Pink Collar Research Papers

In a traditional American family, it is not too uncommon to see the masculine half of a marital couple as the breadwinner while the more feminine half as the homemaker, caregiver, chef, maid etc. Why do the majority of us feel that this is the norm? These “Pink Collar” jobs and duties are so commonly associated with women when they just as equally can be done by a man. There is no law in a society that dictates that it is undignifying for a man to be a receptionist, flight attendant, wedding planner, massage therapist, maid, etc. However, some men deem these occupations to be too feminine. Honestly, I do not see the problem there is no shame in having great hospitality skills, cleaning up and taking care of your family or knowing how to care for and cook for yourself. It is because of this that I feel that the way Sarah Jaffe uses the word “pink collar” is not acceptable, she uses the oxford dictionary definition of the word which is “relating to work

It was just unsightly. Howe states in her book “pink collar workers” how these jobs were third-fiddle to white and blue collar occupations. Women were regulated to these jobs that offered little to no opportunities to flourish or advance in any way, not to mention these jobs greatly resembled their household chores. “American women despite the women’s movement, remain as segregated occupationally as they were at the turn of the century. It argued that women are still trapped in traditional jobs as waitresses and secretaries, in which pay is consistently inferior to men’s.” (Tennery, 2012) sadly even though gender equality has progressed since then and women have continued to branch out into fields they were discouraged to even consider the issue of equal pay continues to be an issue to continue the idea of the male being the more masculine breadwinner