Joshua Potter In today’s society, gender socialization and stereotypes have a huge influence on the types of jobs women and men have. The influence of gender stratification and stereotypes can been seen in the types of professions women and men are entering into and also the characteristics of these jobs. While the movement of women into the workforce has been impressive, they are still positioned primarily in “pink collar” positions in the clerical or service fields. Pink-collar jobs have been seen as being reserved for women because most of these types of jobs are not exposed to dangers, are in a clean environment, and don’t require physical work. An example of a female dominant profession is being a secretary or a receptionist. The reason many women go into this type of field is because it is easy an convenient and because on a practical level, this type of profession gives them flexibility in their schedules in order to take care f their children and other obligations that have. This type of job is also part time and is usually consists of low stress work. Usually this type of job does not require any training and there is really no chance of advancement. In order to become a secretary or a receptionist, the minimum degree someone must obtain is a high school diploma, but depending on the employer higher education, such as a bachelor’s degree, may be required. The degree field required for this position is a certificate in administrative/clerical studies or a bachelor’s degree in communications or business. Most companies require potential job applicant to be tested and certified in office skills. The salary of this type of profession can range anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 a year. An example of a profession that is male dominated is the construction field. The construction field involves a lot of physical activity and at some points it can be extremely stressful. The construction profession can also be extremely dangerous and it is not really the cleanest profession out there. In order to go into the construction profession there are no specific requirements for entry-level construction workers. Some construction companies require employees to have a high school diploma or have a General Equivalency Diploma. The average salary of someone in the construction field is about $45,000, but there are many chances for advancement. Many male construction workers who perform at high levels and show impeccable skills have the opportunity to rise up the ranks to becoming a manager. Men in the construction field can also go and start their own business, whether it be as an electrician, plumber, or a more advanced field of engineering. At the executive level of the construction profession, the salaries increase significantly because they are running all of the operations of the company. Here there are many chances for advancement because if a male figure performs at a high level they may be given a promotion to a higher position within the company. When we think of the construction field, most people think of males who are not very smart, who maybe didn’t graduate from high school or even get a GED and they took a job in the construction field because it was the best job they could get. Most people also peg the construction profession as low paying, filled only by men who are unskilled for any other job. Gender Stratification is defined as a society’s unequal distribution of wealth, power and privilege between two sexes. Female dominated professions are usually characterized as being low-status and low paying. Most women choose these types of jobs based on economic necessity rather than there career choices. Male dominated professions often are higher paying, have more chances for advancement, and sometimes require strenuous physical activity. When people think of secretaries they imagine a female figure and when people think of the construction field they imagine male figures. Unfortunately we are still plagued by the visual image that of different occupations being gender dominate. In today’s society people still have this image of women not being able to do any physical activity and men not being able to go into the fields that are mainly dominated by women. The reasons for gender stratification are that certain professions are classified as being male dominate or female dominate and there is really no changing it. There are a lot of women going into professions dominated by men but women are not given the chance and that is why they are paid less and there chance of advancement is significantly lower than men.