DOCSLIB.ORG

Journey Across a Century of Women

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Journey Across a Century of Women A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Goldin, Claudia Dale Article Journey across a Century of Women NBER Reporter Provided in Cooperation with: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Cambridge, Mass. Suggested Citation: Goldin, Claudia Dale (2020) : Journey across a Century of Women, NBER Reporter, ISSN 0276-119X, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Cambridge, MA, Iss. 3, pp. 1-7 This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/234009 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. www.econstor.eu NBER Reporter NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH A quarterly summary of NBER research No. 3, September 2020 The 2020 Martin S. Feldstein Lecture Journey across a Century of Women Claudia Goldin My talk will take us on a Journey across a Century of Women — a 120- year odyssey of generations of college-graduate women from a time when they were only able to have either a family or a career (sometimes a job), to now, when they anticipate having both a family and a career. More women than ever before are within striking distance of these goals. Fully 45 percent of young American women today will eventually have a BA degree, and more than 20 percent of them will obtain an advanced degree above an MA. More than 80 percent of 45-year-old college-graduate women have children, either biological or adopted. More women than men graduate Claudia Goldin from college, and there is greater similarity in their ambitions and achieve- ments than ever before. This should all make for a very pleasant ending to the ALSO IN THIS ISSUE journey. But that happy ending doesn’t seem to be happening. A few clarifica- Black Officeholders and tions: my evidence concerns the United States and the history of its college- Spending on Public Goods 8 graduate men and women. I will focus on college-graduate women because they have the greatest opportunities to achieve “career.” Career is achieved Capital Market Risks in Emerging Markets 12 over time, as the etymology of the word — meaning to run a race — would Integrating Renewable Generation imply. A career generally involves advancement and persistence and is a long- into Electricity Markets 16 lasting, sought-after employment, the type of work — writer, teacher, doc- Are US Treasury Bonds Still a Safe Haven? 20 tor, accountant, religious leader — which often shapes one’s identity. A career NBER News 29 needn’t begin right after the highest educational degree; it can emerge later in life. A career is different from a job. Jobs generally do not become part Conferences 26 of one’s identity or life’s purpose. They are often solely taken for generating Program Meeting 34 income and generally do not have a clear set of milestones. NBER Books 35 I recently finished most of a book on this century-long journey. But my book, like the Old Testament, was written in a BCE world — in this case, *Claudia Goldin is the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University and director of the NBER’s Gender in the Economy Study Group. She was director of the NBER’s Development of the American Economy Program from 1989 to 2017, and is a past president of the American Economic Association. Reporter Online at: www.nber.org/reporter-2020-03 Before the Corona Era. Many inequities have NBER Reporter been exposed by the COVID-19 economy and NBER Reporter society, most notably those concerning social justice and our criminal justice system. The The National Bureau of Economic Research is a private, nonprofit research organization COVID economy has also magnified gender founded in 1920 and devoted to objective quantitative analysis of the American economy. Its differences at work and in the home. Women officers and board of directors are: The National Bureau of Economic Research is a private, nonprofit research orga- are essential workers, but cannot be that at Presidentnization and Chief founded Executive in 1920 Officer and —devoted to objective quantitative analysis of the American economy. Its officers andJames board M. of Poterba directors are: home and at work simultaneously. The burden Controller — Kelly Horak CorporatePresident Secretary and — Chief Alterra Executive Milone Officer — James M. Poterba of school closings on working parents that will BOARDController OF DIRECTORS — Kelly Horak continue into the coming year could erase years Corporate Secretary — Alterra Milone of career gains by young women in a way we Chair — BOARDJohn Lipsky OF DIRECTORS Vice Chair — Peter Blair Henry have rarely seen. That is where my talk will take TreasurerChair — Robert — John Mednick Lipsky us. But first, we must journey to the beginning. DIRECTORSVice Chair AT — LARGE Peter Blair Henry I’ll begin the journey 120 years ago, when col- Treasurer — Robert Mednick Susan M. Collins Robert S. Hamada Robert T. Parry lege-graduate women were faced with the stark KathleenDIRECTORS B. Cooper AT LARGEPeter Blair Henry Douglas Peterson choice of family or career (sometimes a job). CharlesSusan H. Dallara M. Collins KarenRobert N. Horn S. Hamada AliciaJames H. M. Munnell Poterba Five distinct groups of women can be dis- GeorgeKathleen C. Eads B. Cooper LisaPeter Jordan Blair Henry RobertJohn S. T. Reed Parry Jessica P.Charles Einhorn H. Dallara JohnKaren Lipsky N. Horn DouglasHal Varian Peterson cerned across the past 120 years, according to their MohamedGeorge El-Erian C. Eads LaurenceLisa Jordan H. Meyer JamesMark M.Weinberger Poterba changing aspirations and achievements. Group Diana FarrellJessica P. Einhorn KarenJohn Mills Lipsky JohnMartin S. Reed B. Zimmerman One graduated from college between 1900 and Helena MohamedFoulkes El-Erian MichaelLaurence H. Moskow H. Meyer Hal Varian Jacob A.Diana Frenkel Farrell AliciaKaren H. MunnellMills Mark Weinberger 1919 and achieved “Career or Family.” Group Helena Foulkes Michael H. Moskow Martin B. Zimmerman Two was a transition generation between Group DIRECTORSJacob A. BY Frenkel UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENT One, which had few children, and Group Three, Timothy Bresnahan, Stanford Samuel Kortum, Yale which had many. It achieved “Job then Family.” Pierre-AndréDIRECTORS Chiappori, BY UNIVERSITY Columbia APPOINTMENTGeorge Mailath, Pennsylvania Group Three, the subject of Betty Friedan’s MaureenTimothy Cropper, Bresnahan, Maryland Stanford JoelBenjamin Mokyr, Hermalin, Northwestern California, Berkeley , graduated from college Alan V.Pierre-André Deardorff, Michigan Chiappori, Columbia CeciliaSamuel Elena Kortum, Rouse, Yale Princeton The Feminine Mystique GrahamMaureen Elliott, California,Cropper, Maryland San Diego RichardGeorge L. Mailath, Schmalensee, Pennsylvania MIT\ between 1946 and 1965 and achieved “Family EdwardAlan Foster, V. Deardorff,Minnesota Michigan LarsJoel Stole, Mokyr, Chicago Northwestern then Job.” Group Four, my generation, graduated Bruce Hansen,Graham Wisconsin-Madison Elliott, California, San Diego IngCecilia o Wa lElena t er, New Rouse, York Princeton between 1966 and 1979 and attempted “Career BenjaminEdward Hermalin, Foster, California Minnesota, Berkeley DavidRichard B. Yoffie,L. Schmalensee, Harvard MIT Lars Stole, Chicago Ing o Wa l t er, New York then Family.” Group Five continues to today and DIRECTORSBruce Hansen, BY APPOINTMENT Wisconsin-Madison OF OTHERDavid ORGANIZATIONS B. Yoffie, Harvard desires “Career and Family.” TimothyDIRECTORS Beatty, Agricultural BY APPOINTMENT and Applied Economics OF OTHER Association ORGANIZATIONS College-graduate women in Group One Martin TimothyGruber, American Beatty, Agricultural Finance Association and Applied Economics Association aspired to “Family or Career.” Few managed both. Philip Hoffman,Martin Gruber, Economic American History Finance Association Association In fact, they split into two groups: 50 percent Arthur Kennickell, Philip Hoffman, American Economic Statistical History Association Association never bore a child, 32 percent never married. In Robert ArthurMednick, Kennickell, American American Institute ofStatistical Certified Association Public Accountants Dana M.Lynn Peterson, Reaser, The National Conference Association Board for Business Economics the portion of Group One that had a family, just Lynn Reaser,Robert National Mednick, Association American for Institute Business of EconomicsCertified Public Accountants a small fraction ever worked for pay. More Group Peter L. Rousseau, Peter L. Rousseau,American American Economic Economic Association Association Two college women aspired to careers, but the
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gap Year Guide What Is It and Is It Right for Me?
    Gap Year Guide What is it and is it right for me? What is a Gap Year? An intentional period of time between high school graduation and starting college for a student to learn more about their interests, values and what they would like for their future. A structured opportunity for high-quality experiences such as an internship, traveling, and volunteer efforts like Americorps, CityYear, and Global Citizen Year. There is a full intent for the student to start college a year (or semester) after graduating from high school. It is NOT working a standard job in the community, playing video games, “hanging out,” or living with parents. Is working in my community for a year considered a gap year? Usually not. Taking a year break between high school and college to work a job that does not require a college degree is called “delayed enrollment” and it usually derails a student’s educational pursuits. How might a year off impact me? There are countless stories of students who intended to go to college after a “year off,” and never did, or took many years off. Working a minimum wage job while living with parents is not a different enough experience to add to your personal growth. Like many in this situation, you could end up in a low-wage unskilled job and get stuck in an earning-money and paying bills cycle. However, a true gap-year program (like CityYear, Americorps, or Global Citizen Year) could add tremendous experiences and skills that will help you better know yourself and learn what you’d like to do (or not do) with your life.
    [Show full text]
  • What You Need to Know About the Gap Year Experience
    TIME OUT What You Need to Know About the Gap Year Experience by Jeremy Neidens TRADITIONALLY IN AMERICA the trend was to graduate high Frequently asked questions about a gap year school, have summer break, and immediately transition straight into the fWhat is a gap year? A gap year is a period of time when students college world. During the 1960s a wave of students with a new mindset take a break from formal education to travel, volunteer, study, intern, started questioning whether they really had to follow tradition and go work, perform research, or, any combination of these activities. A gap straight into more schooling. These students were interested in pursu- year can also be called an interim year, deferring college, or taking ing passions, traveling, volunteering, and giving back to the world. They time out. Students who take a gap are also known as gappers. sought to experience a period of self-discovery and unwind after twelve fWhen is the best time to take a gap year? Most students take a gap years of sitting in a classroom. These early pioneers started a movement between the end of high school and the beginning of college. Some known now as the “gap year.” Contrary to what some parents might fear, take time over summer vacation or even a semester off. Some take most gap-year students return home to attend college and complete their time off during college. Others go after college, but before entering degree. And students who take a gap year are more likely to complete graduate school or starting a career.
    [Show full text]
  • 25 YEARS of LSAY Research from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth
    Department of Education, Skills and Employment 25 YEARS OF LSAY Research from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Edited by Cameron Forrest and Charotte Scobie, NCVER Acknowledgments We thank the authors who agreed to summarise their research into chapters for this publication: Alison Anlezark Manager Advancement Services, University of Adelaide Dr Jenny Chesters Lecturer/Research Fellow, MSGE, The University of Melbourne Dr Chesters’ research interests include: inequality in educational attainment according to socioeconomic status, transitions between education and employment throughout the life course, and social stratification. Emerick Chew Data Analyst, National Surveys, National Centre for Vocational Education Research Dr Grant Cooper Lecturer, School of Education, RMIT Dr David D Curtis Principal, Transforming Education (Australia) and Associate Professor (Adjunct) College of Education Psychology & Social Work, Flinders University https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/david.curtis Adjunct Professor Tom Karmel Future of Employment and Skills research centre, University of Adelaide Research interest: the link between education and the labour market. Dr Helen Law Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Sociology, University of Tübingen Dr Helen Law is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Sociology at the University of Tübingen. She is a recipient of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship from the European Commission. She completed her PhD in sociology at the Australian National University. Her research
    [Show full text]
  • Stepping Off the Conveyor Belt: Gap Year Effects on the First Year
    Stepping Off The Conveyor Belt: Gap Year Effects on the First Year College Experience Author: Lori Ilene Tenser Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104364 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2015 Copyright is held by the author. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0). Boston College Lynch School of Education Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education Program in Higher Education STEPPING OFF THE CONVEYOR BELT: GAP YEAR EFFECTS ON THE FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE Dissertation by LORI I. TENSER Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2015 © Copyright by Lori I. Tenser 2015 STEPPING OFF THE CONVEYOR BELT: GAP YEAR EFFECTS ON THE FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE by Lori I. Tenser Karen Arnold, Dissertation Chair ABSTRACT Taking a gap year between high school and college has become more common in the United States in recent years, yet little research attempts to describe or analyze the experience of the students who arrive on college campuses after such a year out. This qualitative study followed 12 first-year students attending highly-selective private institutions in the northeastern U.S. as they experienced the transitions from high school to gap year to college. With varying levels of family support and high levels of personal motivation, the students participated in a wide range of gap-year endeavors. The findings indicate that students were heavily influenced by their encounters during the gap year, leading to strong evidence of self-authorship among the participants, which in turn shaped the way students pursued their goals when they arrived at college.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gap Year: Survey Data & Results Survey Conducted by Hostelworld September 2016
    The Gap Year: Survey Data & Results Survey Conducted by Hostelworld September 2016 General Findings ● 25.93 percent of survey respondents have taken a gap year, while 74.07 percent have not. ​ ​ ​ ● Of those who have taken a gap year, 35.91 percent took their gap year when they were 30 or ​ ​ older. Only 5.02 percent report taking a gap year during high school. Over half (59.85 percent) of ​ ​ ​ ​ all respondents who took a gap year did so after college. ● The majority (39.77 percent) of those who have taken a gap year did so for personal reasons. An ​ ​ additional 33.20 percent sighted “other” reasons, including illness, family care and unemployment. ​ ​ Only 10.42 percent of those who have taken a gap year took time off to travel. ​ ​ ● The majority (39 percent) of those who have taken a gap year spent that time at home. 26.64 ​ ​ ​ percent spent that time working and 14.29 percent spent time traveling — either long term or short ​ term. ● Those who spent time traveling during their gap year cited the following as top benefits: I learned about other places / people / cultures (83.33 percent), I had new experiences (80.56 percent), I ​ ​ ​ ​ learned about myself (66.67 percent), I met new people / made new friends (61.11 percent), I was ​ ​ ​ ​ creatively inspired (50 percent), I came back better prepared for school / work (44.44 percent). ​ ​ ​ ​ ● Of those who have not taken a gap year, only 26.48 percent have taken a one-to-six-month break ​ ​ away from school or work. Of those that did take extended time off, 55.12 percent cited “other” ​ ​ reasons for doing so, including maternity leave, raising a family and illness.
    [Show full text]
  • Considering a Gap Year Due to COVID-19?
    Benefits of a Gap Year: Considering A Gap ► If you are employed you can gain work experience, possibly Year Due To COVID-19? in the career field you are interested in pursuing. “A gap year” is the term for when you take one ► If you can volunteer, you can year off between high school graduation and gain experience in community post-high school (or postsecondary) enrollment. service and explore career fields and interests. It can also Students who take a gap year typically may use strengthen a college application. this time to volunteer, work, or travel. ► Both employment and volunteering can help you The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the workforce, colleges and strengthen soft skills like training programs, and family finances. Faced with uncertainty about teamwork, problem solving, the future, you may be exploring the possibility of taking a gap year or communication skills, and time postponing your college or career education after high school. Typical management. gap year activities may not be realistic during this period. ► This time is an opportunity For current high school seniors, here is what you need to know about to explore options and interests taking a gap year or deferring enrollment. before having to commit to a college major or training Gap Year Options program. Deferred Enrollment “Deferred enrollment” is the ability, process, and procedure to postpone Challenges of a Gap Year: starting classes for a semester or a year at the college that you have selected. This process will vary by school or program. Traditionally, some ► Students who choose to delay schools will review and approve the request on a case by case basis, are at considerable risk of not while some approvals are automatic.
    [Show full text]
  • TAKING a GAP YEAR DEFINITION of a GAP YEAR: a Temporary Position (1 – 3 Years) Between College and Graduate School Or a Full T
    401 Academy Street Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm Phone: 302-831-2392 http://www.udel.edu/CSC TAKING A GAP YEAR DEFINITION OF A GAP YEAR: a temporary position (1 – 3 years) between college and graduate school or a full time job. Many students are interested in “taking a year off” before buckling down to a “serious” job or graduate school. These temporary “in-the-meantime” jobs can provide experience, direction, emotional and cognitive growth, and satisfy curiosity about the real world. GENERAL RESOURCES Idealist www.idealist.org ServeNet www.servenet.org One Small Planet www.onesmallplanet.com The Gap Year www.gapyear.com BOOKS IN THE CAREER LIBRARY Short-Term Adventures (EXR 83) Taking a Gap Year (EXR 119) Gap Years for Grown Ups (EXR 120) The Gap Year Guidebook 2009 (EXR 121) Service/Volunteer AmeriCorps: www.americorps.org: National, State, NCCC, VISTA, network under the Corporation for National and Community Service, all different types of service Public Allies: www.publicallies.org; full time paid apprenticeships in non-profit organizations to lead positive community change Teach for America: www.teachforamerica.org, non profit organization designed to diminish the academic achievement gap between students of different economic backgrounds, teaching term is typically 2 years Peace Corps: www.peacecorps.org; advocates friendship and world peace in developing countries City Year: www.cityyear.org, 10 months of full time community service to a specific community or area United Nations Volunteers: www.unv.org; volunteers to directly support
    [Show full text]
  • INTERROGATING EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING, YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT and NEETS Understanding Local Contexts in Two English Regions
    INTERROGATING EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING, YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND NEETS Understanding local contexts in two English regions Louise Ryan* & Magdolna Lo´´rinc* Abstract: In England, early school leaving is not part of the official policy discourse; the focus instead is on reducing youth unemployment and the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). The overall aim of this paper is to examine the key issues at stake in the changing policy landscape relating to education and youth unemployment in England, and to explore the chal- lenges facing young people in the context of localised socio-economic factors. Drawing on the aca- demic literature, official statistics and qualitative data from our fieldwork in two English regions, we explore the differences between the concepts of ESL, NEETs and youth unemployment and interro- gate the efficacy of these terms to capture vulnerability patterns in youth transitions. In addition, the paper argues that educational policies and outcomes need to be understood in relation to economic opportunity structures not just nationally but also at regional levels. Our data suggests that although educational attainment has a positive impact on labour market outcomes, it is unlikely that education policy initiatives alone will solve the issue of large-scale youth unemployment. Keywords: early school leaving, NEET, youth unemployment, England, regional differences 4 5 - 3 3 , S’INTERROGER SUR LA DÉSCOLARISATION PRÉCOCE, LE CHOMAGE DES JEUNES ADULTES ET NEET: 5 1 0 2 COMPRENDRE LES CONTEXTES LOCAUX DANS DEUX RÉGIONS ANGLAISES , 5 4 º Résumé: En Angleterre, la déscolarisation précoce des jeunes adultes ne fait pas partie du discours n , s a r politique officiel; l’attention se portant plus sur la réduction du chômage des jeunes et sur la réduc- u t l u tion du nombre de jeunes sortis du processus d’éducation, de formation et d’accès à l’emploi (NEET).
    [Show full text]
  • Youth Unemployment Youth Unemployment: the Crisis We Cannot Afford
    The ACEVO Commission on Youth Unemployment Youth unemployment: the crisis we cannot afford Supported by ACEVO 1 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1NU Tel: 020 7280 4960 Fax: 020 7280 4989 [email protected] www.acevo.org.uk Published by ACEVO Copyright © 2012 ACEVO All rights reserved. The contents of this guide may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as ACEVO copyright and the title of the publication specified. While all reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication, the publishers cannot assume any responsibility for any errors or omissions. Contents 3 Preface 4 Executive summary 8 About this report 11 Chapter One The imperative to act 21 Chapter Two The current crisis and the structural problem 29 Chapter Three The immediate shortage of jobs 35 Chapter Four Preparation for work 45 Chapter Five The transition from education to work 55 Chapter Six Support in the labour market 65 Chapter Seven Making it happen: vision and ownership 73 Chapter Eight How do we pay for it? 78 Annex A The cost of youth unemployment Lindsey Macmillan, University of Bristol 94 Annex B Mapping youth unemployment across Britain Eleanor Carter, University of Sheffield 101 Annex C Beyond school-leaving age: the first five years Paolo Lucchino and Richard Dorsett, NIESR 111 Annex D The NEET population in the UK Jack Britton, University of Bristol Contents Youth unemployment: the crisis we cannot afford 1 2 Youth unemployment: the crisis we cannot afford Preface Rt.
    [Show full text]
  • Gap Year Brochure
    make lifelong friends, in depth cultural With over 200 projects understanding and the knowledge that in 26 destinations as you have travelled you have given worldwide, why not back to communities along the way. become a responsible traveller and build Gap Year volunteering into your gap year plans? What do people mean when they talk about taking a gap year? It's a phrase that's often used, but can mean different things to different people. Whether you are interested in wildlife Gap year can mean taking any and conservation, community extended time out of work or studies, or development, working with children, taking a break between school and sports initiatives or getting your hands college, college and work or between dirty on a building project, we can tailor jobs. the gap year to suit your skills, passions and interests. You can share your Basically it's your chance to do experiences and knowledge to help something a little different from the build the capacity of sustainable grass norm, gain life experience, expand your roots projects globally whilst having a horizons and CV/Resume while sharing great adventure. your own skills and passions with local communities. It can be exactly what Our gap year programs are flexible to you make it. suit your travel needs and personal schedule, so challenge yourself today As a gap year traveller, the world is your and do something different with your oyster. Whether you want to travel for time out. 3 months, 6 months or a whole year, Kaya can provide you with great gap year ideas, for a once in a lifetime opportunity.
    [Show full text]
  • Gap Year Takers: Uptake, Trends and Long Term Outcomes
    Gap year takers: uptake, trends and long term outcomes Claire Crawford and Jonathan Cribb Institute for Fiscal Studies through the Centre for Analysis of Youth Transitions (CAYT) The views expressed in this report are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education. The Centre for Analysis of Youth Transitions (CAYT) is an independent research centre with funding from the Department for Education. It is a partnership between leading researchers from the Institute of Education, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and the National Centre for Social Research. Table of Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................... 5 1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 8 Previous research ......................................................................................... 8 Structure of the report ................................................................................. 8 2 Data .......................................................................................................... 14 Longitudinal Study of Young People in England ............................................ 14 Identifying gap year takers in the LSYPE ....................................................... 15 British Cohort Study ...................................................................................... 16 Identifying gap year takers in the BCS ..........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Au Pairs As 'Gap Year' Domestic Workers for Families
    MODERN MAIDS A STUDY OF AU PAIRS AS 'GAP YEAR' DOMESTIC WORKERS FOR FAMILIES Riitta Helena Lundberg Institute of Education, University of London PhD 2 Abstract This is an empirical study of au pairs. Its purpose is to increase understanding and knowledge of the au pair arrangement and of au pairs as family based domestic workers. The main research question is why and how the au pair institution continues in a modern society. The non-systematic sample consisted of twenty-two Finnish young people who worked as au pairs in host families in London between 1994 and 1995. Twenty-one of the au pairs were female and one was a male. Nineteen host mothers and four representatives of au pair agencies were also interviewed. The data collection was carried out by using a combination of interview methods and generated eighty-two interviews altogether. The data was analysed largely through the use of qualitative analysis based on grounded theory. The middle class Finnish young people in this study had become au pairs because this provided a socio-culturally and developmentally determinated chance for a self sufficient 'gap year' of travel abroad. The middle and upper middle class host mothers entered into this arrangement because it provided a material and economic 'coping strategy' within their family and labour market relations. The practice of an au pair arrangement was an oppressive, but diverse private and personal work relationship. Characteristics of this labour relationship such as exploitation, employment and companionship varied in time and space. This study suggests that subordination of all domestic workers is reproduced through the structures of gender and class.
    [Show full text]