Wages of Single Women - Essay Example

Wages of Single Women The article, “The Work and Wages of Single Women, 1870-1920”, discusses the working and earnings functions of single in that period, and after a careful analysis, similarities can be inferred to the modern woman. Goldin postulates that the single woman in that period dominated the entire workforce, perhaps more than the married woman or the male individual. The article also discusses the single, working woman and their choice of residence, the kind of occupations that they engaged in, and the social concern of the single, working woman.

The prevailing opinion is that the experiences of the single, working woman in the period 1870 to 1920 can be compared to the experience of the single, working woman in the modern period. The article concludes that the single, working woman in the period dominated the workforce, but after a careful analysis of the current working environment, it can be concluded that this has drastically changed (Goldin 82). This means that the distribution in the current workforce is even among married and single women; it cannot be conclusively decided which group dominates the workforce.

The article also postulates that single woman in the period usually returned to married life after being employed (Goldin 83), but an analysis of the current working situation indicates that the single or married woman will probably return to education. The working individual in the current age is usually seeking a source of funding in order to pursue higher education. This change is probably occasioned by the increasing economic hardships being faced; hardships that require that an individual be able to raise a family comfortably.

This is based on an inner sense of care for the future, where the individual wants to save enough to be able to support a future family. The experience of the single, working woman has also changed from Goldin’s period to the present. The work that the women did in the period in question did not require much experience; in fact, the work took in employees from a tender age who learned on the job. In my opinion, this has drastically changed, since the single, working woman in the current period is required to have experience before being employed in any field.

Occupational segregation and the nature of work was also rampant in the period 1870 to 1920, where the woman was only allowed to work in specific fields like manual factory work or service employment like clerical work (Goldin 82). However, in the current age, the single, working woman is not occupationally segregated; in fact, the working man and woman are continually fighting for the same positions. The nature of work has also changed, with no distinction among gender in the workplace. This change was occasioned by an increase in gender awareness, where the discrimination between the genders is generally frowned upon by the society.

This has led to an evolution in the current work practices; the effect of gender equality is to ensure that the single, working woman is differentiated from the single, working woman in the period 1870 to 1920. Work Cited Goldin, Claudio. The Work and Wages of Single Women, 1870-1920. The Journal of Economic History, 1980, Vol. 40(1). Pp. 81-88.