Swedish study finds discrimination against men in female-dominated occupations (psypost.org)

Article summary

A Swedish study found evidence of hiring discrimination against men in female-dominated occupations, with women having a 52.17% relative advantage in positive employer response rates. The study analyzed 3,200 fictitious job applications sent to 15 different occupations and found no evidence of discrimination against women in male-dominated professions. The researchers suggest that hiring discrimination in entry-level jobs is primarily a problem for men in female-dominated occupations. The study's findings have implications for understanding gender discrimination in the labor market.

Main themes

• gender discrimination
• labor market inequality
• feminism and men's issues
• biological differences
• social and economic disparities
• risk tolerance and success

What commenters say

• Some commenters argue that feminism often ignores issues that disproportionately affect men, such as higher incarceration rates and workplace deaths.
• Others counter that feminism does address these issues, but they are often overlooked in mainstream conversations.
• The idea that men are more aggressive than women due to biological differences is proposed as a possible explanation for some disparities.
• Some argue that a safety net should be provided for both men and women to address social and economic disparities, rather than trying to reduce gaps by introducing threats of social declassment.
• The concept of risk tolerance is suggested as a factor in the differences between men and women in certain fields, with men being more likely to take risks and experience either great success or failure.
• The importance of considering cohort effects and historic issues in analyses of discrimination is emphasized.
• Some commenters believe that affirmative action and other forms of discrimination can be counterproductive and perpetuate inequality.