Synopsis
Does biology help explain why women, on average, earn less money than men? Is there any evolutionary basis for the scarcity of female CEOs in Fortune 500 companies? According to legal scholar Kingsley R. Browne, the answer may be yes. This title brings an evolutionary perspective to bear on issues of women in the workplace: the "glass ceiling", the "gender gap" in pay, sexual harassment, and occupational segregation. While acknowledging the role of discrimination and sexist socialization, Browne suggest that until we factor real biological differences between men and women in the equation, the explanation remains incomplete. Browne looks at behavioual differences between men and women as products of different evolutionary pressures facing them throughout human history. Women's biological investment in their offspring has led them to be on average more nurturing and risk averse, and to value relationships over competition. Men have been historically and biologically rewarded for displays of strength and skill, risk taking and status acquisition. These behavioural differences have numerous workplace consequences.
For example, sex differences in the drive for status lead to sex differences in the achievement of status.
