ABSTRACT
The three papers on comparable worth form a broad spectrum of views on this subject. Hartmann's paper explains the purpose of a comparable worth strategy and argues for its implementation from a neoclassical and political economy/ feminist perspective. Mangum analyzes the issue from an institutionalist point of view and concludes that a comparable worth strategy is a positive goal for companies that already have an internal labor market structure. Raisian, Welch, and Ward, on the other hand, critique comparable worth policies. They argue that the methodology of comparable worth proposals is arbitrary and subjective, and that implementation of comparable worth will do very little for women's earnings relative to men's earnings. The first two papers are theoretical and descriptive treatments of the subject, while the latter is an empirical analysis of comparable worth. This review will focus upon those empirical efforts.
