Buried stereotypes, one example (of many)

[Bonobo]

Where to even start...

Consider the story told about men and teaching...

Teachers do not earn much in the US and there are more women than men teaching. We all agree on that, but how we EXPLAIN it tells the story of stereotypes.

The story that some people like to repeat carries all sorts of negative stereotypes about men while pushing the most generous stereotypes about women.

STORY 1 - Men consider teaching "women's work" and don't go into it because it doesn't pay enough.

THE SUBTEXT is that men are selfish and only care about money while women are selfless and nurturing.

THE REALITY is that the burden of supporting the household is still disproportionately laid on the men despite the clamors for equality. Furthermore, it is much more common for woman to refuse a potential partner because of lack of money than for men to do it to woman. If men have to go for the money, it is for those two reasons, NOT because they are less decent as human beings and it is high time we reject those malicious stereotypes.

[noamnety]

1. I understood teacher pay differently.

I thought it was that people of both genders (historically) considered teaching children to be women's work. Therefore it received less pay. "Women's work = cause, less pay = effect," not "less pay = cause, less men work in the field - effect."

[Bonobo]

2. That could be the history of it, but....

But the suggestion that men don't take the jobs because they are selfish or money-grubbing or don't care about children is obnoxious and untrue and it is much more likely that it is due to the economic imperative placed disproportionately on men.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. Labor is subject to supply and demand.

School districts pay what they do because colleges graduate plenty of teachers.

I would debate that the hourly wage for teachers, when benefits are factored in, is all that bad.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. Further, boys get the message that education isn't meant for them from an early age.

Thus, they are not prepared to go to college - they instead go work at the refinery like the rest of their peers.