Occupational stratification - The vertical dimension of occupational segregation

This article presents anew approach to measuring the most important dimensi on of gender segregation -the vertical dimension -in quantitative survey da ta. This, in turn, allows for a reassessment of the view that high levels o f gender segregation are synonymous with high levels of social inequality. In order to do this, the article also draws upon significant conceptual dev elopments. 'Segregation' as it is commonly understood is named as 'overall' segregation, and is the resultant of two components,'horizontal' and 'vert ical' segregation, representing difference and inequality separately. This provides a clear approach to measurement. The argument is developed with a case study of the British tabour force. The pattern of segregation, in term s of its overall level and its components, varies considerably across secti ons of the labour force. In terms of inequality, the vertical components me asured indicate that British women working full-time are more advantaged th an we would expect, and that women working in part-time manual occupations, though facing the greatest relative disadvantage in terms of pay, are actu ally slightly advantaged over men working in manual occupations in terms of social stratification. Although overall segregation has remained relativel y unchanged over the five year period from 1991 to 1996, there have been so me significant changes to its components within the various sections of the employed British tabour force in that time. By looking at the various sect ions of the tabour force, relative to the tabour force as a whole, we can a chieve a better understanding of how segregation operates with respect to g ender inequalities.