The limits of difference : a comparative study of the relationship between women workers and trade unionism in the tobacco and hat industries (France, 1890-1914)
This thesis is based on the thorough examination of archival sources in relation to two industries in which women formed the majority of the workforce in France between 1890 and 1914. Its main aim is to establish a comparison between the tobacco and hat industries in relation to women's participation in their respective unions and federations. Subsidiary aims are to assess the way in which women perceived themselves, and were perceived, both as workers and as women, as well as to explore how female workers' involvement in unions related to the wider issues of female militancy and feminism. This thesis concentrates on four key aspects, namely women in industry, trade unions attitudes to women, the relationship between women and trade unionism and, finally, the relationship between women and strikes. So far, general comparative studies have raised points but they have not been followed through nor supported by enough evidence to make them historically fully viable and no detailed case study has been undertaken in this field prior to 1914. In this context, the choice and comparison of the tobacco and hat industries are determining in at least three ways. First of all, no extensive research has been devoted to
Salin, Sandra
L200 Politics ; V300 History by topic
The limits of difference : a comparative study of the relationship between women workers and trade unionism in the tobacco and hat industries (France, 1890-1914). This thesis is based on the thorough examination of archival sources in relation to two industries in which women formed the majority of the workforce in France between 1890 and 1914. Its main aim is to establish a comparison between the tobacco and hat industries in relation to women's participation in their respective unions and federations. Subsidiary aims are to assess the way in which women perceived themselves, and were perceived, both as workers and as women, as well as to explore how female workers' involvement in unions related to the wider issues of female militancy and feminism. This thesis concentrates on four key aspects, namely women in industry, trade unions attitudes to women, the relationship between women and trade unionism and, finally, the relationship between women and strikes. So far, general comparative studies have raised points but they have not been followed through nor supported by enough evidence to make them historically fully viable and no detailed case study has been undertaken in this field prior to 1914. In this context, the choice and comparison of the tobacco and hat industries are determining in at least three ways. First of all, no extensive research has been devoted to
limit difference comparative_study relationship woman worker trade_unionism tobacco hat industry france base thorough_examination archival_source relation industry woman form majority workforce france main_aim establish comparison tobacco hat industry relation woman participation respective union federation subsidiary aim_assess way woman perceive perceive worker woman well explore female worker involvement union related wide_issue female militancy feminism concentrate four_key aspect namely woman industry_trade union attitude woman relationship woman trade_unionism finally relationship woman strike far general comparative_study raise point follow supported enough evidence make historically fully viable detailed_case study undertaken field context choice comparison tobacco hat industry determine least_three way first extensive devote