Essay on Social Stratification and Inequality

The problem of gender segregation in education and labor market persisted throughout centuries. Today this problem is still relevant and such issues as glass ceiling still persist in the modern society, although the access of women, who were traditionally discriminated, to education increased substantially. In fact, today, it is possible to trace some elements of gender segregation in the labor market, while in education such segregation is rather exceptional than normal.

In such a context, the gender segregation in education and labor market can be explained from different theoretical perspectives. For instance, the social conflict theory focuses on the explanation of gender segregation in education and labor market by the antagonism between social classes and the oppression of women by the dominant male group. To put it more precisely, the social conflict and other Marxist theories explain the gender segregation in education and labor market by the socioeconomic domination of men, who controlled all spheres of social life, while women were oppressed and held inferior socioeconomic position. As men held the economic control they oppressed and discriminated women.

The feminist theory explains the gender segregation by gender differences and antagonism between men and women. In the competitive struggle of representatives of two genders, men took control and oppressed women. Therefore, to change the situation and to eliminate the segregation women should struggle for equal rights and opportunities.

Remarkably, the postmodernist theory criticizes all the others and holds the premise that existing theoretical explanation of the gender segregation in education and labor market are inconsistent and arguable.

Thus, different theories open different perspectives on the gender segregation in education and labor market.