Full Citation

Title: Doing the Dirty Work

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2007

ISBN:

ISSN: 0891-2432

DOI: 10.1177/0891243207300764

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: The concept of reproductive labor is central to an analysis of gender inequality, including understanding the devaluation of cleaning, cooking, child care, and other "women's work" in the paid labor force. This article presents historical census data that detail transformations of paid reproductive labor during the twentieth century. Changes in the organization of cooking and cleaning tasks in the paid labor market have led to shifts in the demographics of workers engaged in these tasks. As the context for cleaning and cooking work shifted from the dominance of private household servants to include more institutional forms, the gender balance of this reproductive labor workforce has been transformed, while racial-ethnic hierarchies have remained entrenched. This article highlights the challenges to understanding occupational segregation and the devaluation of reproductive labor in a way that analyzes gender and race-ethnicity in an intersectional way and integrates cultural and structural explanations of occupational degradation.

Url: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0891243207300764

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Authors: Duffy, Mignon

Periodical (Full): Gender & Society

Issue: 3

Volume: 21

Pages: 313-336

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Race and Ethnicity

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