Pink-collar work refers to the jobs that have been traditionally termed as women’s work. This term was used to differentiate blue-collar jobs and white–collar jobs from female-oriented jobs (Liben et al. 350). Traditionally, most of the pink-collar workers were women and were involved in occupations such as daycare work, babysitting, teaching and nursing. Currently, the pink-collar work has transformed in that the workers are trained to ensure advancement in their careers, and men have also assumed the pink-collar jobs (Glick et al. 560). However, although the men who take the pink-collar jobs have more job security, they are also faced with stigmatisation due to the cultural views of masculinity.
As a male taking up the pink-collar jobs, I would be confident in telling other people what I do for a living. I would definitely be happy to have a job in this population filled with unemployed personnel. This is because gone are the days when pink-collar jobs belonged to women and white and blue-collar jobs belonged to men. Nowadays, job roles have been switched, with more men taking female-dominated careers and females taking up male-dominated careers (Loscocco 162). For instance, most lawyers are female while most teachers and nurses are men, which indicates that there has been a transformation in gender roles.
As a female, if my partner or a relative did the pink-collar jobs, I would be proud of them due to the fact that they can earn a living and are strong enough to take up the roles which are culturally termed feminine. Additionally, I would also be proud of them for their ability to overcome the stigmatisation that comes with men assuming pink-collar jobs.
Work Cited
Glick, Peter, Korin Wilk, and Michele Perreault. “Images of occupations: Components of gender and status in occupational stereotypes.” 32.9-10 (1995): 565-582.
Liben, Lynn S., Rebecca S. Bigler, and Colleen R. Krogh. “Pink and blue collar jobs: judgments of job status and job aspirations.” Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 79.4 (2001): 346-363.
Loscocco, Karyn A. “Reactions to pink-collar work: A comparison of women and men.” Work and Occupations 17.2 (1990): 152-177.
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