ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reviews the empirical data since 1890 on married women’s labor force participation. It examines neoclassical and Marxist-Feminist arguments regarding the division of labor, noting that the former is based on biological determinism and the latter subjugates gender issues to class. The book brings patriarchy into the analysis by examining the dynamics within households leading women to the labor market. It argues that status differentials were critical in the creation of the home-maker ideal and their disappearance necessary for its demise. The book suggests that gender is not only important in understanding the rise of mass consumption society, but also in why women entered the capitalist work place. It provides the reasons for both the rise of a homemaker ideal as well as its fall.
