Mistress or maid: the structure of women's work in Sweden, 1550–1800

Lindström, Jonas; Jansson, Karin Hassan; Fiebranz, Rosemarie; Ågren, Maria

doi:10.1017/s0268416017000200

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The early-modern period saw the emergence of Sweden as a great regional power. From this era, there is at least patchy evidence of how women could transcend traditional gender boundaries and undertake male jobs (Lindegren 1980;Lindström et al 2017;Gary 2018). Toward the latter part of the early-modern era, however, women's opportunities as economic and political agents were restricted.…”

Section: Sweden In Gender Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Historical Gender Gap Index: A Longitudinal and Spatial Assessment of Sweden, 1870–1990

Perrin,

Karlsson,

Kok

2023

J. Econ. Hist.

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This paper investigates the evolution of gender equality in Sweden during a phase characterized by industrialization, urbanization, and demographic transition. To this end, we build a database with quantitative indicators to construct a spatial Historical Gender Gap Index. We find that after a period of stagnation, Sweden made significant progress in closing the gender gap from the 1940s onward to reach the high level of gender equality that it is now famous for. The empirical exploration of the relationship between gender equality and economic development reveals that regions displaying higher gender equality performed economically better than less gender-equal regions.

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Section: Sweden In Gender Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Historical Gender Gap Index: A Longitudinal and Spatial Assessment of Sweden, 1870–1990

Perrin,

Karlsson,

Kok

2023

J. Econ. Hist.

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“…The position as servant, however, put them in a subordinated position under a master or a mistress. 69 Men and women employed as servants were working under a labour legislation forcing people of no or little wealth to take service. They were prescribed to work on annual or half-year contracts; for these people, working for day or piece wages was not an alternative.…”

Section: Emp 'Girl Power' and The 'Little Divergence' -A Dead End?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Women's work and wages in the sixteenth century and Sweden's position in the ‘little divergence’

Molinder

Pihl

2022

The Economic History Review

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We use a unique source from the Swedish royal demesnes to examine the work and relative wages of women in sixteenth century Sweden, an economic laggard in the Early Modern period. The source pertains to workers hired on yearly contracts, a type more representative for historical labour markets than day-labour on large construction sites, and allows us to observe directly the food consumed by workers. We speak to the debate on the "Little Divergence" within Europe as women's work and gender differentials in pay is a key indicator of women's relative autonomy and seen as a cause for the economic ascendency of the North Sea region during the period. We find small gender differentials among both unskilled and skilled workers, indicating that Sweden was a part of the "golden age" for women. We argue that despite superficial equality, women's economic outlooks were restrained in many other waysincluding their access to higher skilled work and jobs in the expanding parts of the economyadding important nuance to the discussion about the relationship between women's social position and economic growth in the Early Modern period.

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“…Marriage was a source of agency and authority for both spouses when compared with unmarried men and women, but it was also a partnership between unequal parties (Lindström, Hassan Jansson, Fiebranz, Jacobsson, & Ågren, 2017;Ling et al, 2017, pp. 98-99;Ogilvie, 2003, pp.…”

Section: Gender Roles Responsibilities and Trust Within The Householdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responsibility, trust and gender in the economic decision-making of peasant households: enclosure in Southwest Finland 1760–1820

Laine

2021

Scandinavian Economic History Review

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This article studies gender roles in the economic decision-making of peasant farms in Southwest Finland in the late eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century. This is a new perspective on enclosure and a new context to study gender roles in economic matters. Decisions concerning enclosure were primarily made by male household heads. Exceptions to the decision-making norm open up a perspective onto a more detailed picture of gendered responsibility in economic matters in peasant households. The results show that the responsibility of a male head of a household for making decisions regarding the land was binding. Whereas men used representatives in extremely exceptional circumstances only, a half of the female household heads used a representative at least at some point. Both men and women primarily trusted the younger generation when it came to choosing representatives. Women attended enclosure meetings rarely, but when they did, their participation was not questioned. Women acted just like other stakeholders at the meeting.

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Mistress or maid: the structure of women's work in Sweden, 1550–1800

Cited by 8 publications

References 26 publications

The Historical Gender Gap Index: A Longitudinal and Spatial Assessment of Sweden, 1870–1990

The Historical Gender Gap Index: A Longitudinal and Spatial Assessment of Sweden, 1870–1990

Women's work and wages in the sixteenth century and Sweden's position in the ‘little divergence’

Responsibility, trust and gender in the economic decision-making of peasant households: enclosure in Southwest Finland 1760–1820

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