An Economic History of Women in America

An Economic History of Women in America
Author: Julie A. Matthaei
Publisher: Schocken
Total Pages: 408
Release: 1982
Genre: Social Science
ISBN:

Analyzing the changing conceptions of women's work and family life in the U.S. from colonial times to the present, Matthaei studies the relationship between capitalism and the sexual division of labor. From the integration within the household of family life and commodity production in the pre-Revolutionary period, she traces the separation of these two areas, resulting in the household being considered the woman's sphere and participation in the work force the man's. The author discusses the recent breakdown of this division, which has seen women coming out of their "proper" place and enter into the labor force.

Out to Work

Out to Work
Author: Alice Kessler-Harris
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 431
Release: 2003-02-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 019977045X

First published in 1982, this pioneering work traces the transformation of "women's work" into wage labor in the United States, identifying the social, economic, and ideological forces that have shaped our expectations of what women do. Basing her observations upon the personal experience of individual American women set against the backdrop of American society, Alice Kessler-Harris examines the effects of class, ethnic and racial patterns, changing perceptions of wage work for women, and the relationship between wage-earning and family roles. In the 20th Anniversary Edition of this landmark book, the author has updated the original and written a new Afterword.

Women's Figures

Women's Figures
Author: Diana Furchtgott-Roth
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2012
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0844772410

The myth that women make 78 cents on a man's dollar is a standard refrain in popular media and serves as a rationale for affirmative action for women. Unstated is that for women and men with the same job and work experience, the wage gap practically disappears. In Women's Figures, Manhattan Senior Fellow Diana Furchtgott-Roth shatters the myth of the wage gap. Women are continuing to gain ground relative to men, and in some cases, they have even reversed the gender gap. Rather than helping women, preferential policies undermine America's idea of meritocracy, and call into question the value of women's hard-earned achievements.

Caught in the Crisis

Caught in the Crisis
Author: Teresa L. Amott
Publisher:
Total Pages: 168
Release: 1993
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

Women have entered the job market in increasing numbers since the 1960s. But as Theresa Amott shows, there is still vast gender inequality in income, wealth, and occupational distribution. Women, Amott explains, face gender discrimination by employers, the juggling of parental and household responsibilities, and an unreliable economy. In a short survey, ranging from managerial and professional positions to clerical and manufacturing work, and across such policy issues as health care, welfare, and child care, Caught in the Crisis demonstrates that women have carried a heavy economic burden in recent decades. In a concluding chapter, Amott assesses the kinds of organizing efforts that may help transform the family, economy, and state, leading to more equitable relations. This edition of Caught in the Crisis brings a highly informative work up to date with fresh data and new insights.

Race, Gender, and Work

Race, Gender, and Work
Author: Teresa L. Amott
Publisher: South End Press
Total Pages: 466
Release: 1996
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780896085374

An outgrowth of Boston's Economic Literacy Project of Women for Economic Justice, this new edition traces the economic and social histories of working women in America. The history documents the paid and unpaid work done by American Indian, Chicana, European American, African American, and Puerto Rican women from each group's cultural beginnings (pre-colonialization) to the most contemporary analysis of present day wage statistics. The appendices supply US census sources, occupational categories, and labor force participation rates from 1900 to 1980. Includes statistical tables. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.