property from illegal activity.
Work Environment: Security guards work in a variety of places, including industrial settings, retail stores, and office buildings. Gambling surveillance officers work mostly in casinos. Because many buildings and casinos are open 24 hours a day, security guards and officers often must work around the clock
Wynn Strange 