Communication Research Project Assignment

Nina Malayeri

Professor Bettina

COMM 101 C

November 25,2018

Equality For Women In The Workforce

Introduction:

Imagine putting in years of effort and hard work with going to class, taking tests,

working, and graduating then being held to a higher standard as someone else in your

workplace. This is a feeling that a majority of women all around the United States feel

after graduating college, gaining experience, and working hard all to be considered less

qualified than a man. In the United States and many other places all over the world for

years before carrying into our current generation women have been seen as less

favored and a minority when being compared to men. In the workplace, and often other

aspects of the world women continue to have to prove themselves in order to be taken

seriously, and treated equally in the workplace. Although women sometimes even have

more experience, and more education in certain fields men still end up having a voice,

being dominant, and getting over compensated when it comes to salary, promotions,

and the hiring process. ​I find that this issue relates to our communication studies

cornerstones of democracy, and diversity. Democracy is defined as on the SJSU

website as “ affirms the balance of individual freedom and socio-political consensus

shaped through dialogue, argument, and persuasion between individuals and groups.”

(SJSU Department of Communication Studies). This problem intertwines with the

democracy cornerstone, because the topic of unequal treatment of women in the

workplace needs to be revised by diversity, women need a democracy, they need their

individual freedom, and this should shape others through dialogue, ,argument and

persuasion. It also ties into diversity which is defined by our department as “Diversity

explores the variety and complexity of communication efforts to shape beliefs, values,

and perceptions in different communities and cultures.” (SJSU Department of

Communication Studies). We need to use this cornerstone to help shape others beliefs

values, and perceptions on the issue, and help bring a positive outcome for women by

bringing awareness of this issue to other individuals. When it comes to the clear

discrepancies in women's wages and treatment in the workplace, Noelle Neumann's

Spiral of Silence Theory becomes relevant because it helps support the idea of women

being seen as a minority with little say in the workplace while men are seen as a

majority having full entitlement and seniority, and it helps others better understand how

this is a communication issue that can only be fixed if it is addressed and acknowledged

by all of us in the workplace.

Research Question:

One question that tends to be overlooked by many in our generation is How is

the unequal treatment of women in the workforce an issue? And, how can Noelle

Neumann's Spiral Of Silence Theory help others better understand why women often

feel their views are considered minority.

Theory: ​ “Spiral Of Silence Theory”

“ A fear of isolation prompts those with minority views to examine the beliefs of

others. Individuals who fear being socially isolated are prone to conform to what they

perceive to be the majority view.” (West & Turner 2018). This further shows how this

theory is relevant to my research because women in the workplace often view

themselves as having a minority view with little recognition in them voicing their opinions

since men are always considered to have the majority view, a majority of the time

leaving women without the confidence to speak up on the inequality because they fear

the reality, which is men being favored. Although the spiral of silence theory was

originally studied to evaluate media and those seen as having a minority / majority

opinion, this theory can always be observed from a different view point besides media

and public opinion. There is not only majority and minority views and opinions when it

comes to the media and cultures, there are also these views when we look at it in terms

of the workplace. For example, many fields have been labeled as dominant like

engineering, and if a women were to apply although she has the qualifications like any

other person would she knows that if she is going in an interview up against a male

competitor for the position she will feel less confident because she will automatically be

looked at as less fit for the job then the male applying. “ Silence theory suggests that

people who believe that they hold a minority viewpoint on a public issue will remain in

the background where their communication will be restrained; those who believe that

they hold a majority viewpoint will be more encouraged to speak. Those in in the

minority will be less assertive in communicating their opinions, thereby leading to a

downward spiral of communicating their opinions, thereby leading to a downward spiral

of communication” (West & Turner 2018). This can be used to help understand why

women in the workforce are often hesitant and do not speak up on receiving unfair

treatment even if they are aware of the unfair treatment.

Literature Review:

While doing my research I came across many beneficial articles that provided a

substantial amount of statistics to further validate that women are treated unequally in

our current and past generation in terms of the workplace. In the first article I read “

Salaries 18% Below Average; Females Earn Less Than Males”, I found it to be one that

provided many strengths rather than limitations because in the article they pinpointed

salary differences based on gender differences. This article was a survey for the

Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication that focused on the

wage gaps between men and women in the field of mass communication, and the

gender differences that come along with it. The first thing that stood out to me in this

article was the clear salary difference between men and females which was nearly a

five thousand dollar difference. “ Table 2 reports that the average salary for male faculty

was $31,860 while the average for females 26,516” ( Stuart,E, Dickey,E 1986). Not only

did the survey show that the salary for women was already lower than men's, but in

addition to that the study also proved that women are less likely to get an increase in

their salary when compared to men. “ The study also showed that the average female

salary has increased less in the last 2 years that has the average male salary” (Stuart,E,

Dickey,E 1986). This article proved out the obvious that many others fail to see without

the statistics behind them, women's salaries are already at a lower rate than mens, not

only are they being started off with a lower pay to begin with, but they are not given

recognition the way men are to have an increase in their salary.

My second source, Gender Discrepancies in a Gendered Profession: A

Developing Theory For Public Relations, which was written by Linda Aldoory, and

Elizabeth Toth. I think this is my strongest source not only because my sources are

educated and credible, but because I feel that this article points out how women's

treatment is unequal in the communication field, and how this is in fact a communication

problem within our field. Toth and Aldoory are both apart of the department of

communications Aldoory from University of Maryland, and Toth from Syracuse

University. The article explains gender discrepancies in gendered professions, and they

further point out how even though Public Relations is a field made up primarily of

women, men are still favored and given more benefits and advantages when it comes to

benefits, salary, and promotions. “ Although the PR professions is almost 70% women

today, men are often favored for hiring, higher salaries, and promotion to management

positions” (Aldoory,L, Toth,E 2002). In addition to that, there is even a larger gap in the

salary when it comes to the pay of women that are in Public Relations, yet again further

proving that men are given more opportunities and recognition then women. “ In 1999,

Impulse Research for PR Week reported that in public relations, women earned 38%

less than men. The average salary for men was $81,920, whereas the average salary

for women was $59,026” (Leyland, 2000). It is sad to say that even in a field where

women are primarily the ones doing the jobs, men are still give the higher advantage.

Disregarding the fact that women make up 70% of the Public Relations field now a days

they are still given less opportunity to move up, or improve in terms of positions and

salaries.

In a Journal Article, Unequal Pay: The Role of Gender, which was written by

Mohamed G. Alkadry and Leslie E. Tower they touched base further on how their are

not only discrepancies in pay, but how there is agency segregation when it comes to

jobs for women. It is disappointing to see that the fields that are labeled as female

dominant occupations are likely to pay lower wages, while occupations that are male

dominated are more likely to have higher wages. In this article the term “ Glass ceiling “

was also referred to quite frequently when they were talking about position and agency

segregation. Agency segregation was one strength that I think further helped argue my

argument, because imagine being designated jobs that are “feminine” only to be paid

less, then on top of it have a man come in to a field that are supposed to be female

dominant and still get handed more than you. Women are “gender -typed” and often

designated with more “female positions. ““ The gender typing of women not only affects

the types of occupations they pursue but also the types of agencies they work for. The

image of “caring” women results in women working in agencies that provides services

such as education and social services “ (Alkadry, M., & Leslie E. Tower. (2006). Women

are limited and gender typed, because they are women they are expected to work in

positions that are more of a caring image, while still getting paid less even though they

are being limited and restricted in terms of job types that are likely to hire them. Not only

are they getting paid less for jobs that are considered “Redistributive agencies rather

than distributive agencies. “ Newman (1994) has argued that women are more likely to

be employed in redistribute agencies than in regulatory or distributive agencies.

According to Lowi, redistributive agencies are those concerned with health, welfare, or

education, and primarily concern themselves with the reallocation of money and

provision of services to certain segments of society. “ (Alkadry, M., & Leslie E. Tower.

(2006) Women are limited to “feminine positions” and even being in positions that are

seen as female dominant, men are still able to come in, take their job maybe even at a

higher position and get paid more.

Recommendation:

After going through and conducting my research, it only helped me further

expand on my theory. I chose the Spiral of Silence Theory not because of the focus on

media or public opinion, because I believe there is a Spiral of Silence in the

communication field as well. Women are not only seen as having a minority view in the

workplace because males usually take over dominance, but also because of the evident

mistreatment of women in the workplace with constant restrictions and obstacles they

face. This theory helped me see this issue in a different light because of the fact that

women are indeed isolated and fear speaking up when it comes to these

circumstances. Clearly men are favored, offered better positions, and offered better pay.

With women being aware of that, and having fought in previous generations for equal

pay they see themselves as a minority because they fear that their voice will not be

heard, therefore they do not speak up about this issue. It is extremely unfortunate that

even after the equal pay act of 1963 women are still not viewed in the same light that

men are. They are constantly set up for failure, and quite honestly this is degrading to

women that have continued to have to fight for them rights and equality. To approach

the problem of unequal treatment of women in all categories of the workforce it would

be helpful if others were able to understand the Spiral of Silence theory and understand

how this makes women in the work force a minority, and use that as a way to defend

and better understand women. If we are able to understand this issue then each of us in

the workplace should be able to put our foot down and stand for it. The more awareness

that is brought to this issue, the more others will find the need to correct it. If we shut

down as women ,and do not stand up for ourselves we will only set up our future

generations for failure. If women are not treated equally, and they are segregated and

limited to opportunities in succeeding, clearly their opinion is considered to be a minority

view. If we as a whole society are able to see this problem, and apply Spiral of Silence

theory in a positive way to uplift and give women a voice, rather than ignoring their voice

then there may be changes in the way women are treated in the workforce. In order to

fix a problem you have to realize its a problem first, then find the solution after.

Reflection:

If other individuals are able to approach the issue of women not being heard and

treated equally in the workforce, then some change may be possible. It is important to

first recognize a problem before correcting it as I previously said. Many people fail to

recognize the discrepancies between male and females, and the treatment of males

and females in the workforce. It is not always by choice that they choose to not see this

as an issue, but many people are unaware or have not experienced the inequality that

takes place. This often happens with women in other circumstances as well ,they fear

speaking up because they worry that because they are women they will not be heard so

what is the point. We witnessed this in our recent “ Me too “ movement. If we come

together one at a time it gives others the courage to be passionate and stand for what

they believe in. Spiral of Silence theory is a great way for people to view this issue,

because looking at the theory outside of the media and public opinion it is a valuable

theory that stresses the importance of being able to have a voice and say, when people

fear that their opinion or say will not be valued, they refrain from saying anything at all,

and if women hold off on speaking their opinion and standing up for themselves in the

workforce we may have an neverending future of unequal treatment and pay for the

generations to come.

From the beginning of my research project I knew immediately that this is one I

wanted to focus on. Many may call me a “feminist” which I am not denying, and I am

okay with that. I chose this issue to research and further look into because I am

personally passionate about women being treated equally in all aspects. I feel that often

there are double standards, and higher expectations that are held for women in all

aspects of life. Going forward I want to take this research and expand it in both my

professional and personal life. In terms of professional life when I graduate SJSU I plan

on working in a Human Resources field. With that being said, I want to make sure that I

am able to offer women the equal rights and wages that they deserve. I personally have

experienced an am currently apart of this, and I personally have experienced these

discrepancies because I have been paid less than a male that is in my position and

happens to have a significant amount of less experience than me. I hope that going

forward once I am in a position of higher power I am able to give women the play that

they deserve, and correct any differences that I may witness as being apart of a

corporate field. I think that it is important to be passionate about a topic, and if you are

passionate about it you are more likely to have more drive. In terms of my personal life I

hope to bring awareness to this issue while being an advocate for women. The issue is

a lot more deep rooted than just salaries, promotions, and the hiring process. Women

are constantly held to different expectations than men, and many times their voice is not

heard. We witness this in everyday situations, the work place, school, personal

relationships. Men have always been favored and seen as dominant with more say, and

I think that with our current generation and the issues that have come up in terms of

women empowerment it is important to bring light to these issues.

Conclusion:

It is visible through statistics, personal experiences, and case studies that women

have always had to put up a fight for their pay, and fair treatment when it has come to

men dating back hundreds of years. women have experienced years of pay

discrimination, and agency segregation, as well as sexism when it comes to the

workforce. This is an issue that many people think have faded away with our

generations changing, and all of the rights that have been made to equally protect

women and their equal pay. However, there are still large gaps when it comes to

women's salaries, promotions, hiring process, and major selection. It is evident that men

are paid more, move up faster in the workplace, and ultimately are favored at a higher

desire then women. Even in fields where women make up a majority of the employees

for example (PR, HR) , men still somehow are given more opportunities. This is an

issue that needs to be addressed and seen in a different light, by those who refuse to

stand up for it, and refuse to even see it as a issue.

References

Aldoory, L., & Toth, E. (2002). Gender Discrepancies in a Gendered Profession:

A Developing Theory for Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 14(2),

103–126. Retrieved from

http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tru

e&db=ufh&AN=6264009&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Alkadry, M., & Leslie E. Tower. (2006). Unequal Pay: The Role of Gender. Public

Administration Review, 66(6), 888-898. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/stable/4096605

Department of Communication Studies. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.sjsu.edu/comm/about/

Stuart, E., & Dickey, E. B. (1986). Salaries 18% below average- females earn

less than males. Journalism Educator, 41(3), 23–25. Retrieved from

http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tru

e&db=ufh&AN=14530721&site=ehost-live&scope=site