Why does society expect men to be the ones stuck in dangerous back breaking construction jobs and such?

Question

I have a high respect for all minimum wage workers in general. They are the backbone of the society, the ones holding it all together. But I always cannot help but notice that the hardest of those jobs, such as construction worker, is what our society is always forcing men to fill. It's really not fair and that's partly why men live less. So, my question is why does society have to feel this way?

Answer 1

construction pays well and men are stronger than women so let them do it if they want. After all no one is holding a gun to their heads.

Answer 2

Many men enjoy hard work.....it's real, they get job satisfaction and are paid well.  If that's not for you, there are many good paying desk jobs for men....

Answer 3

Because they realize women for what they are, and their capabilities (or lack of).

Answer 4

Because men are physically more capable of doing the work.

That, and I have an uncle who has worked construction, and according to him, women in construction get a lot of c**p from their coworkers.  Don't know if it's true, and this was about 20 years ago, but just throwing it out there.

His Nibs-- You don't have to be able to carry two bundles of shingles up a ladder to be capable of living in todays world.  You do in order to work construction. Don't twist words.

Answer 5

Hey, I work in construction and I break my back everyday!

I wouldn't do it for minimum wage however, that's why I'm in a union.  Society does not "force" men to fill these jobs, I think that men just usually choose this work.  I am educated, should be a nurse, but instead I chose to break my back building stuff because I LOVE it.

Answer 6

Because no one cares when you discriminate against men every one is busy why more men are company executives then woman but no one is busy why woman don't get these type of jobs

Answer 7

Females work in construction.

Haven't you seen them?  There's one in every road crew, holding the little orange flag.

Answer 8

The 'stronger' argument assume women are weak and incapable.  Is that true?

Answer 9

I know women who do manual labor jobs like that (that's pretty much what I'm doing this summer, actually). Taller, bigger people are usually better at lifting, and men generally tend to be much taller/bigger/stronger. There are many capable women, but statistically, there are just more men who are up to the rigors of grunty labor jobs. We can still drive forklifts and do other important things, but I think most construction companies would prefer to hire people who are stronger and can do ALL tasks well, not just using machinery, and those people are usually men.

And I dont' know where you live or what the economy is like there, but here at least, construction workers are in high demand and they make a TON of money. Don't feel too sorry for them!

Answer 10

Because no offense but, when it comes to that dangerous back breaking construction work, men are simply more physically stronger than women. That's not to say that some well built women can't handle those jobs, but that's a thing that's primarily dominated by guys.

Answer 11

ever heard of a sweat shop? worked on a farm? what do you think happens in China and the rest of the world.  You are incorrect in fact and cosy in middle class America, the world is a big beautiful strange place, explore it a little more you might be surprised.

Answer 12

I think  men have traditionally filled these roles because men are, for the most part (and yes I know there are exceptions), physically stronger than women and therefore better suited to more physical work.

Answer 13

Probally because they show the most intrest in that type of business you should probally ask sum ppl or google it

Answer 14

wow your questions are so man hating. why do men bother to answer.

asnswer this"

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 15

The pattern probably began because men typically have greater upper body strength, which increases with constant use, making them more suited (in pre-industrial times), to work for which strength was needed.

Interestingly, in many cultures and time periods, such work was not and is not restricted to men, but in the western world particularly much of this work ~ especially in the building trades ~ was limited very early on by the workers, who made access to such jobs extremely difficult to get, through guilds, unions and etc.

This may be because in the west building work is very well paid compared with most other unskilled work, and certainly more than the typical unskilled work available to women ~ such as gleaning and stick picking in agricultural times. No building tasks in the west have ever been 'women's work', unlike in places such as rural India, where mortar making and brick carrying are sometimes reserved for women workers.

Nowadays, with the use of machinery and labour saving equipment replacing many of the heavier tasks in construction, it has become easier for women and men without great strength to work in many of these jobs, but they still find difficulty in obtaining a position, as the 'lock out' continues to be applied.

Women construction workers remain few in number not only because of 'society', social expectations and stereotyping, but also because construction work is seen as a well paid and desirable type of unskilled work, and the workers take care to keep it to themselves.

Cheers :-)

Answer 16

Society doesn't force men to take these jobs.  Men live less time because we choose to :)

Answer 17

Society doesn't expect men to be stuck in dangerous backbreaking jobs, and neither does it "force" anyone to do them.  Just ask the little girlie-girls if they want to do this kind of work; they'll always say no.  I've known women construction workers, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, roofers, etc.  And these people do not earn minimum wage.

Good question; bad interpretation.

Answer 18

Construction workers make more than minimum wage, especially if you factor in the hours but that is one of the downfalls to the job, and one of the reasons you don't see to many women applying for that type of work.

Site construction workers like excavator operators will make anywhere from 12-20$ an hour base pay in america and will be required to work 50-60hours a week year round rain snow or shine.

The pay is good, the hours sux, and the labor can be physically demanding. In todays world few will say anything to anyones face but weak people (man or woman) still have a hard time getting any respect on a job site because there are jobs that they can't do.

For example if you are going to pop open a heavy class 36" manhole weighing aprox 180lbs, if you don't weigh more than 180, I don't care how good a shape you are in, or how strong you are for your weight, you simply are not going to be able to flip the manhole cover, and it is basically a one person job, so no asking for help.

Anyway you get the idea, nobody is forced, the pay is good, and a lot of the jobs in the industry are simply better suited to the heavy stockier body of an adult Male.

Answer 19

good question i think maybe it`s bc of ppl`s egos and stuff sorry if i misspelled! anyways and probably bc society sees men as being stronger than women! just bc we`r not all bulky in muscle and stuff other wise havnt a clue!

Answer 20

Construction jobs are much higher paying than manual labor that women are typically offered.  Even though the women's jobs have less health risks involved, they usually place these women at the mercy of employers who may treat them horribly during 18 hour day for six days a week.  The women usually work in private homes and are isolated from friends and family.  

In the case of construction work, a builder is more likely to hire someone who is physically strong which is general woudl lead them to hire a man.

Answer 21

In this case it's b/c men are stronger and more able to do the lifting required of such jobs.

Answer 22

Why does 'society' expect women to be the ones to be stuck in nursing jobs cleaning up people's excrement and vomit and washing people who can not bath themselves?

Why does society expect women to do most of the unpaid work?

Why are men embraced and pushed to the top in female dominated industries, and females rejected, ridiculed and laughed at when working in male-dominated industries?

Women can work in construction if they want to..... But most would not out of ridicule by men.

Guys can be hairdresser's or nurses if they want - They will be embraced and nurtured and quickly promoted to the top management positions.

Answer 23

i'm a sexist pig just as much as the next feminazi..but lets keep it real..men are physically stronger than women

Answer 24

I think construction workers make more than minimum wage.  Most women just would not want to do that type of work.  I wouldn't.  Do you have a construction job.

Answer 25

you should be a construction worker then :P

the fact that the work is hard is why they get paid more

no one forces u to do anything

Answer 26

Well these people are typically paid far from minimum wage.  Most construction and road workers are paid fairly well...better than most teachers.  No one is "forcing" men to fill these positions.  In America people are not forced into jobs, they apply for them and then accept them.  Typically men apply for and accept these jobs because they are typically stronger and therefore more capable of carrying out the physical laboring tasks.

Answer 27

Probably because they don't just pay minimum wage.

Answer 28

Since when are construction workers minimum wage?

Society doesn't force anyone to do anything. People that look to society for approval for anything in their lives need to re-evaluate their lives.

In regards to your question, in general - men have high physical capacity which is useful in most construction work.

Answer 29

Because they're physically stronger, is the simple answer.  And by 'stronger', I mean men (in general) can lift heavier things than women can (in general).

Answer 30

Society expects that ? Good luck on getting more women into those backbreaking jobs.

When a woman has the choice between a high powered nice well payed career and being traditional there is a good chance she will pick the career.

When a woman has the choice between being tradiditional and a poorly payed hard job, chances are very high she will pick being traditional.

Answer 31

"our society is always forcing men to fill."

I wasn't aware there were construction work gulags in this country. How do they force them? At gun point?