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Women's Work and Economic Crisis: Some Lessons of the Great Depression

Author

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  • Ruth Milkman
  • Ruth Milkman

    (Department of Sociology University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California 94720)

Abstract

An investigation of the impact of the Great Depression on women's paid and unpaid work roles, and the implications of this for their situation in the current economic crisis. The widely accepted notion that women form a "reserve army" which is integrated into the labor market during periods of expansion and expelled with contractions is criticized. While economic expansion draws women into the labor force, it is argued, the sexual segregation of occupations creates an inflexibility in the labor market which prevents their expulsion during a crisis of contraction. Women's unpaid house hold work, however, is an arena where they can be forced to "take up the slack" in the economy during crises.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruth Milkman & Ruth Milkman, 1976. "Women's Work and Economic Crisis: Some Lessons of the Great Depression," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 71-97, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:reorpe:v:8:y:1976:i:1:p:71-97
    DOI: 10.1177/048661347600800107
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    Cited by:

    1. Amartya Sen, 1987. "Gender and Cooperative Conflicts," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-1987-018, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Stephan HUMPERT, 2015. "Gender-based Segregation before and after the Great Recession," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania / Editura Economica, vol. 0(4(605), W), pages 53-62, Winter.
    3. repec:agr:journl:v:4(605):y:2015:i:4(605):p:53-62 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Valeria Cirillo & Marcella Corsi & Carlo D'Ippoliti, 2015. "Gender, class and the crisis," Working Papers CEB 15-026, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Burca Kizilirmak & Emel Memis, 2019. "The Unequal Burden of Income Poverty on Time Use in South Africa," World Journal of Applied Economics, WERI-World Economic Research Institute, vol. 5(2), pages 31-51, December.
    6. Ladislao Martínez López, 2013. "Demanda de electricidad y déficit tarifario," Revista de Economia Critica, Asociacion de Economia Critica, vol. 15, pages 112-127.
    7. Ellen Mutari, 2001. ""...As broad as our life experience": visions of feminist political economy, 1972-1991," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 33(4), pages 379-399, December.

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