Markets, Morals, and Mandates: The Problematic Persistence of the Wage Gap

80 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Political Science and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2017This paper addresses the contemporary issue of the wage gap and how it affects women of color. It deals predominantly with the issues Black and Latina workers face, as they are the women most deeply affected by the wage gap. A comprehensive analysis reveals that the problems associated with the gender wage gap are much more complex than they initially appear. Only through a combination of public and private policies will the United States be able to eliminate the wage gap. Public policies that raise the minimum wage and strengthen labor law for employees are necessary, but without address subconscious biases the wage gap will likely persist. The phenomena of work performed by women losing monetary value must be addressed. Discussions about the feminization of labor must take place in schools, community spaces and government bodies if we are to witness the shrinking of the wage gap