The problem of the measurement of sex segregation revisited

Abstract

As pointed out in the introduction, one core aspect in the scientific literature on occupational sex segregation has been the question of how to measure this phenomenon adequately. As there is a variety of different single number indices, results of relevant studies (see Anker 1998, Blau and Hendricks 1979, Hakim 1979, 1993, Jacobs 1989b, Siltanen 1990) vary widely. Sometimes, even the use of the same index leads to different results (see for example Gross (1968) or Jacobs (1989a) for occupational sex segregation in the US-labour market). This is due to the fact that empirical results of segregation research are widely determined by methodological considerations, research preferences and the quality of data sets (Hakim 1992). In consequence, the question arises whether the amount of segregation has really been recorded in an adequate empirical and theoretical manner, or whether it would rather be necessary to modify existing theories and develop ‘new’ concepts and methods for a better understanding of the phenomenon.