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Implicit Wage Theories in Equal Pay Debates in the United States

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  • Ellen Mutari
  • Deborah Figart
  • Marilyn Power

Abstract

We identify three implicit wage theories in U.S. debates over the principle of equal pay for equal work: wages as a living , wages as a price , and wages as a social practice . Arguments for wages as a living emphasize that the purpose of the wage is to provide an adequate level of support for the worker. Proponents of wages as a price emphasize that wages allocate resources and are primarily the outcome of forces of supply and demand. To these two standard views we add an analysis of wages as a social practice. As a concrete social practice, wages shape as well as reflect gender, race, and class. It is only by recognizing that wages serve multiple functions and contain multiple meanings that we can grasp the complexity of wage-setting processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellen Mutari & Deborah Figart & Marilyn Power, 2001. "Implicit Wage Theories in Equal Pay Debates in the United States," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 23-52.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:femeco:v:7:y:2001:i:2:p:23-52
    DOI: 10.1080/13545700110064337
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    Cited by:

    1. Karlsson, Tobias, 2016. "Gender differences in absence from work: Lessons from two world wars," Working Paper Series 2016:26, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    2. Mary King, 2009. "Occupational Segregation by Race and Sex in Brazil, 1989-2001," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 36(2), pages 113-125, June.

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