Posted on 05/24/2005 12:48:37 PM PDT by neverdem
Suppose you could eliminate the factors often blamed for the shortage of women in high-paying jobs. Suppose that promotions and raises did not depend on pleasing sexist male bosses or putting in long nights and weekends away from home. Would women make as much as men?
Economists recently tried to find out in an experiment in Pittsburgh by paying men and women to add up five numbers in their heads. At first they worked individually, doing as many sums as they could in five minutes and receiving 50 cents for each correct answer. Then they competed in four-person tournaments, with the winner getting $2 per correct answer and the losers getting nothing.
On average, the women made as much as the men under either system. But when they were offered a choice for the next round - take the piece rate or compete in a tournament - most women declined to compete, even the ones who had done the best in the earlier rounds. Most men chose the tournament, even the ones who had done the worst.
The men's eagerness partly stemmed from overconfidence, because on average men rated their ability more highly than the women rated theirs. But interviews and further experiments convinced the researchers, Muriel Niederle of Stanford and Lise Vesterlund of the University of Pittsburgh, that the gender gap wasn't due mainly to women's insecurities about their abilities. It was due to different appetites for competition.
"Even in tasks where they do well, women seem to shy away from competition, whereas men seem to enjoy it too much," Professor Niederle said. "The men who weren't good at this task lost a little money by choosing to compete, and the really good women passed up a lot of money by not entering tournaments they would have won."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I have to disagree - I think much of it is biologically based. Women bear and raise children and I think are more drawn to fields that involve people (caring for them, nurturing, education, etc) then men. I think this is demonstrable even over the past few decades when concerted efforts have been made, starting from childhood onwards to change this preference. These efforts haven't succeeded from what I can see. I would say that the cultural and historical trends evolved from and reinforced the innate biological ones.
OK, I want to change my answer to this one !!!
Yea, after my recent Divorce and working with a variiety of women on the job, I can tell you women love cooperation.
As long as you cooperate on THEIR terms, things are just fine.
I have found what you observed to be absolutely true. Many women base their working relationships and performances EXACTLY on the kinds of things that you saw in the video. I see it every day right here in my own office. Men think of it as petty, however these are the things that matter to women - the "personal" touch. Men tend to be more impersonal.
A good beside manner is a bonus, but if I had to choose, I'd pick a correct diagnosis!
Obviously they want choclate covered Dinsdale.
sexual dimorphism led to so great a difference in physical strenght that men specialized in going for the kill and women specialized in going for the [deleted]
Biologically this makes sense. If your primary biological responsibility is to care for children, you are probably hard wired to be cautious and not to take risks. That is why women are not generally risk takers. It really is biological. And there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. If there were - your moms probably would have fled to Las Vegas when you were toddlers, lol.
;~)
What people underestimate about nurses is the extent to which THEY are actually the ones who are most aware of and best able to diagnosis the patients, despite all the fancy machines and tests. It's hard to beat old fashioned observation and awareness and TLC, which is what nurses provide. I would take the average nurse over the average doctor ANY DAY.
I thought for sure this would be a thread about Mel Gibson.
I want new tires for my truck.
Well I know I have always wanted one. I love the creamy filling.
Uncalled for sexist question here, but why is it that (in my experience) the vast majority of nurses are way over weight?
We can always switch topics !!!
Give it a try next time you have surgery.
I have observed that myself, and I honestly don't know. Maybe it's just that they're so busy they don't have time to take care of themselves? I assume it's a case of the cobbler's kids going without shoes....
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