Occupational Sex-segregation, Workplace Interactions, and Chronic Physiological Stress Response

• In Event: 324 - Regular Session. Group Processes 2

Abstract

Occupational sex-segregation differentially affects men and women. In particular, women in male-dominated occupations (tokens) experience higher levels of workplace interpersonal stressors than: (1) their colleagues who are men, (2) men and women in more mixed-sex occupations and (3) men in female-dominated occupations (tokens). Such interpersonal workplace stressors are linked to higher levels of stress exposure among token women than other workers, including token men. It is likely that these processes occur through dysregulation of cortisol secretion, however, there remains a schism between occupational sex-segregation research and research on neuroendocrine functioning. This paper fuses these two areas of research to examine the effect of being a token on measures of cortisol regulation. Combining cortisol data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) II Daily Stress Project (2004-2006) with national estimates of occupational sex segregation from the American Community Survey (2005-2009), we examine the effects of occupational sex segregation, and token status in particular, on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) system. Using doubly robust estimation, we find that while there appears to be no effect of being a woman in a male-dominated occupation on expression of stress processes through the HPA system, men in female-dominated occupations show healthier patterns of cortisol expression than workers who are not a minority in their occupation. These findings have important implications for understanding the physiological impacts of workplace group processes.

Authors

• Bianca Manago, Indiana University

• Catherine J. Taylor, Indiana University