This module is not currently running in 2024 to 2025.
This module looks at the theme of gender and work in a historical context, combining insights from both historians and sociologists.
Indicative topics are:
• The historiography of women and work
• Women's work and the impact of industrialisation: productive and reproductive work; the 'breadwinner' model; class and gender in the
nineteenth century.
• Domestic and home work in the nineteenth and early 20th centuries, paid and unpaid.
• Middle class women: education and employment, the gendering of professions
• The impact of mass production and changes in technology and business organisation upon gender in the workplace
• The effects of two world wars upon women's work
• Changing patterns of women's work in the twentieth century; the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts
Total contact hours: 22
Private study hours: 128
Total study hours: 150
BSc Social Sciences (including pathways)
Main assessment methods
Essay (2000 words) (30%)
Seminar Presentation (20%)
Examination, 2 hours (50%)
Reassessment methods
Reassessment Instrument: 100% coursework
Holloway, G. (2005) Women and Work in Britain since 1840. Routledge
Witz, A. (1992) Professions and Patriarchy. Routledge
See the library reading list for this module (Medway)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
8.1 Demonstrate an awareness of the main historical perspectives concerning women's role in the labour force, the salience of social class,
and the gendered nature of work.
8.2 Have an understanding of the historical continuities and discontinuities in women's work over the period C. 1850-1975.
8.3 Understand the relevance of such factors as industrialisation, professionalisation, changing technology and business organisation, trade
unionism, mass education and total warfare to women's work.
8.4 Have some knowledge of women's role in specific employment sectors in Britain over the period (for example, manufacturing industry,
clerical work and medical services) and in domestic work, paid & unpaid.
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
9.1 Demonstrate improvement in the coherence of organisation of information in written work.
9.2 Show progression in the development of research skills through use of library resources and information technology.
9.3 Show greater ability to analyse and understand numerical data e.g. from the census.
9.4 Demonstrate improving ability to work collaboratively with other students in seminar discussions.
9.5 Show greater understanding of different schools of thought and an increased ability to synthesise them.
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