Womans Role in Economic Development

by Boserup, Ester; Kanji, Nazneen; Tan, Su Fei; Toulmin, Camilla

• ISBN13: 9781844073924
• ISBN10: 1844073920
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-08-30
• Publisher: ROUTLEDGE

Summary

This classic text by Ester Boserup was the first investigation ever undertaken into what happens to women in the process of economic and social growth throughout the developing world and serves as an international benchmark. It examines what happens to marriage systems and to women's rights in land when agriculture is modernized. It looks at the changes that occur when, in the process of industrialization, large numbers of families leave their rural homes for towns and cities. It also considers the issue of job discrimination against women in developing industries. A substantial new Introduction by Camilla Toulmin, Director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, and Nazneen Kanji and Su Fei Tan reflects on Boserup's legacy as a scholar and activist and the continuing relevance of her work. Key areas of examination include highlighting how the role of women in economic development has or has not changed over the past four decades in developing countries. Coverage includes women and inequality, international and national migration, conflict, HIV-AIDS, markets and employment, urbanization, leadership, property rights and global processes including the UN-MDGs as well as barriers to change. In the context of the ongoing struggle for women's rights, massive urbanization and international efforts to reduce poverty, this classic text continues to be a vital text for economists, sociologists, development workers, activists and all those who take an active interest in women's social and economic circumstances and problems throughout the world.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. v
Preface	p. xxvii
In the Village
Male and Female Farming Systems	p. 3
The Division of Labour within African Agriculture	p. 4
The Plough, The Veil and the Labourer	p. 12
Population Pressure and Sex Roles in Farming	p. 19
The Economics of Polygamy	p. 25
The Status of Younger Wives	p. 29
Work Input and Women's Status	p. 35
Loss of Status under European Rule	p. 41
The Responsibility of the Europeans	p. 41
From Cultivator to Family Aid	p. 45
The Revolt of the Women	p. 51
The Casual Worker	p. 54
The Influence of Caste on Women's Work and Wages	p. 57
Cheap Labour for the Export Sector	p. 64
The Female Coolie	p. 67
The Impact of Agricultural Modernization on the Employment of Women	p. 68
In the Town
Women in a Men's World	p. 73
Sex and Race in Market Trade	p. 75
Work Input and Earnings of Market Women	p. 80
From the Market Place to the Super-Market	p. 83
Female Services in Male Towns	p. 87
Domestic Servants	p. 91
Industry: From the Hut to the Factory	p. 94
Women's Drop-out from Industry	p. 98
Why Employers Prefer Male Workers	p. 100
Why Women Shun the Factory	p. 102
The Educated Woman	p. 107
Seclusion in the Professions	p. 111
The Feminization of Clerical Jobs	p. 118
The Pull of White Collar Jobs	p. 123
Women in the Urban Hierarchy	p. 127
Sex Differentials in Industrial Skills and Wages	p. 129
The Hierarchy of Race and Sex	p. 135
The Status of White Collar Workers	p. 139
From Village to Town
The Lure of the Towns	p. 145
The Value of Subsistence Production	p. 148
Subsistence Activities in Urban Areas	p. 155
Urban Job Opportunities for Women	p. 162
The Two Steps in Economic Development	p. 164
The Impact of Tradition and of Imported Culture Patterns	p. 167
The Pattern of Migration and of Female Work	p. 171
The Arab and the Latin American Patterns	p. 174
The South East Asian Pattern	p. 176
The African Pattern	p. 178
The Unemployment Scare	p. 182
Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas	p. 185
The Urban Labour Market	p. 189
Education as a Cause of Unemployment	p. 191
The Cost of Urbanization	p. 194
The Strategy of Development Planning	p. 196
The Design of Female Education	p. 199
The Productivity of Female Labour	p. 200
The Escape from Competition	p. 202
Training for the Modern Sector	p. 208
A New Pattern for the Future	p. 211
Appendix Tables	p. 214
Notes to Tables and Figures	p. 248
List of Works Cited	p. 251
Author Index	p. 264
Subject Index	p. 267
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