1. Which age group do you fall into?
16-24 25-30 30-45 45-60 Over 60
2. Which of these ethnic groups do you consider you belong to?
White
· British
· Other White background
Mixed
· White and Black Caribbean
· White and Black African
· White and Asian
· Other Mixed background
Chinese or other ethnic group
· Chinese
· Other (please mention below)
___________________________________
3. Marital status
Single Living with partner Divorced Married
Involved in a relationship
4. Are you in paid employment?
Yes No
5. Do you work:
Part time Full time Seasonal
6. What is your job title?
_____________________________________
7. Do you have Children? (If no, go straight on to question 11)
Yes No
8. How many children do you have?
……………………….
9. What age group(s) do your children fall into? (Tick all that is applicable)
Under 1 1 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 11 12 to 18
Over 18
10. Would you take the day off work if your child was ill?
Yes No Not sure
11. Number these in order of priority with 1 being the least important and 6 being the most important to you
Marriage Children Career Money
Family Independence
12. How far do you agree with these statements?
“Women have achieved equal status with men in employment”
Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree
“Women are less likely to get promoted at work than men”
Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree
“Women earn less than men”
Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree
“Women get discriminated against in the workplace”
Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree
“Lack of adequate and affordable childcare is the main reason why some mothers choose not to return to work”
Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree
“The main role of a woman is that of housewife and mother”
Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree
“Mothers should stay at home and look after young children rather than going out to work”
Strongly agree Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree
13. How happy are you with your job?
Very happy Happy Neither happy nor unhappy
Unhappy Very unhappy
14. Do you think men and women receive equal treatment in your workplace?
Yes Not sure No
Thank you for completing this questionnaire
Interview on the changing status of women in employment
Hello, I am Amena Begum; I am carrying out interviews for my GCSE Sociology coursework on the changing status of women in employment. Would you mind if I interviewed you? You are under no obligation to answer the questions.
Do you think Women have achieved equal status in employment?
No
Why do you think that?
Although women’s status in employment has increased, men still feel that they are superior. Discrimination still occurs in the workplace and some occupations are stereotyped as ‘masculine’ for e.g. there are hardly any woman builders.
Do you think that it is more socially acceptable for a woman to focus on her career than to start a family? Please give reasons for your answer
Yes because industries have changed, jobs are shared, the working population has increased. Women feel that they are taken advantage of in the workplace and that they’ve gained their status in employment.
Why do you think women are choosing their career over starting a family?
They want to achieve their best, complete goals in life. Starting a family takes up a lot of time and concentration. They want to experience life, be carefree, have no responsibilities and no worries.
Interview on the changing status of women in employment
Hello, I am Amena Begum; I am carrying out interviews for my GCSE Sociology coursework on the changing status of women in employment. Would you mind if I interviewed you? You are under no obligation to answer the questions.
Do you think Women have achieved equal status in employment?
Yes
Why do you think that?
I believe women have proved themselves to be intellectual individuals, through exams etc and I think this has been recognised which is why they have gained respect in the world of work.
Do you think that it is more socially acceptable for a woman to focus on her career than to start a family? Please give reasons for your answer
I believe a career should come as second priority in a woman’s life. I think starting a family is very important to carry on the next generation, I think in terms of social acceptance, women have part time careers and focus on their children is the ideal.
Why do you think women are choosing their career over starting a family?
I feel that women believe that working hard for their degree and qualifications should mean the maximum experience of having a career. They want to seize the
Opportunity that they have worked so long for and many women might see starting a family as hindering their chance of fulfilling a successful career.
Interview on the changing status of women in employment
Hello, I am Amena Begum; I am carrying out interviews for my GCSE Sociology coursework on the changing status of women in employment. Would you mind if I interviewed you? You are under no obligation to answer the questions.
Do you think Women have achieved equal status in employment?
No
Why do you think that?
Women are still discriminated in the workplace, they find it hard to get the top jobs for e.g women find it hard to become MPs.
Do you think that it is more socially acceptable for a woman to focus on her career than to start a family? Please give reasons for your answer
Yes, women need to have a job- shows stability, independence and success. Education has changed- its easier, they give you qualifications. However men still women should stay at home to protect their masculinity.
Why do you think women are choosing their career over starting a family?
Women care about what they want to do in life they don’t want to settle down and be responsible or tied down. They feel that they would be taken advantage of in the family.
Interview on the changing status of women in employment
Hello, I am Amena Begum; I am carrying out interviews for my GCSE Sociology coursework on the changing status of women in employment. Would you mind if I interviewed you? You are under no obligation to answer the questions.
Do you think Women have achieved equal status in employment?
No
Why do you think that?
Women on average get paid less than men and I still feel that men dominate the workplace. I mean men still make up a large proportion of the top managerial positions.
Do you think that it is more socially acceptable for a woman to focus on her career than to start a family? Please give reasons for your answer
Yes. Before it was almost unheard of for women especially middle class to work nowadays people just assume that when a girl finishes her education, she will go out and work. Also more and more women are choosing not to have children, I mean the birth/ fertility rate is decreasing.
Why do you think women are choosing their career over starting a family?
Well I believe that women have more opportunities especially in employment an education. Women are now empowered and feel that they are wasted or taken advantage of in employment.
Results: Questionnaires
Which age group do you fall into?
Which of these ethnic groups do you consider you belong to?
Marital Status
Are you in Paid employment?
Do you work:
Do you have Children?
How many children do you have?
What age group(s) do your children fall into?
Would you take the day off work if your child was sick?
Number these in order or priority with 1 being the least important and 6 being the most important to you
The top priority in a woman’s life:
“Women have achieved equal status with men in employment”
“Women are less likely to get promoted at work than men”
“Women earn less than men”
“Women get discriminated against in the workplace”
“Lack of adequate and affordable childcare is the main reason why some mothers choose not to return to work”
“The main role of a woman is that of housewife and mother”
“Mothers should stay at home and look after young children rather than going out to work”
How happy are you with your job?
Do you think men and women receive equal treatment in your workplace?
Questionnaire results
576
This graph conveys that 45% of respondents were aged 30- 45, compared to 18% of participants who were aged 16- 24. 5 % were aged 45-60 and 23 % were aged 25-30.
This graph implies that 32% of the participants were married compared to 31% which were single. However 5% were involved in a relationship and 5% were divorced. 27% were cohabitating.
This graph illustrates that 82% of the respondents were in paid employment and 18% were unemployed.
This graph displays that 44% of the respondents were British compared to 5 % who were Chinese. 9 % were Bangladeshi and 8% were from other White background. 5 % were Pakistani, 5 % were Caribbean, 5 % were Indian and 5 % were African.
This graph shows that 41% of respondents put family as their top priority. In contrast only 18% put children, 18% also put their career as their main prority in life. 5 % put money, 9 % put marriage and independence.
This graph conveys that 11 people believed that women have not achieved equal status with men. Only 1 person strongly agreed with statement and 4 people agreed. Conversely 3 people strongly disagreed
This graph reveals that 5 people strongly believed that women earned less than men. 12 people agreed with the statement but 2 people were not sure. Furthermore 2 people disagreed that women earned less than men and only 1 person strongly disagreed.
This graph conveys that none of the participants strongly agreed that women are less likely to get promoted at work than men, However 8 participants agreed and 10 people were not sure with the statement. Additionally 4 people disagreed.
This graph illustrates that that 10 people believe that women get discriminated in the workplace and 5 people were not sure about the statement. However 6 people disagreed, and 1 person strongly disagreed with the statement.
This graph connotes that 11 participants believed that the lack of adequate and affordable childcare is the main reason why some mothers choose not to return to work. 3 people strongly agreed with the statement however 3 people disagreed and 1 person strongly disagreed. However 4 people were not sure about the statement.
This graph reveals that the majority of respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed that “the main role of a woman was that of housewife and mother.” 11 people disagreed and 9 people strongly disagreed. However 2 people agreed with the statement.
This graph shows that 9 people strongly disagreed with the statement “mothers should stay at home and look after young children rather than going out to work.” Only 1 person strongly agreed with the statement and 4 people agreed. However 2 people were not sure about the statement and 6 people disagreed.
This graph conveys that 45% of the participants were happy with their jobs compared to 10% who were unhappy and 30 % who were very happy. 15% were neither happy nor unhappy with their jobs.
This graph conveys that 78% of those in employment worked full time and 22% were worked part time.
This graph illustrates that 73% of participants had children however 27% did not.
This graph shows that of the respondents, who had children, 3 women had 2 children, 2 women had 3 children and 1 woman had 1 child.
This graph conveys that of the participants who had children, 83% would take a day off work if their child was ill however 17% would not.
Primary Results: Interviews
The majority of the respondents believed that equality had not been achieved in employment which is relevant to aim one, the reasons they gave for this was that “women still find it hard to get the top jobs,” “discrimination still occurs” and that “you are more likely to get a male boss than a female one.” They also felt that it is more acceptable for a woman to put her career before starting a family which is relevant to aim 3; “now it is assumed that after a girl finishes her education they will go and work,” and that “women need to have a job- shows stability, independence and success.” Furthermore women “don’t feel obliged to start a family.” The interviews also state that women are choosing work over starting a family because “they prefer to be independent,” “they feel that working hard for their degree and qualifications should mean the maximum experience of having a career,” they want to “live life” and “they feel that they are taken advantage of in the family.”
(190)
Description of secondary results
The government statistics reveal that that the average weekly wage for women has been increasing. In 1999 the wage for a woman was £326.50 this has increased by £69.50 to £396 in 2002. The statistics also reveal that men earn more than women; in 2003 the average wage for a man was £525, which is £129 more than the average wage for a woman. Women working in the manual sector on average earn less, earning £154.20 less than non-manual women. This is relevant to aim 1 because it suggests that women have not achieved equal status with men in employment as there is a wide gap between the wages of men and women.
Government statistics are collected by civil servants not sociologists and could have been manipulated to make the government look good which reduces the reliability of this data.
Newspaper articles such as the Inside Education Article suggest that although women predominate in schools, making up nearly 70% of the teaching force, men still make up a large proportion of head teachers, “men make up just 11% of Primary classroom teachers, yet 41.5% of Primary Heads are male.” At secondary level, ‘women make up 53.2% of teachers but just 27.8% of heads’. Furthermore it suggests that women are not becoming head teachers due to the fact that they take time out to have children, “mothers who have taken a career break return to compete for promotion with candidates 5- 10 years younger.” Furthermore this article exemplifies that fewer women aspire to be headteachers, “women teachers tend to be perfectionists, they tell themselves they’re not good enough and have to do their existing jobs perfectly before they can move up.” Female teachers are also reluctant to upset their work/ life balance and feel that ‘a senior post would not fit in with domestic responsibilities. This is relevant to aim 2 since this article conveys that women are disinclined to become a head teacher because they would rather put their domestic responsibilities first. Also many female teachers take time off work to start a family which consequently hinders their status in employment. This implies that female teachers, despite having greater opportunities to become a headteachers would rather put their domestic and family responsibility first.
Newspaper articles are often exaggerated and ‘sensationalised’ to create more profit which reduces the validity. It also was written in early 2002 and so might not be
The Internet article from conveys that women are less likely than men to be in employment- 70 % of all working age women are in employment compared with 80 % of all working age men. The employment rate for women with children is lower than those without- fewer than 50% of working age women with a child under 2 are in employment. This links to aim 2 and connotes that mothers with young children put family responsibilities before their career. Women make up just 24% of managers and just fewer than 10% of directors in companies. It also suggests that women are still stereotyped into a narrow range of jobs- as secretaries, nurses, cooks and cleaners. These jobs are all extensions of the traditional domestic responsibilities held by the mother and the housewife which many women are stereotyped as.
Analysis
The questionnaires imply that women have not achieved equal status with men in employment (aim 1) as women face poor promotion prospects and women earn less than men. Furthermore the questionnaires convey that the role of women has changed because the primary role of a woman is not that of housewife and mother. This is relevant to aim 3 because it illustrates that it is socially acceptable for a woman to focus on her career rather than on domestic responsibilities. Furthermore the questionnaires suggest that women are choosing their careers over starting a family which is relevant to aim 2. The questionnaires were useful because there was a high response rate and I was able to gather enough data to comment on my hypothesis and aims.
The interviews suggest that equality has not been achieved in employment (aim1); it is more socially acceptable for a woman to focus on her career rather than to start a family (aim 3). Furthermore it conveys that women are choosing their career over starting a family because they now have the opportunity to and that they feel that they are taken advantage of in the family (aim 2). My primary data was problematic because my respondents were female. The interviews were useful because I was able to find out women’s opinions on their status in employment
The government statistics suggest that although women’s income has increased since 1998, women and men do not receive equal pay (aim 1). Furthermore; it suggests that non manual women earn more than manual women. This data was useful because I was able to find out if women and men receive equal pay. Government statistics are not collected by sociologists and could have been manipulated to make the government look good which reduces the reliability of this data.
The newspaper article suggests that females are under represented as head teachers. It also suggests that despite having greater opportunities many women are disinclined to get the top jobs as they feel may affect their domestic responsibilities, which is relevant to aim 3. Newspaper articles tend to be ‘sensationalised’ to create profit thus reducing the reliability.
The internet article intimates that women are less likely than men to be employed (aim1) and that women are stereotyped into a narrow range of jobs which are all extensions of the traditional domestic responsibilities held by the mother and the housewife. This is relevant to aim 3 because it conveys that the primary role of women is still considered to be that of housewife and mother. This data was useful because it provided information on the sexual division of labour and the effect on women’s status in employment.
Evaluation
The hypothesis has been proved because my findings support it.
In order to make sure I didn’t encounter any problems with the questionnaires I conducted a pilot study to test for any potential problems. However I experience problems regarding question 11 as some respondents did not read the question properly, no.1 was the least important and no, 6 was the most important, but some participants put it the other way round. The response rate for the questionnaire was high; I distributed 25 questions and received 22.
Overall the interviews went well but I feel that interviewer bias may have occurred as I sensed some respondents weren’t honest with their answers. I also had difficulty in recording the answers; I had to write while the participants were speaking which may have meant that the respondent’s answer wasn’t fully recorded thus reducing the validity. My results were biased because my respondents were female, I would eliminate this bias by having male respondents and getting their perspective on the role of women in contemporary Britain.
I would improve my result by using a larger sampling frame, I would distribute 50 questionnaires and conduct 30 interviews, this would mean that the results would be more reliable. I would use stratified sampling to select the respondents to make sure the results were representative in terms of age because there was only 1 respondent who was over 60. I would also use a dictation machine to record the answers to the interviews which would mean an increase in validity.
In conclusion women have more status in employment because it has become more socially acceptable for a woman to put her career before starting a family.
Bibliography
An Introduction to sociology Ken Browne
(1998)
Contemporary British Society Nicholas Abercrombie
(2003) Alan Warde
Introductory Sociology
(2002) Tony Bilton
Kevin Bonnett
Pip Jones
Tony Lawson
David Skinner
Michelle Stanworth
Andrew Webster
Evening Standard
“Why it’s still hard to be a woman” Nancy Tolford
October 25 2002
