Inequality in labor market outcomes is a cornerstone of the U.S. stratification system. A key aspect of these outcomes is earnings inequalities because of how earnings differences are associated with individual and family well-being. Previous research has revealed that hegemonic masculinity and a gendered hierarchy result in economic outcomes that preference white men while devaluing women and non-whites. Sexuality is an additional social status that has been shown to interact with gender through heterosexism to create lower earnings for gay men, relative to heterosexual men, but higher earnings for lesbians, relative to heterosexual women. However, much is still unknown about how these earnings differences and financial well-being vary by gender and sexuality.
This study is guided by the status characteristic theory on inequalities and discrimination, which emphasizes a social-relational approach to explain both the supply side and demand side of inequalities. Using data from the 1989-2010 General Social Survey, I analyze disparities in economic outcomes and financial well-being that vary by gender and sexuality. I find that heterosexual men are the highest paid, followed by gay/bisexual men, then lesbian/bisexual women, and finally heterosexual women. However, status characteristics and the gendering of occupations appear to explain the gendered and sexual earnings inequalities. I also find that lesbian/bisexual women have the highest probability of greater financial satisfaction and heterosexual women and gay/bisexual men have the lowest probability of greater financial satisfaction. However, when considering perceived relative financial status, a perception of how one’s financial position compares to the average family, heterosexual men have the greatest probability of higher financial status, followed by lesbian/bisexual women, then gay/bisexual men, and finally heterosexual women. Occupational contexts mediate the gender and sexuality effects on financial satisfaction for men, but occupations do not explain financial satisfaction for women. I argue that heteronormative gender norms result in lesbians/bisexual women being more independent and autonomous than heterosexual women and this leads to lesbian/bisexual women enhancing their perceptions of their status compared to heterosexual women.
This study contributes to the existing research on economic inequalities by using the status characteristics perspective to explain disparities in earnings, financial satisfaction, and financial status that vary by gender and sexuality. I also examine how the status characteristics of gender and sexuality intersect and affect economic outcomes via occupational distributions, occupational hierarchies, and family statuses. These findings add to our knowledge on the stratification processes that produce earnings inequalities, but they also fill the gaps in the literature on subjective financial well-being that has until this point ignored the experiences of sexual minorities.
","abstract_html":"<p>Inequality in labor market outcomes is a cornerstone of the U.S. stratification system. A key aspect of these outcomes is earnings inequalities because of how earnings differences are associated with individual and family well-being. Previous research has revealed that hegemonic masculinity and a gendered hierarchy result in economic outcomes that preference white men while devaluing women and non-whites. Sexuality is an additional social status that has been shown to interact with gender through heterosexism to create lower earnings for gay men, relative to heterosexual men, but higher earnings for lesbians, relative to heterosexual women. However, much is still unknown about how these earnings differences and financial well-being vary by gender and sexuality. </p><p>This study is guided by the status characteristic theory on inequalities and discrimination, which emphasizes a social-relational approach to explain both the supply side and demand side of inequalities. Using data from the 1989-2010 General Social Survey, I analyze disparities in economic outcomes and financial well-being that vary by gender and sexuality. I find that heterosexual men are the highest paid, followed by gay/bisexual men, then lesbian/bisexual women, and finally heterosexual women. However, status characteristics and the gendering of occupations appear to explain the gendered and sexual earnings inequalities. I also find that lesbian/bisexual women have the highest probability of greater financial satisfaction and heterosexual women and gay/bisexual men have the lowest probability of greater financial satisfaction. However, when considering perceived relative financial status, a perception of how one’s financial position compares to the average family, heterosexual men have the greatest probability of higher financial status, followed by lesbian/bisexual women, then gay/bisexual men, and finally heterosexual women. Occupational contexts mediate the gender and sexuality effects on financial satisfaction for men, but occupations do not explain financial satisfaction for women. I argue that heteronormative gender norms result in lesbians/bisexual women being more independent and autonomous than heterosexual women and this leads to lesbian/bisexual women enhancing their perceptions of their status compared to heterosexual women. </p><p>This study contributes to the existing research on economic inequalities by using the status characteristics perspective to explain disparities in earnings, financial satisfaction, and financial status that vary by gender and sexuality. I also examine how the status characteristics of gender and sexuality intersect and affect economic outcomes via occupational distributions, occupational hierarchies, and family statuses. These findings add to our knowledge on the stratification processes that produce earnings inequalities, but they also fill the gaps in the literature on subjective financial well-being that has until this point ignored the experiences of sexual minorities.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Matthews, Gregory A."],"institution":"The Ohio State University","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Sociology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Sayer, Liana"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-05-20","date_published":"2013-05-20","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:36:08Z","subjects":["Gender","Gender Studies","Sociology","sexuality","gay","inequality","wage","earnings","financial satisfaction","work","occupations","status characteristic"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1357156865","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Sayer, Liana"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Matthews, Gregory A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2013-05-20"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["The Ohio State University / OhioLINK"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Ohio State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Gender","Gender Studies","Sociology","sexuality","gay","inequality","wage","earnings","financial satisfaction","work","occupations","status characteristic"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1357156865"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Inequality in labor market outcomes is a cornerstone of the U.S. stratification system. A key aspect of these outcomes is earnings inequalities because of how earnings differences are associated with individual and family well-being. Previous research has revealed that hegemonic masculinity and a gendered hierarchy result in economic outcomes that preference white men while devaluing women and non-whites. Sexuality is an additional social status that has been shown to interact with gender through heterosexism to create lower earnings for gay men, relative to heterosexual men, but higher earnings for lesbians, relative to heterosexual women. However, much is still unknown about how these earnings differences and financial well-being vary by gender and sexuality.
This study is guided by the status characteristic theory on inequalities and discrimination, which emphasizes a social-relational approach to explain both the supply side and demand side of inequalities. Using data from the 1989-2010 General Social Survey, I analyze disparities in economic outcomes and financial well-being that vary by gender and sexuality. I find that heterosexual men are the highest paid, followed by gay/bisexual men, then lesbian/bisexual women, and finally heterosexual women. However, status characteristics and the gendering of occupations appear to explain the gendered and sexual earnings inequalities. I also find that lesbian/bisexual women have the highest probability of greater financial satisfaction and heterosexual women and gay/bisexual men have the lowest probability of greater financial satisfaction. However, when considering perceived relative financial status, a perception of how one’s financial position compares to the average family, heterosexual men have the greatest probability of higher financial status, followed by lesbian/bisexual women, then gay/bisexual men, and finally heterosexual women. Occupational contexts mediate the gender and sexuality effects on financial satisfaction for men, but occupations do not explain financial satisfaction for women. I argue that heteronormative gender norms result in lesbians/bisexual women being more independent and autonomous than heterosexual women and this leads to lesbian/bisexual women enhancing their perceptions of their status compared to heterosexual women.
This study contributes to the existing research on economic inequalities by using the status characteristics perspective to explain disparities in earnings, financial satisfaction, and financial status that vary by gender and sexuality. I also examine how the status characteristics of gender and sexuality intersect and affect economic outcomes via occupational distributions, occupational hierarchies, and family statuses. These findings add to our knowledge on the stratification processes that produce earnings inequalities, but they also fill the gaps in the literature on subjective financial well-being that has until this point ignored the experiences of sexual minorities.
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This study is guided by the status characteristic theory on inequalities and discrimination, which emphasizes a social-relational approach to explain both the supply side and demand side of inequalities. Using data from the 1989-2010 General Social Survey, I analyze disparities in economic outcomes and financial well-being that vary by gender and sexuality. I find that heterosexual men are the highest paid, followed by gay/bisexual men, then lesbian/bisexual women, and finally heterosexual women. However, status characteristics and the gendering of occupations appear to explain the gendered and sexual earnings inequalities. I also find that lesbian/bisexual women have the highest probability of greater financial satisfaction and heterosexual women and gay/bisexual men have the lowest probability of greater financial satisfaction. However, when considering perceived relative financial status, a perception of how one’s financial position compares to the average family, heterosexual men have the greatest probability of higher financial status, followed by lesbian/bisexual women, then gay/bisexual men, and finally heterosexual women. Occupational contexts mediate the gender and sexuality effects on financial satisfaction for men, but occupations do not explain financial satisfaction for women. I argue that heteronormative gender norms result in lesbians/bisexual women being more independent and autonomous than heterosexual women and this leads to lesbian/bisexual women enhancing their perceptions of their status compared to heterosexual women.
This study contributes to the existing research on economic inequalities by using the status characteristics perspective to explain disparities in earnings, financial satisfaction, and financial status that vary by gender and sexuality. I also examine how the status characteristics of gender and sexuality intersect and affect economic outcomes via occupational distributions, occupational hierarchies, and family statuses. These findings add to our knowledge on the stratification processes that produce earnings inequalities, but they also fill the gaps in the literature on subjective financial well-being that has until this point ignored the experiences of sexual minorities.
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