Pay discrimination as a discursive and material practice: A case concerning extended housework¹

‘Housework’ should not be confused with ‘homeworkers’ who are defined as workers who work at home without supervision in the pursuit of finishing a product that is judged by an loyer or sub‐contractor. The homeworker is remunerated based upon the finished product (see gton & Westover, 1989). Housework refers to domestic duties that are often performed without p some individuals are paid to perform the duties for others (see Salzinger, 1991 for an of immigrant domestic workers who represent different economic classes).

Abstract

Based on the premise that past and current theories of pay discrimination fail to explain women's continued economic deprivation, a theory of extended housework is advanced and illustrated through responses from women employed in paid positions. Specifically, this theory views communication, not as an independent nor as a dependent variable, but as an integral aspect of pay inequity. Market theories, critical theories, and feminist theories concerning pay inequity are reviewed with special emphasis on how these theories position communication with the practice of pay inequity. Fifty women working at paid occupations were interviewed. Their responses shed light upon how pay inequity articulates patriarchal conditions often hidden behind the ‘rationality’ of capitalism. Implications for future research are discussed.

Notes

‘Housework’ should not be confused with ‘homeworkers’ who are defined as workers who work at home without supervision in the pursuit of finishing a product that is judged by an loyer or sub‐contractor. The homeworker is remunerated based upon the finished product (see gton & Westover, 1989). Housework refers to domestic duties that are often performed without p some individuals are paid to perform the duties for others (see Salzinger, 1991 for an of immigrant domestic workers who represent different economic classes).