Not Only The Dangerous Trades: Women's Work And Health In Britain 1880-1914 (Gender & Society)

Using original research and focusing on occupational ill-health in relation to women workers, this book presents a perspective for the analysis of both gender and work and work and ill-health. The author gives a critique of traditional theoretical accounts of gender relations, state intervention and industrial ill-health. The chapters examine the extent to which feminist activists got involved in debates about health and industrial work, and show how activists went beyond the concerns of suffrage.; The book presents a historical period which was marked by a change in the role of the state with respect to intervention in industrial conditions, and analyses the coincidence of this with three other significant developments: the growth of expertise in industrial disease; the employment of women in the factory to take on responsibilities in relation to other women; and changes in the direction of feminist activism. In light of this analysis, the author suggests that some theoretical approaches to both gender relations and health and safety requirements require modification. Education, Politics & IR, Sociology & Social Policy Book Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 7 List of Tables, Figures and Appendix 11 List of Abbreviations 12 Acknowledgments 13 Setting the Scene 15 Beginnings 15 Intentions 16 Women Workers in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-century Britain 19 The Labour Market and Sexual Divisions 24 Occupational Health and Industrial Disease 27 Notes 30 Part I The Problem 34 Chapter 1 Suffer the Working Day: Women’s Work and Endangered Health 35 Barely Enough to Survive: Wages 35 All of the Day and All of the Night: Hours of Work 42 A Matter of Decency: Sanitary Conditions and Provision 50 Hot and Cold and Fresh Air 54 The Oppressive Power of Men at Work 59 Notes 61 Chapter 2 The ‘Dangerous Trades’ 66 Conceptualizing ‘Danger’ 66 Women in ‘Danger’ 70 ‘Dangers at Work’ 72 ‘White Cemeteries’ 75 ‘Match-girls’: The Other Story 82 Regulating Danger: The Reality 87 Notes 92 Chapter 3 Work, Maternity and Domestic Labours 97 Maternal Health and Infant Mortality 97 Lead and Reproductive Damage 105 ‘Sweated’ Work and the Home as a Place of Paid Work 110 Notes 119 Chapter 4 Out of the Factory: Health and Work in Non-industrial Occupations 125 Domestic Service 126 Serving Others in the Public Domain: Shop Assistants, Barmaids and Waitresses 130 Into the Office: Clerks and Typists 135 Professional Work 139 Teaching 140 Nursing 144 Women Factory Inspectors 149 Notes 151 Part II Responses 157 Chapter 5 State Intervention: ‘Protective’ Legislation and Women’s Health 158 State and Society 1880–1914 159 The State and ‘Protective’ Factory Legislation: Precedents 162 State Intervention and Women’s Work: The Response from 1880 165 Capital, Labour and the State: Employers 167 Occupational Ill-health: the Failure of State Intervention 172 Women, Men and the State 175 Notes 179 Chapter 6 Medical Men1 and Women’s Occupational Ill-health 183 Early Debates 184 In the Service of the State 186 The Medical Construction of Knowledge of Women’s Occupational Ill-health 190 Doctors and Industry 194 Medical Surveillance: Success or Failure? 196 Notes 198 Chapter 7 ‘Missionaries of the State’1: Women Factory Inspectors and Women at Work 202 Mounting the Campaign 202 Eventual Success 205 Becoming a Woman Factory Inspector 207 Working Days and Working Nights 209 Perspectives on Women’s Occupational Health 211 Gender Divisions in the Service of the State 214 Notes 219 Chapter 8 Women, Feminism and the Politics of ‘Protective’ Legislation 223 Lining up on ‘Protective’ Legislation 224 Division and Dissent 227 Feminism, Work and the ‘Protection’ of Health 232 Women, Trade Unionism and Working Conditions 237 Working Women, Legislation and Health 240 Notes 243 Chapter 9 A Concluding Discussion: Toward a Feminist Analysis of the State, Women’s Paid Work and Occupational Ill-health 248 Preventing Occupational Ill-health: A Failed Approach? 249 ‘Protective’ Legislation—Intentions and Consequences 254 Capitalism and Patriarchy: Men’s Interests and the Subordination of Women 258 The State: Toward a Feminist Analysis 262 Feminist Politics and Women’s Resistance 265 Talking about Women 268 Notes 271 Appendix 275 Chronology of the Women’s Inspectorate Personnel 1893–1921 275 Taken from the Annual Reports of the Women’s Inspectorate 275 Selected Biographical Details of Prominent Inspectors 277 May Abraham (1869–1946) 277 Lucy Deane (c. 1860–1950) 277 Adelaide Anderson (1863–1936) 277 Rose Squire (1861–1938) 278 Hilda Martindale (1875–1952) 278 Bibliography 279 Parliamentary Papers 279 Index 297 Introduction: Setting The Scene -- Pt. I. The Problem. Ch. 1. Suffer The Working Day: Women's Work And Endangered Health. Ch. 2. The 'dangerous Trades'. Ch. 3. Work, Maternity And Domestic Labours. Ch. 4. Out Of The Factory: Health And Work In Non-industrial Occupations -- Pt. Ii. Responses. Ch. 5. State Intervention: 'protective' Legislation And Women's Health. Ch. 6. Medical Men And Women's Occupational Ill-health. Ch. 7. 'missionaries Of The State': Women Factory Inspectors And Women At Work. Ch. 8. Women, Feminism And The Politics Of 'protective' Legislation. Ch. 9. A Concluding Discussion: Toward A Feminist Analysis Of The State, Women's Paid Work And Occupational Ill-health -- App. Chronology Of Women's Inspectorate Personnel 1893-1921. Barbara Harrison. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.