Work and Employment Flashcards
What increases in employment did women see?
Urbanisation and industry; consumerism = more spare time.
1870 - 13% unmarried women in work, by 1900 women made 17% of workforce. Worked in textiles, manufacturing, and garments.
1890s- business enterprises, women earned $7 weekly and by 1900 950,000 teachers, secretaries, and telephone operators thanks to typewriter.
1920 - 3.4 m in business.
What changes were made to farming and clerical work?
Mechanisation of farms, farming fell from 53% of jobs in 1870 to 37.5% by 1900.
1900-1920 2.6-8.6 million women employed.
1920 - Half of clerical workers female typewriters; cast register made accounting easy but women didn’t bill or deal with cash. Trade school courses available for typing/shorthand.
What were positive changes to women in unions?
Immigrant International Ladies' Garment Workers Union worked with the Women's Trade Union League in 'Uprising of the 20,000', New York, 1900. 1910s women swelled trade unions. 1903 the Womens' Trade Union League formed, (WTUL), under the control of working class ladies such as Agnes Nestor, a glove maker, Rose Schniederman, a cap maker, and Mary Anderson, a shoe maker. Apprenticeships were made to promote women entering skilled trades.
What were changes to education?
By 1900 half of women graduated and half of those graduating delayed marriage for more employment opportunities. By 1900 divorce rate climbed to 1/12.
How did consumerism appeal to women?
Roland Macy and John Wanamaker were department store entrepreneurs who promoted ‘rock bottom’ sales and clearance to prevent stock pileup. Stained glass ceilings and chandeliers appealed to women, alongside lounges and restaurants, and friendly sales clerks.
How did hotels evolve?
Grand hotels were also established such as the New York’s Waldorf Astoria, which was built in 1892 in German Renaissance style with offices, restaurants, ballrooms, courtyards, and 500 guest rooms. Hotels represented efficiency, convenience, luxury, and service.
What were urban changes?
Suburban housing reduced pressure on men for long transport to work, and women no longer had to deal with the stress of cooking, cleaning, sending waste to cess pits, and in suburban houses had electricity and central heating, alongside plumbing. They could own washing machines and fridges. The average family size fell from 5.42 in 1850 to 3.56 by 1900 for middle class white families.
What showed employment didn’t improve for women?
Separate spheres, marriage still goal.
White collar work - men still managers.
Europeans and hispanics replaced white women in factories earning $5 for 70 hour weeks.
Traditional roles of opening bakeries, launderettes, and domestic work, was fulfilled.
Entrepreneurs made working class women work in tenement houses with their children.
Women could work menial jobs such as in textile mills, earning $1-2 dollars for a 70 hour week compared to men who could earn $7-10.
What limited women in unions?
Men still dominated trade unions for female-dominated work such as textiles.
By 1910, less than 2% of women were part of unions. Union leaders claimed they competed with their husbands and sons. Women earned less for the same work, and so consequently men saw this as a threat.
What limited women in education?
Women still faced barriers in becoming lawyers or working in medicine. Many men believed education was to prepare them for motherhood and people who believed in separate spheres were alarmed by changes to women.
What style did women have to adjust to?
Women were believed to exist in their separate sphere and adopt motherhood and religion. However, Victorian advocates also promoted a Victorian style, with women encouraged to adopt front parlours with ornate furnishings, and an ornate architectural style. Many women didn’t have time for this and in the 1880s-90s women found alternative outlets.
What were negative impacts to families?
Immigrant families lived in ghettoes in the cities. For immigrant families, families remained large in size due to religious beliefs, as Italians and the Irish were Roman Catholic. Alongside this, although white women had more time, this could be spent on furthering their child’s education and spending time with family.
