Social Stratification Practice Test

Gender wage gaps persist because bias in how people are treated in pay and promotion, along with the way jobs are divided by gender, shape who earns more. Discrimination shows up in pay decisions, promotion opportunities, and negotiation outcomes, so women often earn less on average even when they have similar education and experience. Occupational segregation means men and women tend to cluster in different fields, and many high‑paying roles are male‑dominated while many lower‑paid roles are female‑dominated. This separation drags down overall earnings for women relative to men. Education helps individuals but doesn’t by itself erase these systemic dynamics. Climate, weather patterns, or geographic location don’t fundamentally drive the wage gap across regions. So the combination of discrimination and occupational segregation best explains why gender wage gaps occur.