Mind Which Gap? The Selective Concern Over Statistical Sex Disparities

Abstract

The theme of this conference is that there are “gaps” that require attention. According to the conference materials, “vast disparities in compensation, power, and titles persist between the sexes today.” The question raised in this symposium is “how can this gap be explained and rectified?” This question assumes that the “gap” should be rectified regardless of its cause. Although the workplace is the primary focus of this conference, I would like to put the workplace into a broader context and look at other “gaps” that exist, as well. The sexes differ in a number of respects that do not favor men. Men die at a younger age than women; they are more likely to be victimized by crime; they are more likely to be imprisoned (and for longer times); they are, according to many, disfavored in the domestic-relations arena; and they do less well by many measures in the educational system. Far fewer people tend to be concerned about these “gaps,” or even to characterize them as such, presumably because they are hard to characterize as victimization of women.