Title
Bitter Choices: BlueCollar Women in and out of Work (Women in Culture and Society),Used
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Ellen Israel Rosen presents a compelling portrait of married women who work on New England's assembly lines while they also maintain their homes and marriages. With skill and sympathy, she documents the reasons these women work; their experiences on the job, in the union, and at home; the sources of their job satisfaction; and their management of the 'double day.' The major issue for this segment of the labor force, Rosen suggests, is not whether to work, but the availability and quality of jobs. Rosen argues that deindustrializationplant closings and job displacementconfronts bluecollar women factory workers with a 'bitter choice' between work at lower and lower wages or no work at all.Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from interviews with more than two hundred such women factory workers, Rosen traces the ways in which women who do 'unskilled' factory work have gained in selfesteem as well as financial stability from holding paid jobs. Throughout, Rosen explores the relationship between public work experiences and private family life. She analyzes the dynamics of twopaycheck, working class families, clarifies relationships between class and gender, and explores the impact of patriarchy and capitalism on working class women. At the same time Rosen places women's job loss within the broader economic context of global industrial transformations, demonstrating how international capital shifts to cheaper labor in developing countries, as well as technological progress, are changing the shape of the entire American labor force and are beginning to undermine the material and symbolic gains of the American female factory worker, the promise of market equality, and progressive working conditions.'This book is a significant contribution to our understanding of women's work and family lives, but it is also a valuable look at the consequences of deindustrialization in America for workers, their families, and their communities.'Myra Marx Ferree, American Journal of Sociology
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- Q: What is the main focus of 'Bitter Choices: Blue-Collar Women in and out of Work'? A: The book focuses on the experiences of married women working on assembly lines in New England, exploring their reasons for working, job satisfaction, and the challenges they face balancing work and family life.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The author of 'Bitter Choices' is Ellen Israel Rosen.
- Q: When was 'Bitter Choices' published? A: The book was published on March 23, 1990.
- Q: What are some key themes discussed in the book? A: Key themes include the impact of deindustrialization on blue-collar women, the dynamics of working-class families, and the effects of capitalism and patriarchy on women's work experiences.
- Q: How many pages does 'Bitter Choices' have? A: The book contains 210 pages.
- Q: Is 'Bitter Choices' available in different formats? A: The book is available in paperback format.
- Q: What kind of research did Ellen Israel Rosen use for this book? A: Rosen drew on both quantitative data and qualitative interviews with over 200 women factory workers to support her findings.
- Q: What does the author suggest is the major issue for blue-collar women? A: The author suggests that the major issue is not whether to work, but rather the availability and quality of jobs in the current economic landscape.
- Q: Does the book discuss the relationship between work and family life? A: Yes, the book explores how public work experiences influence private family life, particularly in two-income working-class families.
- Q: What is the significance of the title 'Bitter Choices'? A: The title refers to the difficult decisions blue-collar women face between low-wage work or no work at all, especially in the context of job displacement due to deindustrialization.