ABSTRACT
Looking for a job? Years ago when seeking employment, men and women would look in the classified ads under either “Help Wanted-Male” or “Help Wanted-Female.” That kind of job categorization is now illegal. Yet, the gendering of work-that is, the stereotypical belief that some jobs ought to be performed by women while others ought to be performed by men-persists. Historically, many societies, including the United States, have gendered the division of labor. The result? Men typically have been given more opportunities to perform work that is considered important. In Japan, for example, a prevailing notion held that men had careers, while women served as “miscellaneous workers” hired to perform clerical tasks.1 Understanding gender in the workplace is key to understanding how gender inequality impedes the goal of gender egalitarianism.
