ABSTRACT
From the beginnings of human history women have always worked. They have consistently contributed both to the economic production of their society and to the material subsistence of their kinship group. To understand the problems of women and work in contemporary societies, it is essential to trace the roots of these problems to historical changes in the social definitions of women's work. As an abundance of research testifies, the most critical redefinition of women's work in American society occurred during the period of early industrialization (late 1800s, early 1900s). At this time, the idea of a public-private separation, with men in the public (occupational) sphere and women in the private (family) sphere, laid the foundation both for structural segregation of women's and men's occupations (exclusion of women from many occupations or occupational segregation) and ideological changes (women equated with family) that continue to subordinate women's paid and unpaid work.
