Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ulysses.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!smb From: smb@ulysses.UUCP (Steven Bellovin) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Do Statistics Prove Discrimination Against Women? Message-ID: <951@ulysses.UUCP> Date: Tue, 7-Aug-84 16:57:22 EDT Article-I.D.: ulysses.951 Posted: Tue Aug 7 16:57:22 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Aug-84 08:26:09 EDT References: <3153@decwrl.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 12 I have to discount Lisa's stories, because they're anecdotal (as opposed to statistically significant). But I've seen *many* Labor Department studies that back her up -- discrimination does exist, even after one corrects for education, experience, interrupted careers, etc. In fact, there was one that appeared within the last year. One that I saw about 5 years ago was restricted to scientists and engineers. Guess what -- same effect. Now, the magnitude of the salary gap is certainly due to many factors other than discrimination, though I suspect that most of them -- sex-stereotyped jobs, lack of math/science background by women, etc. -- can be attributed to prevailing sexist attitudes. But don't kid yourself -- equal pay for equal work may be the law, but it's sure not reality.