The link below is to a terrific article from City Journal that provides some detailed factual information about a commonly held belief in the employment discrimination industry, namely that women make less than men because of widespread gender discrimination in pay and promotions. In fact, this gender gap prejudice permeated the recent Walmart class-(now non-class) action that made it to the Supreme Court last term.
Most of us in the working world are well aware that, as a group, women tend to track into different career fields and career paths than men do. This article not only describes the recent studies that document these trends, it shows that even in societies considered almost totally egalitarian-Iceland and Sweden-women and men end up working different jobs, for different hours, and looking for different things from a career.
I'm seeing more of this type of discussion in the legal literature lately. That's good, because unsupported beliefs, especially those that are "common knowledge", are a lousy thing on which to base legal standards or economic policy.
Here's the link: http://www.city-journal.org/2011/21_3_gender-gap.html
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