Feb 15, 2006 20:48
18 yrs ago
3 viewers *
English term

What is a "pink collar job?"

Non-PRO English Social Sciences Slang
Name a few pink collar jobs.

Discussion

humbird Feb 15, 2006:
Despite Cilian and Erin's sugestion, there are always willing hearts to answer this kind of (lazy) questions. Please note "lazy" in parethesis, and you know what I mean.
Erin McGann Feb 15, 2006:
oops, my apologies Cilian with one L!
Erin McGann Feb 15, 2006:
I agree with Cillian. You know youre actually supposed to look for the answer (i.e. Google or glossaries etc.) before posting here.
Cilian O'Tuama Feb 15, 2006:
enter:
definition "pink collar"
in google, and take your pick from over 26000 hits

Responses

+5
2 mins
English term (edited): what is a
Selected

see this

Pink-collar job is one term used to describe low-status, low-paying, female-dominated occupations like secretaries, salesclerks, and food servers. For many women the choice of this work is determined more by economic necessity than career choices. This kind of work also more easily allows them to leave the workforce for a time while they are having children and return when their children are older.


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Note added at 4 hrs (2006-02-16 01:25:42 GMT) Post-grading
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I also found this definition on google - it took me less than half a minute to find it.
Peer comment(s):

agree swisstell : also jobs considered traditionally to be female oriented, such as nurses, librarians
1 min
agree marybro
2 mins
agree RHELLER : I saw this on google but I admit that I had never heard the expression
17 mins
agree Alison Jenner
2 hrs
agree Alexandra Tussing
4 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks"
6 mins
English term (edited): what is a

definition

A pink-collar worker is a woman who works for a living in a clean, safe environment, in a job that is considered traditionally female (these "traditions" generally harking back to the first half of the 20th century). The term is formed by analogy to blue collar and white collar.

The term originally arose to distinguish these jobs from white collar jobs, and to distinguish women in these roles from other white-collar workers, because their work did not require as much professional training, nor did it carry equal pay or prestige.

In most industries and careers, and in most cultures, women in the workforce have traditionally been shunned and given lesser pay and limited career opportunities. This was true when women entered the blue-collar factory workforce during the Industrial Revolution; in hospitals, where they were traditionally relegated to, at best, the role of nurses; and in the teaching profession where they were relegated to the teaching of children. This pattern was repeated when significant numbers of women began to enter the office workforce in the early 20th century.

Several factors played into the rise of the pink collar sector. Most importantly, women in industrialized nations began to actively seek their own income rather than relying on men to support them. Often kept out of traditional blue and white collar jobs by physical requirements and prejudice, many women found ways to take their domestic skills into the world of paid work.

Pink collar positions have spread rapidly as more and more women enter the workforce. Greater wealth in industrialized nations also means that more money is spent on the services provided by pink collar positions.

During the 20th century, with some ups and downs and with different degrees of change in different countries, there began to be less separation between men's and women's jobs. One of the great victories of second-wave feminism was the breakdown of much of the remaining formal institutionalization of these gender roles in the workplace. For example, in 1972, the New York Times stopped running separate "Help Wanted - Male" and "Help Wanted - Female" advertisements. Increasingly, women have opportunities in traditionally male white-collar jobs; also, during this period, pay for pink-collar jobs has generally improved, as have the prospects of moving up the promotion ladder. Still, certain jobs remain overwhelmingly female, and are still generally considered "pink collar".

Pink collar occupations include:

* Florist
* Interior designer
* Librarian
* Nurse
* Secretary
* Teacher

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Pink-collar worker
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