Women in health care

The occupational, class, and sex structure of the United States Health Labor Force is similar to the competitive sector of the economy (i.e., it is predominantly female, poorly paid and poorly unionized). Upper-middle-class men compose the great majority of medical professionals, whereas lower-middle and working-class women form the greatest proportion of all middle-level, clerical and service workers. This division of labor is due to the role of women both in the family and as a reserve of labor for the economy. There is a virtual absence of the majority of producers--lower-middle-class and working-class women-- in the decision-making bodies of the health institutions. The political strategy for change is to introduce institutional democracy in the health sector, with control on the institutions by those who work in them--and those who are served by them.