Secretaries at work

Silverstone, Rosalie; Towler, Rosemary

doi:10.1080/00140138408963523

Cited by 14 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…The effects of computerization on the work process of women office workers proved easier to assess, largely through case studies. Here, the implementation of IT, specifically in the form of word processing, was generally found to have little impact; the organization of office work and particularly the sexual division of labour 319 remained intact (Silverstone and Towler, 1984;Webster, 1990;Liff, 1993).…”

Section: Changes In Labour Processes?mentioning

confidence: 97%

What Do We Know About Gender and Information Technology at Work?

Webster

1995

European Journal of Women's Studies

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Section: Changes In Labour Processes?mentioning

confidence: 97%

What Do We Know About Gender and Information Technology at Work?

Webster

1995

European Journal of Women's Studies

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“…Also early studies of office automation and women's work portrayed secretarial work as involving professional skills such as abstract thinking, planning, and servicing people from inside and outside the organization in various ways (e.g. Lie and Rasmussen 1985;Webster 1986;Silverstone and Towler 1984).…”

Section: The Invisible Skills In Women's Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Historical View of Studies of Women’s Work

Balka

Wagner

2020

Comput Supported Coop Work

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This paper places observational studies of women’s work in historical perspective. We present some of the very early studies (carried out in the period from 1900 to 1930), as well as several examples of fieldwork-based studies of women’s work, undertaken from different perspectives and in varied locations between the 1960s and the mid 1990s. We outline and discuss several areas of thought which have influenced studies of women’s work - the automation debate; the focus on the skills women need in their work; labour market segregation; women’s health; and technology and the redesign of work – and the research methods they used. Our main motivation in this paper is threefold: to demonstrate how fieldwork based studies which have focussed on women’s work have attempted to locate women’s work in a larger context that addresses its visibility and value; to provide a thematic historiography of studies of women’s work, thereby also demonstrating the value of an historical perspective, and a means through which to link it to contemporary themes; and to increase awareness of varied methodological perspectives on how to study work.

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“…However, there was early concern that the programme was not improving male or female entry to "non-traditional" sectors (Towers and Magill, 1995), a pattern reflected in the latest statistics for the MA (EOC, 2004). The persistent nature of gender segregation has given rise to a large research literature on gender and occupational stereotypes (see inter alia Eagly, 1983;Silverstone and Towler, 1986), and the reasons why males and females "choose" particular sorts of jobs (see inter alia Miller and Budd, 1999;EOC, 2001). This paper reports the findings of research commissioned by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) which investigated young people's and employers' views on patterns of male and female participation in apprenticeships taken by just one sex.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The gendered nature of apprenticeship

Fuller

Beck

Unwin

2005

Education + Training

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Purpose -Gender segregation has been a persistent feature of apprenticeship programmes in countries around the world. In the UK, the Modern Apprenticeship was launched ten years ago as the government's flagship initiative for training new entrants in a range of occupational sectors. One of its priorities was to increase male and female participation in "non-traditional" occupations, that is, those normally practised by just one sex. However, recent figures show that the programme has failed to achieve its aim and this has prompted an investigation by the Equal Opportunities Commission. This paper aims to report the research as part of this investigation. Design/methodology/approach -This paper presents quantitative and qualitative evidence on the attitudes of young people (aged 14 and 15) and employers to non-traditional occupational choices. It also explores the factors affecting the decisions of young people to train in a non-traditional occupation and the recruitment decisions of employers from "traditional sectors", such as engineering, the construction trades and child care. Findings -The research provides evidence of the deeply entrenched nature of occupational stereotypes and the psychological and social barriers that have to be overcome if a more evenly balanced workforce is to be created. It also reveals that none of the institutions and organisations which act as gatekeepers between young people and employers is, as yet, taking responsibility for challenging their perceptions and decision-making processes. Originality/value -The paper concludes by highlighting the implications of the research findings to stakeholders and suggesting a holistic approach to tackling gender segregation.

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Secretaries at work

Cited by 14 publications

References 3 publications

What Do We Know About Gender and Information Technology at Work?

What Do We Know About Gender and Information Technology at Work?

A Historical View of Studies of Women’s Work

The gendered nature of apprenticeship

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