Dear Rabbi Zuckerman,
As interesting as Becker's theories are, I do not see their relevance to the issue before us.
It cannot be correct that "the discrimination that concerns us will be encouraged to increase if women receive equal pay for equal work" for the simple reason that the manifestation of discrimination we are concerned with is unequal pay itself. Since unequal pay is the discrimination at hand, it can only be solved with equal pay.
Sadly, there are many thinkers who deny that unequal pay is itself discriminatory, and I believe that this misguided assertion begs the need not only for social justice reforms, but for a careful consideration of the prejudices we convey through our unquestioned communal behavior.
Kol tuv,
Effy Unterman
