InequalityintheWorkplace

AmericanphilosopherHarryG.FrankfurtwroteabookcalledOnBullshitwhere
hedefinesbullshitasbeinganindifferencetotruth.Thebookbeginswiththefollowing
statementOneofthemostsalientfeaturesofourcultureisthatthereissomuch
bullshit.Frankfurtthenexpandsonhisunderstandingofbullshit,whatitisandits
effectsonsociety.Hestatesanimportantdifferencebetweenlyingandbullshitting.Both
aretryingtogetawaywithsomething,buttheliarisconsciouslytryingtodeceive,
whereasbullshittingjustdoesnthaveaconcernfortruthandbeingindifferenttohow
thingsreallyare.LaterhewroteafollowupnamedOnTruth,inwhichheexplainswhy
hebelievesthattruthissosignificant,andwhythelackofitcanbeadangertohumanity
andharmfultooursanity.Hebelievesthattruthissoimportantsimplybecauseitis
usefulandthatlyingisharmfulbecauseitdamagespeoplescomprehensionofthetruth
andfacts.Anissuethathasrevolvedaroundalackoftruthforalongtimehasbeen
genderinequality,specificallyintheworkplace.InthearticleGenderInequalityinthe
Workplacetheauthor,CindyHsu,explainstheprincipalreasonswhythereis
discriminationintheworkplaceduetogender,butsomeargumentssheprovideshavea
lackofconcernforthetruth.Thearticleapproachesgenderinequalitywithinthe
workplaceinabiasedformsincethejustificationtothisproblemconsistsofportraying
womenassubmissiveanddocileworkers,whichisbullshit.

Eventhoughwomenareaccomplishingmoreinacademicsandhaveequal,or
evenhigher,qualificationsthanmen,thereisstilldiscriminationtowardswomeninthe
jobmarket.Educationdoesnotequalsuccess.Hsustatesseveraljustificationsfor
inequalityintheworkplaceduetogender,butthereasonthatstruckmeasbullshitwas
thatwomenonlyearn80centsforeverydollaramanearnssimplybecausewomentend
tobetoomodestinthejobmarket.Thatisnottherealreasonwhywomendonthavethe
samewageasmen,itisabullshitjustification.Havinganassumptionthatmenquite
oftenrenegotiatefirstofferswithprospectiveemployers,andthatwomenjusttendto
acceptwhateverisofferedorgiventothemwithoutquestioningpointstoalarger
probleminoursociety,ignoranceanddiscrimination.Thereasonwhybelievingthis
justificationisbullshitisbecausenotallwomenaremodest,anditisastereotypethathas
tobeabolished.Believingthatwomenwithequalorhigherqualificationsthantheirmale
coworkersarenotreceivingthesamepaysimplybecausewomenaremoredocilewhen
itcomestorenegotiatingoffers,isbullshit.Itisjustasimpleexcuse.Thereisalackof
concernfortruthinthisargumentsincemeninpositionsofpowerareableto
acknowledgeawomanwithhighqualifications,butignorethatfactwhenitcomesto
wages.Unconsciouslytheyknowwomenareasequallyvaluedworkersasmales,butstill
believethattheydeservealowerpay.Thesetwobeliefscontradicteachother.Believing
thatwomenearn80centsforeverdollaramanearnsisignoringthetruthofthestrong,
workingwoman.

Consequently,thereareseveralnegativeconsequencesofhavingastereotypethat
womenarecompliant.Womenhaveadisadvantagerightfromthejobinterview.Boththe
interviewerandtheintervieweehavethisassumptionthanwomenwilljustacceptthe
offerthatsheisbeinggiven,andthiswillaffectheroverallcareer.Theinterviewerhas
alsofallenintothebullshitbeliefthatwomenwilljustacceptwhattheyaregiveninstead
ofrenegotiating.Theinterviewerisnotlyingbecauseheisnotmakingaconsciousactof
deception,theyarejustdisregardingtheirconcernforthetruth.Unconsciouslytheyknow
thatbeingcompliantisnotnecessarilytiedupwithgender,buthasbeenbroughtupby
thebullshitinsocietytothinkso.Thisbullshitbeliefundermineswomenspowerby
makingthemseemastheweakestgenderandbeingdocileorsubmissive.Womenoften
arenotconsideredfirstforpromotionseveniftheyhaveanequalorhigherqualifications
thanhermalecolleagues.FrankfurtarguesinOnTruththatthereisnopurposeinasking
peopletoacknowledgethecontrastbetweenwhatisfalseandwhatistruebecausethey
willbeashamedbythequestioniftheyactuallybelievewhattheyaresaying.Thisis
bullshitbecauseiftheinterviewerandtheintervieweewereaskediftheyactually
believedthatwomentendtobeunassertiveandagreeablewhenitcomestojoboffers,
theywouldprobablygiveitasecondthought.Butinaunconsciousleveltheydonteven
thinktwice,thetruthisjustignored.
CorrespondinglyinasecondarticlenamedPaygapextendstofemaleretail
workersbyAdriannePasquarelli,aNewYorkCityretailindustryworkerwomannamed
CamilleCrosdaleisinterviewedonheropinionaboutunequalpayintheworkplace.She

explainshowshefindsitoutrageousthatinafemaledominatedindustry,womenarestill
earninglessthanmen.AccordingtotheNationalRetailFederationwomenmadeupto
51%ofthetotalretailworkforce,andworldwidewomenmakeuparound72.5%of
employeesworldwide.WhenaskedaboutthesefactsCamillestatesI'vealwaysbeen
usedtomalesbeingmanagersandfemalesnothavingtoomanyadvancement
opportunities,Ialwayssuspectedtherewasagapbetweenmenandwomen,buttoseethe
proofwasshocking.Thisbringsupbacktheindifferencetotruth.Camilleandseveral
otherworkersworldwideareabletoacknowledgehowwomenhavegrowninthe
workplacebutneverreallygiveitasecondthoughtonwhytheydonotreceivethesame
paythattheyverymuchdeserve.Shehasalsofallenintothebullshitmentalityofjust
acceptingthedifferenceofpayintheworkplaceduetogender.WhenCamillesaysthat
toseetheproofwasshockingisherfinallyloosingtheindifferencetohowthings
reallyare.Bullshitjustignoresthetruthinsteadofacknowledgingit.

Furthermore,onemighthaveansuspicionthatcertainclaimsmightberegardedas
bullshit,butpeopletendtoignorethatintuitionandjustassumeittobetrue.Hsustatesin
herarticlethatprospectiveemployersassumewomenwillworkharderthanmeninthe
lengthoftheircareers,andthateventuallywillreachwageparityatsomepointoftheir
careers.Thisargumentstrikesmeasbullshitbecauseemployersareactivelystatingthat
womendeservethesamewageasmenandthattheyoftenworkharderandhaveequal,if
nothigher,qualificationsfortheirjobs.Thenwhyaretheyagainhavinganindifference

tothistruth.Theydecidetoignoreitandjustassumethatitisacceptable.Frankfurt
claimsthatbullshitisignoringthetruth,andthatboththeliarandbullshitteraretryingto
getawaywithsomething,butthatthedifferencebetweenthemiswhetherornottheyare
actuallyacknowledgingthetruth.IntheargumentHsuisprovidinginthearticlesheis
engaginginbullshit.Sheexplainsthatemployersbelievethatwomenreceivealowerpay
intheworkplacecomparedtotheirmalecolleaguesbecauseofthestereotypetheir
employershaveofwomenasbeingsubmissive.Shealsoclaimsthatemployersjustify
thispaygapbyarguingthatwomenworkhardersothatinthelongruntheywillachieve
ahigherpay.Hsuisabullshitterbecausesheneverdiscardstheseassumptionsasbeing
false,eventhoughsheknowstheyarewrong.Sheisnolongerconnectedtotheconcern
oforacknowledgingthetruth.

Genderequalityisachievedwhenpeopleareabletoaccessandenjoythesame
rewards,resourcesandopportunitiesregardlessoftheirgender.Theaimofgender
equalityintheworkplaceistoachieveequaloutcomesforwomenandmen,notexactly
thesameoutcomeforallindividuals.Givingjustificationsthatareindifferenttothetruth
isaffectingnegativelybothbusinessesandsociety.Employersareabletoacknowledge
howfarwomenhavecomeintheworkplace,butdecidetobecomeunconnectedtothe
concernforthistruthwhenitcomestowages.Bothaliarandabullshitteraretryingto
getawaywithsomething,buttheliarisengagedinaconsciousactofdeception,whilea
bullshitterjustignoresthetruthratherthanacknowledgingit.

WorksCited
Coontz,Stephanie."WhyGenderInequalityStalled."TheNewYorkTimes.
SundayReview,16Feb.2013.Web.1Oct.2013.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/opinion/sunday/whygenderequalitystalled.html?
pagewanted=all&_r=0>.

Hsu,Cindy."GenderInequalityintheWorkplace."TheHarvardIndependent.
NEWSTHEMEONGENESISFRAMEWORKWORDPRESS,1Dec.2011.Web.1
Oct.2013.<http://www.harvardindependent.com/2011/12/genderinequalityinthe
workplaceeducationdoesnotequalsuccess1201/>.

Pasquarelli,Adrianne."PayGapExtendstoFemaleRetailWorkers."Latestfrom
CrainsNewYorkBusiness.CrainCommunications,20Dec.2011.Web.1Oct.2013.
<http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20111220/RETAIL_APPAREL/111229976>.