Theoretical frameworks on the labor market discrimination against women

Abstract

This study examines the theoretical frameworks that explain labor market discrimination against women. It distinguishes between biological sex and gender roles, which are rooted in stereotypes and power relations. The analysis draws on micro-, meso-, and macro-level theories, including human capital theory, models of statistical and taste-based discrimination, and approaches from feminist legal theory. Particular attention is given to the social and institutional mechanisms that hinder women’s – especially mothers’ – participation in the labor market. Building on Catharine MacKinnon’s theory of dominance, the study critically assesses traditional legal approaches based on sameness or difference, arguing that gender inequality is not merely a moral issue but fundamentally a political one.