ussed
             labor market or economic factors as well as personal ones when evaluating
             segregation and discrimination. One can reasonably conclude that
             occupational segregation will adversely affect the economic status of
             individuals directly, particularly women, by producing differences in
             economic outcomes (Blau, Ferber and Winkler, 2001:202).
             The neoclassical theory of wage discrimination suggests that
             discrimination results more from individual actions and preferences than
             from organizational or institutionalized ones. Neoclassical economists and
             theorists consider wage discrimination as a form of how "individuals
             discriminate" and how that discrimination is subsequently "translated" into
             labor market outcomes (Giempetro-Meyer, 2000:1). Opposing this viewpoint
             is the institutional theory of discrimination which suggests that
             institutions in society have "rules and regulations that are
             discriminatory" even if individuals at those institutions personally do not
             discriminate (Giampetro-Meyer, 2000:1).
             A majority of the research conducted on wage discrimination thus far
             has focused on the direct effects of wage discrimination, including pay and
             occupational differences between equally qualified men and women (Blau,
             Ferber and Winkler, 2001:202). These studies indicate that over time,
             women still earn less than men. Female college graduate for example, are
             less likely to acquire high paying jobs then men (Shulman, 1992).
             One form of wage discrimination is wage depreciation, which occurs
             when a woman has lower "real" wages upon returning to work if she leaves
             for a period of time and is out of the labor force (England, 1984:727).
             Blau, Ferber and Winkler point out that the gap in wage differentials
             between women and men is relatively small at the beginning of most
             individual's careers; however, given that for the most part if men and
             women have equivalent qualif...