Women workers and technological change in Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries

About this book

Refusing to be a 'Wife'! explores how women can transform their relationships in order to minimize the inequality found in traditional families. Drawing on interviews with women and men in explicitly anti-sexist living arrangements, the book provides a new perspective on the division of domestic labour, mothering, marriage and financial allocation in the home. The author examines the relationship between home and work, and the construction of gender equality, and discusses the key roles of women in the sphere of the home: wife, mother, worker, showing how the role/identity of 'wife' dominates and affects the other two roles. The author offers a feminist sociological answer to the question 'what is an anti-sexist living arrangement?', and provides insights into how women can balance commitments to work and home whilst retaining some form of individual identity. The discussions highlight the importance of men's commitment to anti-sexist living. Written in a clear and engaging style, this book will be of interest and relevance not only to feminists but to anyone interested in the 'potential' impact of feminism on family life.