Passage
During the 1800s, the United States (U.S.) transitioned from a farming society to an industrialized society, which resulted in occupations becoming more specialized and socially labeled as "masculine" or "feminine." Today, the U.S. is experiencing an equally dramatic transition into what is referred to as a knowledge economy, marked by a decline in manufacturing and manual labor occupations, often referred to as "blue-collar" professions (which are dominated by males) , and a rise in information, technology, and service sector jobs. Sociologists argue that this has led to shifting roles and expectations for both males and females in the U.S. workforce.As demand for blue-collar occupations has declined in recent decades, demand for "pink-collar" (feminine-typed) occupations has increased, particularly in health care (eg, registered nurses, health aides) , but males appear to avoid pink-collar occupations for various reasons. Research indicates that socially defined gender roles may dissuade males from even considering pink-collar professions due to a perception that one's job will conflict with one's male status. Male students-in-training for pink-collar professions (eg, nursing) have a higher rate of attrition than their female classmates, which may be partly due to the unintended messages conveyed by the informal curriculum: that male students do not belong in these professions (eg, a lack of male role models, female-only images in textbooks) . Of the males who enter pink-collar professions, many find that they are more quickly promoted into managerial roles (believed to be more appropriately masculine) than their equally qualified female counterparts, a phenomenon known as the glass escalator.Data show that females continue to be underrepresented in many high-paying fields, which are predominantly masculine-typed industries such as aeronautics, engineering, medical surgery, business (executive-level) , and computer science/technology. Data also show that within all job categories, even those considered feminine-typed, females are still paid less than their male peers, a phenomenon sociologists call the gender pay (or wage) gap (Figure 1) . The gender pay gap persists even when differences in hours worked, job choice, education, and other qualifications are taken into account. Research suggests that mothers earn less than men and women who are not mothers, a phenomenon termed the "motherhood penalty" by sociologists.
Figure 1 Gender pay gap by age
P. F. Drucker ©1994 The Atlantic Monthly; B. R. MacWilliams, B. Schmidt, and M. R. Bleich ©2013 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
-Which hypothesis regarding pay inequalities and fertility patterns is best supported by information in the passage regarding females in the U.S. workplace? If the age-specific fertility rate for females age 25-29 increases:

Question

Passage
During the 1800s, the United States (U.S.) transitioned from a farming society to an industrialized society, which resulted in occupations becoming more specialized and socially labeled as "masculine" or "feminine." Today, the U.S. is experiencing an equally dramatic transition into what is referred to as a knowledge economy, marked by a decline in manufacturing and manual labor occupations, often referred to as "blue-collar" professions (which are dominated by males) , and a rise in information, technology, and service sector jobs. Sociologists argue that this has led to shifting roles and expectations for both males and females in the U.S. workforce.As demand for blue-collar occupations has declined in recent decades, demand for "pink-collar" (feminine-typed) occupations has increased, particularly in health care (eg, registered nurses, health aides) , but males appear to avoid pink-collar occupations for various reasons. Research indicates that socially defined gender roles may dissuade males from even considering pink-collar professions due to a perception that one's job will conflict with one's male status. Male students-in-training for pink-collar professions (eg, nursing) have a higher rate of attrition than their female classmates, which may be partly due to the unintended messages conveyed by the informal curriculum: that male students do not belong in these professions (eg, a lack of male role models, female-only images in textbooks) . Of the males who enter pink-collar professions, many find that they are more quickly promoted into managerial roles (believed to be more appropriately masculine) than their equally qualified female counterparts, a phenomenon known as the glass escalator.Data show that females continue to be underrepresented in many high-paying fields, which are predominantly masculine-typed industries such as aeronautics, engineering, medical surgery, business (executive-level) , and computer science/technology. Data also show that within all job categories, even those considered feminine-typed, females are still paid less than their male peers, a phenomenon sociologists call the gender pay (or wage) gap (Figure 1) . The gender pay gap persists even when differences in hours worked, job choice, education, and other qualifications are taken into account. Research suggests that mothers earn less than men and women who are not mothers, a phenomenon termed the "motherhood penalty" by sociologists.

Figure 1 Gender pay gap by age
P. F. Drucker ©1994 The Atlantic Monthly; B. R. MacWilliams, B. Schmidt, and M. R. Bleich ©2013 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
-Which hypothesis regarding pay inequalities and fertility patterns is best supported by information in the passage regarding females in the U.S. workplace? If the age-specific fertility rate for females age 25-29 increases:

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

11ecba2d_0d6a_2ecb_a3bf_a97e0070cea4_MD0008_00 Figure 1 demonstrates that the discrepancy between male's and female's income (the gender pay gap) increases across the adult life span, and only shows a slight narrowing at age 65+. The final paragraph of the passage states that mothers earn less than men and women who are not mothers (the "motherhood penalty"), which suggests that changes in fertility patterns in the U.S. may also impact the gender pay gap. The fertility rate is a measure of the number of people being added to a given population through birth, as opposed to immigration. Of the multiple ways to express fertility rates, the age-specific fertility rate (ASFR) describes the number of live births per year per 1,000 women in a certain age group in a population. In the U.S., the ASFR for women age 25-29 is about 100 whereas the ASFR for women age 40-44 is about 10. If the ASFR for females age 25-29 increases, then more women in this age cohort will become mothers, which would likely cause the gender pay gap for females age 25-29 to increase. (Choice B) Increases in the ASFR for females age 25-29 would likely increase, not decrease, the gender pay gap. (Choices C and D) The passage does not provide any evidence suggesting that changes in the ASFR for females for any age cohort is linked to the demand for males in pink-collar occupations. Educational objective: Fertility rates measure of the number of people being added to a population through birth. The age-specific fertility rate (ASFR) describes the number of live births per year per 1,000 women in a certain age group in a population.

Passage During the 1800s, the United States (U.S.) Transitioned from a a Farming