Into work

Any review of academic research about the social organization of non-industrial societies will provide examples of well-documented fieldwork where the relevance of sexual ascription, particularly in relation to the division of labour, is recognized and analysed. ⁽¹⁾ In contrast, far from being an established theme in academic research in industrial societies, the relevance of sex in the division of labour has been relatively neglected. Until recently, researchers were content to use all-male samples in their studies of workers, and either to ignore female workers or to assume that their experiences were, in every way, similar to those of males. ⁽²⁾ Reappraisals have been prompted by challenges from the women’s movement, combined with contributions from economists and sociologists concerned to analyse the relevance of ethnicity in the social processes which govern entry into work and experiences in the labour market. ⁽³⁾