Skip to main content

Women in the Workplace: Feminism’s Potential Impact

  • Chapter
Handbook on Well-Being of Working Women

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life ((IHQL))

Abstract

Despite advances for women in the workplace, several factors continue to negatively impact women’s sense of well-being at work. These factors include sex discrimination, gender role constraints, a male dominated workplace, and rigidity in work/family arrangements. This chapter will review ways a feminist perspective may assist women in the workplace by challenging traditional gender-roles, giving a context for discrimination, and providing a sense of competency in managing the work environment, perhaps leading to a greater overall sense of well-being. Lastly, using the feminist perspective, the chapter concludes with some recommendations for improving the workplace for women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, K. J. (2012). Is feminism good for women? In P. K. Lundberg-Love, K. L. Nadal, & M. A. Paludi (Eds.), Women and mental disorders (Vol. 1–4, pp. 3–15). Santa Barbara: Praeger/ABC-CLIO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Askari, S. F., Liss, M., Erchull, M. J., Staebell, S. E., & Axelson, S. J. (2010). Men want equality, but women don’t expect it: Young adults’ expectations for participation in household and child care chores. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34, 243–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayres, M. M., Friedman, C. K., & Leaper, C. (2009). Individual and situational factors related to young women’s likelihood of confronting sexism in their everyday lives. Sex Roles, 61, 449–460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bastain, L., Lancaster, A., & Reyst, J. (1996). The Department of Defense 1995 sexual harassment survey. Arlington: Defense Manpower Data Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Betz, N., & Fitzgerald, L. (1987). The career psychology of women. Orlando: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bianchi, S. M., Milkie, M. A., Sayer, L. C., & Robinson, J. P. (2000). Its anyone doing the housework? Trends in the gender division of labor. Social Forces, 79, 191–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bird, C. E., & Ross, C. E. (1993). Houseworkers and paid workers: Qualities of the work and effects on personal control. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 55, 913–925.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bishaw, A., & Semega, J. (2008). Income, earnings, and poverty data from the 2007 American Community Survey (American community survey reports, ACS – 09). Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boye, K. (2009). Relatively different? How do gender differences in well-being depend on paid and unpaid work in Europe? Social Indicators Research, 93, 509–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, L., & Perot, A. R. (1991). Reporting sexual harassment: Exploring a predictive model. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 15, 31–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cady, K. A. (2013). Flexible labor: A feminist response to late twentieth-century capitalism? Feminist Media Studies, 13, 395–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capodilupo, C. M., Nadal, K. L., Corman, L., Hamit, S., Lyons, O., & Weinberg, A. (2010). The manifestation of gender microaggressions. In D. W. Sue (Ed.), Microagressions and marginality: Manifestation, dynamics, and impact (pp. 193–216). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro, Y., & Gordon, K. H. (2012). A review of recent research on multiple roles and women’s mental health. In P. K. Lundberg-Love, K. L. Nadal, & M. A. Paludi (Eds.), Women and mental disorders (Vol. 1–4, pp. 37–54). Santa Barbara: Praeger/ABC-CLIO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Correll, S., Bernard, S., & Paik, I. (2007). Getting a job: Is there a mother-hood penalty? American Journal of Sociology, 112, 1297–1338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crull, P. (1982). Stress effect of sexual harassment on the job: Implications for counseling. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 52, 539–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, M. (2005). Gender in cohabitation and marriage – The influence of gender ideology on housework allocation over the life course. Journal of Family Issues, 26, 1037–1061.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeSouza, E. R., & Solberg, J. (2003). Incidence and dimensions of sexual harassment across cultures. In M. Paludi & C. Paludi (Eds.), Academic and work-place sexual harassment: A handbook of cultural, social science, management, and legal perspectives (pp. 3–30). Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaphue, N., & Fallon, B. J. (2003). Gender-role self-stereotyping and the relationship between equality and satisfaction in close relationships. Sex Roles, 48, 217–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Downing, N. E., & Roush, K. L. (1985). From passive acceptance to active commitment: A model of feminist identify development for women. Counseling Psychologist, 13, 695–709.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Estes, S. B. (2004). How are family-responsive workplace arrangements family friendly? Employer accommodations, parenting, and children’s socioemotional well-being. The Sociological Quarterly, 45, 637–661.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fine, M. (1992). Disruptive voices: The possibility of feminist research. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, A. R., & Good, G. E. (2004). Women’s feminist consciousness, anger, and psychological distress. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 437–446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, A. R., & Holz, K. B. (2010). Testing a model of women’s personal sense of justice, control, well-being, and distress in the context of sexist discrimination. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34, 297–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, A. R., Tokar, D. M., Mergel, M. M., Good, G. E., Hill, M. S., & Blum, S. A. (2000). Assessing women’s feminist identity development. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 24, 15–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, M. D. (2000). Positive and negative responses to personal discrimination: Does coping make a difference? The Journal of Social Psychology, 140, 93–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franks, M. M., & Stephanes, M. A. (1992). Multiple roles of middle-generation caregivers: Contextual effects and psychological mechanisms. Journal of Gerontology, 47, 123–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women’s lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 173–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruber, J. E., & Bjorn, L. (1982). Blue collar blues: The sexual harassment of women autoworkers. Work and Occupations, 9, 271–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruber, J. E., & Smith, M. (1995). Women’s responses to sexual harassment. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 17, 543–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, N., Jenkins, G. D., & Beehr, T. A. (1983). Employee gender, gender similarity, and supervisor-subordinate cross evaluations. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 8, 174–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, J., Alagna, S., King, L., & Loyd, C. (1987). The emotional consequences of gender-based abuse in the workplace: New counseling programs for sex discrimination. Women and Therapy, 6, 155–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, K. L., Melaas, K., & Rodacker, E. (1999). The impact of women’s studies courses on college students of the 1990s. Sex Roles, 40, 969–977.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hausmann, R., Tyson, L., & Zahidi, S. (2009). The global gender gap report. Geneva: World Economic Forum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-King, D. H., & Zhermer, N. (2003). Feminist consciousness among Russians and Americans. Sex Roles, 48, 143–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong, J., & Seltzer, M. M. (1995). The psychological consequences of multiple roles: The nonnormative case. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36(4), 386–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoobler, J. M., Wayne, S. J., & Lemmon, G. (2009). Bosses’ perceptions of family – work conflict and women’s promotability: Glass ceiling effects. Academy of Management Journal, 52, 939–957.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Illies, R., Hauserman, N., Schwochau, S., & Stibal, J. (2003). Reported incidence rates of work-related sexual harassment in the United States: Using meta-analysis to explain reported rate disparities. Personnel Psychology, 56, 607–631.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Institute for Women’s Policy Research. (2012). Pay equity and discrimination. Retrieved from http://www.iwpr.org/press-room/press-releases/most-women-working-today-will-not-see-equal-pay-during-their-working-lives

  • Judge, T. A., & Bono, J. E. (2001). Relationship of core self-evaluation traits – Self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability- with job satisfaction and job performance. A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 80–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Judge, T. A., & Livingston, B. (2008). Is the gap more than gender? A longitudinal analysis of gender, gender role orientation and earnings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 994–1012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keil, J., & Christie-Mizell, C. (2008). Beliefs, fertility, and earnings of African American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white mothers. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 30, 299–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leaper, C., & Arias, D. M. (2011). College women’s feminist identity: A multidimensional analysis with implications for coping with sexism. Sex Roles, 64, 475–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leaper, C., & Brown, C. (2008). Perceived experiences with seism among adolescent girls. Child Development, 79, 685–704.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leicht, K. T. (2008). Broken down by race and gender? Sociological explanations of new sources of earnings inequality. American Review of Sociology, 34, 237–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Major, B. (1987). Gender, justice, and the psychology of entitlement. In P. Shaver & C. Hendrick (Eds.), Review of personality and social psychology (Sex and gender, Vol. 7, pp. 124–148). Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malkin, C., & Stake, J. E. (2004). Changes in attitudes and self-confidence in women’s and gender studies classroom: The role of teacher alliance and student cohesion. Sex Roles, 50(7/8), 455–468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mauthner, N. S. (1998). It’s a women’s cry for help: A relational perspective on postnatal depression. Feminism and Psychology, 8, 325–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milner-Rubino, K., Settles, I. H., & Stewart, A. J. (2009). More than numbers: Individual and contextual factors in how gender diversity effects women’s well-being. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 33, 463–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milner-Rubio, K., & Cortina, L. M. (2004). Working in a context of hostility toward women: Implications for employees’ well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 9, 107–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moen, P., & Roehling, P. (2005). The career mystique: Cracks in the American dream. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monserrat, S., Duffy, J., Olivas-Lujan, M., Miller, J., Gregory, A., Fox, S., Lutuchy, T., Punnett, B. J., & Santos, N. (2009). Mentoring experiences of successful women across the Americas. Gender in Management, 24, 455–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moradi, B. (2012). Feminist social justice orientation: An indicator of optimal functioning? The Counseling Psychologist, 40, 1133–1148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morandi, B., & Subich, L. M. (2002). Perceived sexist events and feminist identity development attitudes: Links to women’s psychological distress. The Counseling Psychologist, 30, 44–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morandi, B., & Yoder, J. D. (2011). Current status and future directions in research on women’s experiences. In E. M. Altmaier & J. C. Hansen (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of counseling psychology (pp. 346–374). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murnen, S. K., & Smolak, L. (2009). Are feminist women protected from body image problems? A meta-analytic review of relevant research. Sex Roles, 60, 186–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ossana, S. M., Helms, J. E., & Leonaryd, M. M. (1992). Do “womanist” identity attitudes influence college women’s self-esteem and perceptions of environmental bias? Journal of Counseling and Development, 70, 402–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pence, D. (1992). A women’s studies course: Its impact on women’s attitudes towards men and masculinity. NSWA Journal, 4, 321–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, K., Apte, M., & Subbakrishna, D. K. (2003). Coping and subjective well-being in women with multiple roles. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 49, 175–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rederstorff, J., Buchanan, N., & Settles, I. (2007). The moderating roles of race and gender-role attitudes in the relationship between sexual harassment and psychological well-being. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 50–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid, J., & Hardy, M. (1999). Multiple roles and well-being among midlife women: Testing role strain and role enhancement theories. Journals of Gerontology Series B – Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 54, S329–S338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridgeway, C., & Correll, S. (2004). Motherhood as a status characteristic. Journal of Social Issues, 60, 683–700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudman, L. A., & Phelan, J. E. (2007). The interpersonal power for feminism: Is feminism good for romantic relationships? Sex Roles, 57, 787–799.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saunders, K. J., & Kashubeck-West, S. (2006). The relations among feminist identity development, gender-role orientation, and psychological well-being in women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 199–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., Kobrynowicz, D., & Owen, S. (2002). Perceiving discrimination against one’s gender group has different implications for well-being in women and men. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 197–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, B. E. (1982). Consciousness about sexual harassment among heterosexual and lesbian women workers. Journal of Social Issues, 38, 75–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steffens, M. C., Jelenec, P., & Noack, P. (2010). On the leaky math pipeline: Comparing implicit math-gender stereotypes and math withdrawal in female and make children and adolescents. Journal of Education Psychology, 102, 947–963.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swim, J. K., Hyers, L. L., Cohen, L. L., & Ferguson, M. J. (2001). Everyday sexism: Evidence for its incidence, nature, and psychological impact from three daily diary studies. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 31–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009). Women in the labor force: A databook. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/cps/wlf-databook-2009.pdf

  • U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2011). Gender-based wage gap persists, experts agree at EEOC forum. Retrieved from http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/4-28-11a.cfm

  • Yoder, J. D. (2012). Finding optimal functioning in a sexist world: A social justice challenge. The Counseling Psychologist, 40, 72–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoder, J. D., Perry, R. L., & Saal, E. I. (2007). What good is feminist identity? Women’s feminist identification and role expectations for intimate and sexual relationships. Sex Roles, 57, 365–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoder, J. D., Snell, A. F., & Tobias, A. (2012). Balancing multicultural competence with social justice: Feminist beliefs and optimal psychological functioning. The Counseling Psychologist, 40, 1101–1132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zucker, A. N. (2004). Disavowing social identities: What it means when women say, “I’m not a feminist, but…”. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28, 423–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kendra Saunders .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Saunders, K. (2016). Women in the Workplace: Feminism’s Potential Impact. In: Connerley, M., Wu, J. (eds) Handbook on Well-Being of Working Women. International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9897-6_32

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9897-6_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-017-9896-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-9897-6

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics